Beginning this week the Gazette has finetuned its design, including changes in fonts, typography and makeup. The design changes were led by Stephen Durkee, the Gazette’s director of graphics and design, who worked with Sam Berlow of Font Bureau to identify a typeface that evoked the rich typographic history of the 166-year-old Gazette, yet was flexible and easy to read.

Their choice was Poynter Old Style, designed in 1997 by Font Bureau and the Poynter Institute, a training center dedicated to excellence in journalism, specifically for newspapers. Based on a European font from the 17th century, the typeface combines a classic look with a variety of typographic uses, including online.

“This typeface is perfect for the Vineyard Gazette because of its wide range of weights and widths that harken back to classic metal type,” said Mr. Berlow, an owner and director of the Boston-based company, which has an office on the Vineyard.

What hasn’t changed is the Gazette’s commitment to bringing the news of the Vineyard to its readers — in print and also digitally on its Web site — as a journal of Island life.