Septimus is fundamentally characterized by its transitional serif qualities. It sits comfortably between the Old Style faces of the Renaissance and the high-contrast Modern serifs of the 18th century. One of its most striking features is the balance of its stroke weights. Unlike the extreme thin-and-thick contrast found in fonts like Bodoni, Septimus opts for a more moderate modulation. This choice ensures that the font remains legible even at smaller point sizes, making it a versatile workhorse for both body text and headlines.
As of 2025, the has seen a resurgence thanks to the "Dark Academia" aesthetic trend—a subculture romanticizing classical literature, old universities, and vintage clothing. Septimus has become the unofficial typeface of this movement, appearing on thousands of Tumblr blogs, study-with-me YouTube thumbnails, and Etsy prints.