Roman type was modelled from a European scribal manuscript style of the 15th century, based on the pairing of
inscriptional capitals used in
ancient Rome with
Carolingian minuscules. Early roman typefaces show a variety of designs, for instance resembling what would now be considered blackletter. Printers and typefounders such as
Nicolas Jenson and
Aldus Manutius in Venice and later
Robert Estienne in France codified the modern characteristics of Roman type, for instance an 'h' with a nearly straight right leg, serifs on the outside of the capital 'M' and 'N', and 'e' with level cross stroke, by the 1530s. ==Use today==