Think New Year, Think New Type

Read the type...this is not hype...the time is ripe...to BE a type...

"She's a reliable type."   "He's a good type."   "That's a great type of company."  

"She's the type that's always on time."   "He's the type that meets deadlines."

Puns aside - they'll take you seriously if you take them seriously.

(Click on the image below.)


In Appreciation of Written Word

Enjoy my "through the years" morphology of TEXT and TYPE ... from cave scratchings to screen pixels!

Medieval Typography

Black Letter

Early print houses molded individual letters from lead in order to mass-print books on printing presses first invented by Gutenberg in the 15^th century (he had taken the idea for his life-changing invention from one day looking at wine presses and making a connection). These early typefaces were Black Letter, simulating the Gothic handwriting of scribes from earlier centuries, and were popular right up to the 20^th century, especially in Germany.






Although today we employ typefaces such as Humanist, Modern and others easier for contempory audiences to read, one tradition remains from the Middle Ages, and that is the drop cap, which although not
 the colourful, detailed drawings of early monks, nonetheless mark the beginning of a chapter.

 Individual characters gradually became lighter and more Roman, influenced by regional handwriting styles. Future posts will detail these later designs, but for now, have a look at the Black Letter typeface above – although illegible to many today, one must admit there is a certain beauty to Black Letter.


Many newspapers use some form of Black Letter for their name brand even today. See below.