An Introduction to the History of Printing Types: An Illustrated Summary of the Main Stages in the Development of Type Design from 1440 Up to the Present Day : An Aid to Type Face Identification

Reprint of the 1961 edition. This work is a succint and authoritative account, lavishly illustrated, of the evolution of type design from the earliest Blackletters to present day forms. The book is divided into two parts, "Book Types" and "Display Types," and each is treated chronologically and arranged in groups with similar characteristics which are defined and illustrated. Reference is made to current equivalents. Practically all illustrations have been reproduced in facsimile and many sources have been searched to obtain representative examples. Fully documented notes accompany each typeface and provide the reader with a wealth of material for study, while appendixes cover elements of design such as stress and serif. For everyone concerned with the proper use of the hundreds of type faces now available, this book provides the essential framework on which can be built an appreciative understanding of the rich heritage of expressive letter design that lies in the printer's case. It simplifies the problem of identifying unfamiliar types and encourages that confidence in handling a variety of type faces which comes from an understanding of their origins, history and uses. This work belongs on the bookshelf of every printer, publisher, graphic designer, and student of the printing and publishing arts. Illustrated. Pages show some wrinkling along bottom. xxiv, 277 pages. stiff paper wrappers.. large 8vo..