Summary of this extract

The development of typefaces in printing:

• Began with Calligraphic lettering from hand written books which took years and only churches and nobility could afford.
• Printing - long complicated process but enabed quicker spread of ideas, news, knowledge and religion.
• Moveable type - Johannes Guttenberg - aswell as advancing printing he also developed his own typeface rhat resembled the hand lettered Gothic Script.
• Unical Lettering - (means inch high in Latin) used during the Roman Empire.
• It evolved to Celtic Roundhand which originated in Ireland.
• During the reign of Charlemagne the King ordered a standardized lettering style to be used throughout the Holy Roman Empire which was Carolingian lettering.
• the lettering style Black letter which is also known as Old English or Gothic was developed in Germany .
• Nicolas Jenson - printer and typography responsible for producing Old Style faces which were nfluenced by letterforms carved onto Classical Roman architecture. It was easier to read than Black letter and it adapted well to metal typecasting. Examples of this style = Centaur, Bembo, Benguiat, Goudy old style, Times Roman, Trajon, Jenson, Caslon.
• Aldus Manulius founded the first successful mass market publishing house called the Aldine Press. Nicolas Jenson and Francesco Griffo who is credited with developing Italic types both designed typefaces for him.
• William Caxton developed Gothic type ( a form of black letter) He also brought printing to England, he opened a print shop in Westminster and publised the first book in English.
• 1530 Claude Garamond established the first metal type.
• The times of London introduced the first steam press to replace hand operated presses- 1868- The Rotary Steampress was introduced.
• Type styles underwent major developments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the development of Sans Serif type faces.
• This introduction was controversial with many people labelling them Grotesque. Members of this Grotesque style include Helvetica, Grotesque, Arial, Franklin Gothic and univers.
• The Grotesque style was later joined by Geometric (Avant Garde, Futura, Century Gothic) and Humanist (Gills Sans, Optima)

It is clear to see how dramatically type and the ability to print and reproduce it has developed over time. With these as some of the key milestones along the way. It is harder to tell where it will go from here and how signifiacnt type will be in the years to come. With constant new technology evolving type is used more and more for communication, will vocal communication die out?