The Evolution of Type - Annotated by Tony Seddon (Hardcover)

About the Book

The history of letter design from woodcuts to computer fonts.

Book Synopsis

The Evolution of Type examines 100 landmark typefaces from the history of font design, from the type used by Johannes Gutenberg to produce his 42-Line Bible, to the latest digital typefaces. It reveals the meaning behind typographic characters and shows how the use of type has changed over time.

A full spread is devoted to each typeface and its origins. Concise text describes the design history and usage of the face, and its long-term impact on the development of typefaces. Annotated enlargements show the new features that the typeface introduced and highlight its most important design characteristics.

The book is organized in six chapters:

• 1455-1700 The start of it all: The first typefaces are designed in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands
• 1700-1890 The emergence of literacy: The popular desire for reading material drives invention
• 1890-1920 The first technological age: Type foundries become big business and mass production becomes reality
• 1920-1960 Type meets art: Typographic originality and creative culture embrace on an industrial scale
• 1960-1990 Type become cool: Type influences international style
• 1990-today The second technological age: Typesetting for the masses.

The Evolution of Type has practical applications in many fields of graphic design. General readers will enjoy learning about something that they encounter every day. They will gain an appreciation for the unique characteristics of a word beyond its dictionary definition.

Review Quotes

Graphic designer and type historian Seddon presents the history of typography in 100 typefaces, moving chronologically from movable type to digital. Brief "biographies" of each typeface include descriptions of its origins and influence and annotated depictions with distinguishing features and side-by-side comparisons of subfamilies (e.g., roman versus italic) and versions. Each of the book's four main sections begins with an overview of the time period in printing and biographical sketches of a few of its notable type designers, from Aldus Manutius to Tobias Frere-Jones. For the novice, the book also includes a description of the type classifications and a "type anatomy" that illustrates the differences between a serif and a spur, a loop and a tail... For the general reader as well as the practitioner.--Lindsay Harmon "Booklist" (2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM)

A perfect reference book!--Natosha Miller "Test Try Results Blog" (2/16/2016 12:00:00 AM)

This amazing book provides the background of 100 famous, chronologically listed typefaces. It is beautifully illustrated, well written, and authoritative; any student of letterforms will be delighted with the details presented here. Seddon, a freelance graphic designer, provides his personal choices of which versions of these typefaces to purchase, helpful guidance that is, of course, open to debate. Fine books such as this have appeared during each generational change in typographic technology, and this one is suitable for the age of pixels. The choice of which important typefaces of the last 20 years to include will be susceptible to major revision in another 20 years, but no harm is done by taking a stab at it, which the author does skillfully in bringing the work right up to the present. Font designers (such as this reviewer) will learn a great deal... This is a very important work for anyone wishing to learn about the history of fonts, whether one is a student of graphic design or a professional who chooses typefaces. Highly recommended. All libraries and levels.--S. Skaggs "Choice" (5/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

This book shows how type has evolved since the dawn of the printing press to the digital age through a collection of 100 typefaces. Seddon also examines the contributions of various typographers and type designers throughout history and breaks the book into sections that show major shifts in typography and printing. These shifts include the invention of movable type, the typesetting machine, phototypesetting, and digital typography. Two-page spreads highlight the typefaces that are relevant to each era. The two-page spread for each typeface contains a font description and the background information about the creator(s), its history, and inspiration of each typeface. This information also includes typefaces that were inspired by the highlighted font and information about the various versions that are available, especially in the instances of types that are digital revivals of historic designs. Each spread includes a few enlarged letters that show the defining characteristics that set the typeface apart. Examples of the type set in dummy text show body and headline weights, largely depending on the appropriate use of the font in question, to give the reader a sense of how these fonts will work. Finally, Seddon helps the reader by providing a recommendation of which version to use when multiple options are available. The Evolution of Type truly is an evolution of type and is not an exhaustive history of typography. The brief history Seddon includes shows the reader how technology developed and how it has influenced the direction of type through time. This account, despite its brevity, is handled well and helps readers to connect shifts in type design with the major changes in technology. Seddon also explains the classifications of typefaces and how this has been a long point of contention between typographers, graphic designers, and historians because there is no universally accepted method for classifying type. While there are many similarities from one system to the next, there are also some distinct differences. This is an excellent text for anyone wanting to further their knowledge of how typefaces have evolved in the last 500 years. While it is not a comprehensive history, the selection of 100 types to represent this evolution makes it a manageable text that should not be intimidating to new readers. The most useful part is the inclusion of the variations of each typeface and recommendations of which ones to use and why. It is intriguing that Seddon chose Selva as the 100th typeface, which is a modern interpretation of a blackletter, thereby bringing the text full circle, beginning with Gutenberg's invention, which began with a blackletter font whose design was based on the popular writing of the scribes of his era.--Amanda Horton "Technical Communication Journal" (2/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

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.