Historical Classifications

Printing process – Manuel Typesetting: The first printing press with moveable type was invented in 1450 in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg. Paper was handmade and printing technology was still primitive.

The first are modeled after calligraphic manuscripts of dense, dark handwriting called

Blackletter Blackletter. Popular during the Middle Ages, Blackletter was heavy and hard to read because of the numerous ligatures (characters that combine two or more letters into a single form).

1) Type Classification Humanist and Old Style

Humanist – Replaces Blackletter with lighter, more open forms like the scripts of the Italian humanist writers. In 1470 (during the Renaissance), typographer, Nicolas Jenson developed the first Roman in Venice.

Ex. Jenson, Kennerley, Centaur, Stempel Schneidler, Verona, Lutetia, Jersey, Lynton

Italic letters are introduced in Italy in 1501 as a Humanist standalone typeface and are modeled after a First Roman typeface more casual style of handwriting. Italic letters by Nicolas Jenson. were first created for small format books that required a more condensed type.

Old Style – (1495- 1725) Influenced by the Baroque period, Old Style demonstrates a marked departure from handwriting. Letterforms are upright with a greater refinement in contrast between thick and thin strokes and contain heavily bracketed serifs (bracket - curved area that connects the to the main stroke). Old Style Garamond: France, 1617 Ex. Bembo, Calisto, Garamond, Goudy Old Style, Granjon, Janson, Palatino, Sabon, Weiss 2) Type Classification Transitional – (1692 - 1780) was developed during the Age of Enlightenment and reflects a sense of refinement with a greater contrast between thick and think strokes and more polished serifs. Jacques Jaugeon designed the first Transitional style typeface, the King’s Roman, commissioned by Louis XIV for the Transitional Imprimerie Royale in 1692. Transitional bridged Baskerville: England, 1757 the gap between Old Style and Modern serif typefaces.

Printing process - Technological advances allow for smoother paper, better printing presses and improved ink.

Ex. Baskerville, Bookman, Cheltenham, Clearface, Fournier, Joanna, Slimbach

3) Type Classification Modern – (1780 - 1810) reflects extreme refinement with a high, abrupt contrast between thick and hairline-thin strokes. Letters are straight on a vertical axis and serifs are unbracketed. The first Modern typeface is attributed to Frenchman Firmin Didot in 1784. Modern However, the most influential designer of the Bodoni: Italy, 1788 time was the prolific Italian type designer, punchcutter and printer Giambattista Bodoni, who created hundreds of typefaces.

Ex. Bodoni, Didot

4) Type Classification Egyptian or – (1800 – 1900) developed in Britain, Egyptian typeface shows a return to very little contrast between thick and thin strokes, and have a heavy slab-like base. Egyptian type produced the greatest variety in Egyptian or Slab Serif type than any previous century. Bold, Condensed : England, 1838 and Extended typefaces were invented to satisfy the needs of advertisers. Egyptian type, by name, is not related to Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Egypt was in vogue after Napoleon’s return from a three year Egyptian expedition and the 1809 publication of Description de l’Égypt.

Printing process - Hot Metal Typesetting: In 1886, the Linotype machine is invented by Otto Mergenthaler. The Linotype’s speed in setting and casting complete lines of type via a keyboard is the greatest advancement in print since Gutenburg’s printing press.

Ex. Cairo, Century Expanded, Clarendon, Courier, Egyptienne, , Memphis, Playbill,

5) Type Classification Sans Serif – (1900 - present) Sans Serif type first appeared on the building façades of late 18th century architecture. However, the first Sans Serif type published in a type sample book was in England by William IV in 1816. Sans Serif was also referred to as “Grotesque” (meaning a carved stone) and began to quickly Sans Serif spread over Europe and the United States. Helvetica: Switzerland, 1957 Contemporary, streamline and sometimes (most widely used typeface) geometric in appearance, Sans Serif type became popular in the mid 20th century. Sans, meaning “without” in French, reminds us that Sans Serif type contains no projecting serifs at the end of their strokes.

Printing process – Desktop Publishing: Linotype and are replaced by minicomputer-based typesetting software introduced in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Ex. Arial, Akzidenz-Grotesk, Frutiger, , Geneva, Gill Sans, Helvetica, Verdana

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