10 Incredible Typography Artists You Should Know

What is typography?

Today typography is defined as “the art or process of printing with type.” This involves designing and arranging specific typefaces to create a specific mood or message, making it one of the most important skills to have as a graphic designer.

History

The origins of western typography date back as far as the 15th century, with the advent of printing press technology, introduced by Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith from Mainz, Germany. Up until this time, all documents were completed by hand, making them expensive and incredibly timely to produce.

One of the earliest metal typefaces—titled Blackletter—evolved from Gothic style text under the influence of Humanist type design (a handwritten style) in Italy during the 15th century. It was dark and bold, but very difficult to read. In 1470, French engraver Nicolas Jenson stepped in with the far more legible and widely used Roman Type, which was inspired by the typeface found on ancient Roman buildings. Aldus Manutius later created italics as a way to fit more letters onto the page, which saved costs when printing.

The Art of Typography

“Blackletter” typeface designed by Johannes Gutenberg, via Wikimedia Commons

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, more “modern” typefaces evolved, such as Didot, and Bodoni. In 1816, William Caslon IV created the first typeface without any serifs at all, sparking the beginning of sans serif letterforms. Around this time, the typography design industry exploded, and resulted in many groundbreaking typefaces that we still use today. By the 1920s, Frederic Goudy became the world’s first full-time type designer, developing Copperplate Gothic, Kennerly, and Goudy Old Style. Swiss designer Max Miedinger created Helvetica in 1957—it’s clean, no-nonsense, minimalist design is still one of the most widely used typefaces.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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