The Evolution of Type

A Graphic Guide to 100 Landmark Typefaces

Regular price
£19.95
Sale price
£19.95
Regular price

Also available from:

Examines 100 landmark typefaces, from the type used by Johannes Gutenberg to produce his 42-Line Bible to the latest digital fonts

The Evolution of Type takes you on a journey through the development of type design and typographic style from the mid-15th century to the present day, by way of 100 typefaces.

Chosen to represent the key elements of style and form used by the punch cutters, calligraphers and designers of their day, and presented in chronological order according to release date, each typeface is discussed in terms of its origins and its impact on the design and print industry, and latterly the additional considerations for screen use.

Versions released in metal type for hand-setting, as hot-metal type for the monotype and linotype machines, as phototype, and as digital revivals or originals, are covered in detail alongside information about the people responsible for the design and development of each adaptation of the typeface.

Key glyphs from each face are annotated to indicate the specific features that mark out how typeface design has evolved over the last 500 or so years, and visual comparisons illustrate how typefaces created years ago have influenced contemporary releases.

For the general reader, this book gives a fascinating insight into the history of the typefaces we have been reading for decades; for typographers and designers this book is a valuable resource that will help to inform their choice of the most appropriate typeface for any project.
Extent: 256 pp
Format: PLC (with jacket)
Publication date: 2015-08-17
Size: 24.5 x 19.0 cm
ISBN: 9780500241486
Introduction: The Origins of Movable Type • 100 fonts

Press Reviews

An informative and inspirational resource
Craft & Design




About the Author

Tony Seddon is a freelance designer, project manager and writer. He has written or co-written nearly ten books, among them Type Team, Greetings from Retro Design and The Evolution of Type.

Stephen Coles is a writer and typographer. After six years as creative director at FontShop in San Francisco, he now edits the websites Typographica, Fonts In Use and The Mid-Century Modernist. Stephen is a regular contributor to The Print and The Codex magazines, a Type Camp instructor and a member of the FontFont TypeBoard. He also contributed editorial content to the most recent edition of FontBook: Digital Typeface Compendium.

You May Also Like

View more