New look, still Independent

In keeping with The Independent's track record as a design innovator, the newspaper will be using two new typefaces.

Gill Sans and Trajan have been chosen for their combination of clean, modern design and classical artistry.

Eric Gill, who designed the front covers for some of Penguins' classic first editions, developed the Gill Sans typeface.

James Mosley, of the St Bride Printing Library, said: "In the 1920s Gill was asked to do a new typeface in answer to the stark sans serif typeface then popular in Germany.

"Gill's classical approach was more acceptable to British taste than the stark German design. Gill Sans combines softer, more traditional lines with the simple sans serif type."

The inscription on Rome's Trajan column inspired our second typeface. It was re-designed by Carol Twombly in the 1980s, one of world's leading print designers. "Both typefaces have their roots in the Roman empire." Mr Mosley says, "but have been re-interpreted in modern classical forms."