A charming and indispensable tour of two thousand years of the written word, Shady Characters weaves a fascinating trail across the parallel histories of language and typography.

Whether investigating the asterisk (*) and dagger ( ) which alternately illuminated and skewered heretical verses of the early Bible or the at sign (@), which languished in obscurity for centuries until rescued by the Internet, Keith Houston draws on myriad sources to chart the life and times of these enigmatic squiggles, both exotic (

) and everyday (&).

From the Library of Alexandria to the halls of Bell Labs, figures as diverse as Charlemagne, Vladimir Nabokov, and George W. Bush cross paths with marks as obscure as the interrobang (?) and as divisive as the dash ( ). Ancient Roman graffiti, Venetian trading shorthand, Cold War double agents, and Madison Avenue round out an ever more diverse set of episodes, characters, and artifacts.

Richly illustrated, ranging across time, typographies, and countries, Shady Characters will delight and entertain all who cherish the unpredictable and surprising in the writing life."

This book proposes a new methodological framework for the study of medieval landscape imagery, by analyzing the functions of landscape imagery within Northern European manuscript illumination. Taking a historicist approach, this study explores landscape imagery within a broad range of specific manuscript contexts, taking into account the ideological and the economic milieus in which they were produced. Organized into three sections, this study will look at how landscape functioned as ornament, didactic tool (space) and political tool (place). The first section looks at the role that landscape imagery had in the hierarchy of book decoration, and how it responded to late medieval mnemonic systems and devotional practices. It also addresses the emergence of landscape as a form of ornamental elaboration, sometimes as a means to appeal to specific aesthetic criteria, or as a way to create extra-textual associations to augment the message of the text. The second section is concerned with landscape within encyclopedic and allegorical manuscripts, and will analyze how artists constructed space to communicate specific lessons or ideas, for example to frame debates about the role of agricultural labor or to present the dynastic ambitions of the Burgundian court. Finally, the third section explores the visualization of the political and economic landscape of late medieval Europe, particularly focusing on how landscape was structured to respond issues of status, power and identity not only in works created for the landed nobility but within manuscripts made for urban patrons as well. Concentrating on manuscripts from Paris, Northern France and Flanders from the late thirteenth to the early sixteenth centuries, this book will offer new insights as it contextualizes the emergence of landscape painting in the late middle ages.

This lush, three-volume slipcased set catalogues the V&A's superb collection of Western illuminated manuscripts. Providing a history of an art form spanning eight centuries as an integral part of the decorative arts, it documents not only the practice of medieval and Renaissance illumination, but also the survival of medieval bookmaking crafts alongside printing in the post-Renaissance period--and their revival in the 19th century. The three volumes bring together for the first time works such as the St. Denis Missal of 1350 and the Chambord Missal of 1844, the Sanvito Petrarch of 1463-64 and William Morris's "Book of Verse "of 1870. Catalogue descriptions discuss each work in detail and pay particular attention to the changing ways in which they have been evaluated and used through the centuries.

What do we read when we read a text? The author's words, of course, but is that all? The prevailing publishing ethic has insisted that typography-the selection and arrangement of type and other visual elements on a page-should be an invisible, silent, and deferential servant to the text it conveys. This book contests that conventional point of view. Looking at texts ranging from the King James Bible to contemporary comic strips, the contributors to Illuminating Letters examine the seldom considered but richly revealing relationships between a text's typography and its literary interpretation. The essays assume no previous typographic knowledge or expertise; instead they invite readers primarily concerned with literary and cultural meanings to turn a more curious eye to the visual and physical forms of a specific text or genre. As the contributors show, closer inspection of those forms can yield fresh insights into the significance of a text's material presentation, leading readers to appreciate better how presentation shapes understandings of the text's meanings and values. The case studies included in the volume amplify its two overarching themes: one set explores the roles of printers and publishers in manipulating, willingly or not, the meaning and reception of texts through typographic choices; the other group examines the efforts of authors to circumvent or subvert such mediation by directly controlling the typographic presentation of their texts. Together these essays demonstrate that choices about type selection and arrangement do indeed help to orchestrate textual meaning. In addition to the editors, contributors include Sarah A. Kelen, Beth McCoy, Steven R. Price, Leon Jackson, and Gene Kannenberg Jr.

Attractive sourcebook of copyright-free, immediately usable typefaces recalls old-fashioned print styles found on posters and broadsides. Includes eerie Monster Outline, Raindrops and Wilcox Initials; the glamorous Diamond Inlay, Startime, Golden Era and much more. Varied sizes; mostly tall, fat and bold shapes.

