15th to the 19th century technology, letterform construction and typographers
Right: Johannes Gutenburg’s first printing press.
THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450 was an incredible invention that made an impact lasting thousands of years later. Consisting of wooden type, and later metal type, ink was layered onto the raised surfaces of the type and imprinted on to paper by pressing. The production of books began, known as Incunabula, and are known as the first traces oftext (Carter, Day, Meggs). Lithography came about in 1796 by Aloys Senefelder as another form of printing (Lithography). It was a cheaper way to print work onto paper (Lithography). its process consisted of drawing an image into a waxy substance applied to a stone plate to transfer the ink (Lithography).
letterform construction 4 
Above: The rotary press by Richard Hoe.
In contrast, development of the press continued, and Frederich Koenig and Andreas Bauer partnered together to make a press powered from steam (The Arts). Based off of Gutenberg’s design, the flat plate was made a cylinder that impressed the paper while applying the proper pressure. The technique saved the labor of one person because it replaced the need for a dabber because of the rollers. This advancement increased printing quantity by 500%, meaning it could work at a rate of 400 impressions per hour (The Arts). Richard Hoe replaced the flat bed press with a rotary press. By 1861, curved plates called stereotypes replaced hand-set type (The Arts). In 1870 Hoe took his press design another step further and developed a new rotary press that could print on both sides of the paper in a single operation, and moved at an incredible speed of 800 feet per minute. The sheets were then passed over a cutting knife the cut them apart before heading to an apparatus which had the ability to fold them so they were ready for carriers or to be mailed. Their extremely high efficency and the ability to be distributed to several presses. 5
Another invention was Linn
with multiple colors
Boyd Benton’s Benton
(Chromolithography).
Pantograph machine.
The process was the
Based on affine
same, but each color
“It is a press, certainly,but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams...” transformation, it used
got their own stone and
engraving to scale,
it was a much longer
condense, extend and
and expensive process.
slant font design patterns.
It became the most
Linotype, by Ottmar
successful method of
Mergenthalerin 1886,
color printing developed
was invented to mechanize
in the entire 19th century
typecasting and setting
(Chromolithography).
(The Arts). It gets its name
In order to get the most
because the output was
beautiful results it could
Johannes Gutenberg
a line of cast type (The Arts). The machine has a 90 character keyboard where text is entered, and the machine creates the molds of letter forms to then be casted as a single piece called a slug (Linotype). Tolbert Lanston’s Monotype was the same but with individual letters
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(The Arts). An advancement
take several months to
to lithography was called
produce the product,
chromolithography which
even by the most
allowed artists to print
skilled workers.
Above is a slug from a lithographic machine. Right: The image shows the prepping for a lithographic print.
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Right:Textura Lactantius’ Opera the first typeface designed by Sweynheym and Pannartz in 1465.
THE STYLES OF TYPE IN THESE TWO timelines have similarities, but in the 1800s type styles grew dramatically different. Sweynheym and Pannartz designed the first type in 1465 in Italy (Carter, Day, Meggs). The typeface was designed with medium weight and flat serifs. The first Roman-style type was also created by Sweynheym and Pannartz, and showed influences of Roman script capitals and Caroline minuscules (Carter, Day, Meggs). A Venetian roman typeface emerged in 1470, where the capital letters had a very large cap height. De aetna by Pietro Bembo used Francesco Griffo, a roman type, as its font (Carter, Day, Meggs). Francesco Griffo also was the first italic typeface. Chancery script was a major influence for the italicized style.
typography 8
Above: Romain du Roi in lowercase. Left: Romain du Roi in uppercase.
In 1523, Ludovico Arrighi started his career as a writing master in Venice and soon after became a book seller in Rome (Ludovico). His skills in calligraphy led to his work in La Operina, which is the first book devoted to the formal type known as italic chancery cursive (Carter, Day, Meggs). A Dutch old style type, Christoffel van Dyck, emerged in 1670 (Carter, Day, Meggs). It had special traits, like an extended Q and high x-height on f’s. Pierre Simon was influenced by Rococo style and architecture. Emerging in 1742 was his typeface St. Augustine Ordinaire as a French serif, high fashion style that moved more towards a modernized roman (Art Periods). It has had a few revivals along side of the French baroque style (Art Periods). Romain du Roi was the first transitional type and was later followed by Baskerville in 1750. 9
Caslon Old style was used
The egyptian type followed
through out the British
closely behind. Unlike many
Empire (Carter, Day,
previous styles, egyptian
Meggs). The first modern
had equal stem and serif
style type was Didot made
weights. Progressing, 1816
by Francois Ambroise
was the dated time of the
“Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form.”
