Read on for more information, a history of the ampersand , and a gallery of ampersand designs from a variety of different typefaces. The modern ampersand has remained largely unchanged from the Carolignian ampersands developed in the ninth century. The other common ampersand design is the italic ampersand, featured below: Monotype Corsiva - A traditional script example. Ampersands in Websafe and Web-Common Fonts Some websafe and commonly used fonts on the web have excellent ampersand designs. Here are the ampersands from a variety of web-common fonts: Arial - Arial has a very basic, sans-serif ampersand. Verdana - The verdana ampersand is more squat and square than many other sans-serif examples. The Ampersand in Design and Art Ampersands have become a bit of an obsession for some. Here are some examples of ampersands in real life: Using Ampersands in Your Designs Whether for a web project or a print design, ampersands can play a prominent role in the look and feel of your website. Carolignian ampersands in a sans-serif font are often bolder and have a modern feeling. A few more examples: Italic Ampersands Lucida Handwriting Papyrus Windsong Goudy Bookletter 1911 Bernhard Modern Caviar Dreams Carolignian Ampersands Lithos Pro Tahoma Optima American Typewriter Regency Script Further Information Here are some additional resources, and sources used in the crafting of this post. The Funkiest Ampersands You Have Ever Seen - An excellent roundup of unusual ampersand designs from Spoon Grahpics. The Mesmerizing Curves of Ampersands - Another excellent roundup of ampersand designs, with download links.