The Evolution of Type takes the reader 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-foundry 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 the design of many contemporary releases. For the general reader, this book offers a thorough history of the typefaces we have been reading for decades; for typographers and designers, it is a valuable resource that will help to inform their choice of the most appropriate typeface for a project.

Tony Seddon is a freelance designer, art director and writer. He has authored and co-authored five books on graphic design, art direction and typography, including Thou Shall Not Use Comic Sans: A Designer's Almanac of Dos and Don'ts. He lives in East Sussex, UK.

Type is a fundamental part of written language in the modern world, and yet it is commonly treated as a static thing. Once cast into metal, it is fixed in time.But type is alive!Each typeface has an individual history. It is often born out of specific necessity, influenced by the artistic world in which its creator lives or designed to solve a particular problem. Some typefaces die soon after they fulfill this initial purpose, but others can live on far beyond their designers' intentions. They can travel through design movements, traverse formats and substrates both analog and digital, and evolve into the typographic offspring that we refer to as revivals and reinterpretations. If a typeface survives these journeys it can continue to live on as a tool in the hands of future generations, producing work its creator never imagined.And just as music has its archetypical artists or composers who represent a given genre (be it classical, blues, folk or roc