Lecture notes// A History of Typography

Typography structures how certain variables are delivered, For e.g. Writing, Visual communication etc. It's a medium of communication through visuals and isn't presented verbally. The first type of messages that we find in the history records were a series of pictures that told a story known as pictographs.

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Typography can express certain tones through its characteristics for e.g. Slab Serif = a very powerful bold representation. These characteristics then fell below TYPE CLASSIFICATIONS.

A similar theme is shown in the American Psycho film, displaying the impact typography can have depending on its characteristics.

The late age of print.

Following the 'dark ages' when nobody read or wrote, the late age of print began, the term was first introduced by media theorist Marshall Mcluhan, and with it Gutenberg's printing press began, creating 'moveable type' and a dramatic change in the development of the world. The period of renaissance later saved culture during its 'dark ages'.

Illustration of Guternbergs press. Guttenbergs 'Gothic Script' in 1450 was considered very difficult to read because of the spacing between letters etc.

'Uppercase' letterforms were inspired by the Roman Culture (Trajan's column 113AD) Even the modern day alphabet is taken from these original forms.

Humanist type forms

There is little difference between the main stroke and secondary stroke, a classic feature is the upturned cross stroke of the letter 'e'. The type forms were created by Nicolas Jenson. It became the first family of type.

Centaur (humanist) now became Garamond (old style). Which stemmed from Venice alongside the first forms of italic fonts and a different spacing of letters. At this point in history there is a shift within typography and type which now became a form of art. Followed by the production of the other fonts such as; Palatino, Perpetua, Garamond and Goudy old style.

An 18th century english printer, William Caslon created the typeface, characterised by crisp upright characters that recall fluid strokes of the flexible steel pen and pointed quill. These modern fonts of the time were adopted by America and used for the USA's declaration, representing a modern country.