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(Carter, Day, Meggs). These
first sans serif type (Carter,
Robert Bringhurst
were followed closely by
Day, Meggs). Equal line
The Elements of Typographic Style
the first geometric style
weight, its style was
of Bodoni which included
incredibly different from all
hairline serifs (Carter,
previous styles. Decorative
Day, Meggs). The styles
type took a turn in the
changed with the Industrial
1840s compared to the
Revolution. Instead of the
original italic, Roman styles
decorative styles of rococo
designed 400 years earlier.
and Sweynheym and
There was more play with
Pannartz, the focuses soon
unusual, unique designs
became sleek, sans serif
that ultimately created their
or decorative styles. Fat
own typeface catergory
face made its appearance
(Basics). Wood and
in 1803 by Robert Thorne
ornamental type had a basis
(Carter, Day, Meggs). Like
of Roman and handwriting
many of the first old style
styles. Typefaces included
and transitional, it had flat
decorative ornaments
serifs but it was different
and for most characters
because of the extreme
(Basics). They were
weight it had and greater
designed larger and
contrast in the line weight.
used for embellishing.
Above: A poster from 1800s that explores serif, sans serif and slab serif typefaces. Opposite: An old ad that also combined serifs and sans serifs.
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Right: Portrait of Claude Garamound. Far right: Portrait of Johannes Gutenburg.
TYPOGRAPHERS FROM THE 15TH TO the 19th centuries not only created type styles to last many lifetimes, but their work established the technology used today. Without their inventions and creativity, Starting with Johannes Gutenberg, the printing press changed how type was read and used. Francesco Griffo made his mark in Italian culture with the first italic style influenced by the popularity of handwriting in Italy and France (Arpin). In connection with Griffo, Claude Garamond was influenced by Griffo’s roman font (Arpin). He kept his emphasis on clarity with his typefaces.
typographers 12  
Above: Clarendon, designed by Robert Besley, in drawers.
The first egyptian slab serif is credited to Vincent Figgins, which he named Antique, features a thick line weight and serifs (Carter, Day, Meggs). His typeface Monotype was widely used in the newspaper industry. William Thorowgood was the typographer of the Grotesque typeface, a sans-serif style from the 19th century. He became the owner of the Fann Street Foundry in 1820, which was originally founded by Robert Thorne in 1794 and specialized in display typefaces (MyFonts). with Robert Besley. Besley was from England, and his Clarendon egyptian serif had clarity and the ability to scale up for larger pieces (MyFonts). His involvement and ownership of the Fann Street Foundry began in 1849 and continued to specialized in display typefaces (MyFonts). As the style of the printing press grew there was less emphasis on handwriting. 13
In the 18th century, John
published the book Manuale
Baskerville and William
Tipografico that contained
Caslon emerged as strong
100 roman fonts, 50
typographers, and their
italic fonts and 28 Greek
styles were influenced by
minuscule fonts (Linotype).
“Of all the achievements of the human mind, the birth of the alphabet is the most momentous.” Gutenberg and the printing
However, his name is well
press (Arpin). Baskerville
known due to his well
had a more transitional type
known typeface Bodoni. His
style with contrasting line
modern style and geometric
weights and set his own
typefaces were influential
principles of maintaining
and major breakthroughs.
Frederic Goudy
his work with simplicity, elegance and clarity (Arpin). His typeface Baskerville remains one of the greatest classical fonts. Caslon had old style type with little contrast in line weight and ascenders can exceed the cap height (Arpin). His typeface Caslon was used for The Declaration of Independence. Into the 19th century, Giambattista Bodoni’s was a talented engraver, type designer, typographer, printer and publisher. In 1788 he 14
Left: Portrait of John Baskerville. Opposite: Portrait of William Caslon.
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Designer Jamie Cooper-Anderson Project Typographers Time line French Fold Booklet Course Typography 2 Faculty Francheska Guerrero Typefaces Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk, Rockwell