Arabic is the third most widely used script in the world, and gave rise to one of the richest manuscript cultures of mankind. Its representation in type has engaged printers, engineers, businesses and designers since the 16th century, and today most digital devices render Arabic type. Yet the evolution of the printed form of Arabic, and its development from metal to pixels, has not been charted before. Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age provides the first comprehensive account of this history using previously undocumented archival sources. In this richly illustrated volume, Titus Nemeth narrates the evolution of Arabic type under the influence of changing technologies from the perspective of a practitioner, combining historical research with applied design considerations.

New in paperback, "The Typography Workbook" provides an at-a-glance reference book for designers on all aspects of type.

The book is part of Rockport's popular Workbook series of practical and inspirational workbooks that cover all the fundamental areas of the graphic design business. This book presents an abundance of information on type - the cornerstone of graphic design - succinctly and to the point, so that designers can get the information they need quickly and easily.

Whereas many other books on type are either very technical or showcase oriented, this book offers ideas and inspiration through hundreds of real-life projects showing successful, well-crafted usage of type. The book also offers a variety of other content, including choosing fonts, sizes, and colors; incorporating text and illustrations; avoiding common mistakes in text usage; and teaching rules by which to live (and work) by.

Appropriate for all introductory courses on print publishing, desktop publishing, typography, or document production.

This completely revised edition continues in the original's tradition by providing students with simple, logical principles for using type to produce beautiful, professional documents. The renowned Macintosh and graphic design instructor Robin Williams has added a thoroughly revised chapter on fonts, and updated the entire book to reflect extensive changes in software and hardware since the original edition was published. Her wide-ranging coverage includes these and many other topics: real vs. generic quotation marks, the correct use of en and em dashes, tabs, indents, hyphenation, justification, kerning, leading, and white space; and what to do about widows, orphans, and hanging punctuation. This concise book will be indispensable for beginning-level students who need fast answers for publishing the highest-quality documents, and it will be an equally useful reference for students with more experience in document production.

A rich sourcebook of type styles, from Liberty and Hannover to Virginia Antique in upper and lower-case alphabets, plus numerals.

In 1948, the noted book designer and Purdue alumnus Bruce Rogers wrote a book that documented and illustrated his creation of the Centaur typeface. The book was privately printed by Rogers himself under the name of his studio, October House. This limited edition of the book was transferred to the Purdue Libraries at the time of his death along with his other papers and books. Over the years the remaining stock has found its home in the Special Collections of the Libraries. And although known as something of a collector's item by those who are aware of the few copies in circulation, it is here available to the general market for the first time. Centaur Types is a fascinating book for several reasons: in the designer's own words, we learn of the evolution of the typeface and of his interest in the art and craft of creating type; it demonstrates different and comparable typefaces, and gives examples of Centaur from six to seventy-two point; and lastly, it stands as a fitting example of fine book-making from one of the master book designers of his time.

Type is the bridge between writer and reader, between thought and understanding. Type is the message bearer: an art-form that impinges upon every literate being and yet for most of its history it has conformed to the old adage that 'good typography should be invisible', it should not distract with its own personality. It was only at the end of the nineteenth century that designers slowly realised that they could say as much with their lettering as writers could with their words. Form, of course, carries as much meaning as content. Now, anyone within reach of a computer and its limitless database of fonts has the same power. "Type: The Secret History of Letters" tells its story for the first time, treating typography as a hidden measure of our history. From the tempestuous debate about its beginnings in the fifteenth century, to the invention of our most contemporary lettering, Simon Loxley, with the skill of a novelist, tells of the people and events behind our letters. How did Johann Gutenberg, in late 1438, come to think of printing? Does Baskerville have anything to do with Sherlock Holmes? Why did the Nazis re-invent Blackletter? What is a Zapf? "Type" is a guide through the history of our letters and a study of their power. From fashion through propaganda and the development of mass literacy, Loxley shows how typography has changed our world.

The original, authentic and bestselling guide to modern calligraphy from Chiara Perano, founder of the pioneering and unparalleled calligraphy studio Lamplighter London. Play with type, get creative with letterforms and fall in love with handwriting again. Taking you letter by letter through the modern calligraphy basics, Nib + Ink includes ... The four essential pieces of equipment and how to use them Mark making drills and shapes A modern calligraphy alphabet with a variation of styles to practise with Guidance on joining letters, spacing and pacing How to create flourishes, finishes and decoration Simple projects from chalkboards and framed quotes to setting an envelope Stationery ideas for weddings, parties and table settings Troubleshooting tips, FAQs, stockists and resources With this beautiful and immersive workbook and journal, discover exciting, creative and interesting ways to personalise your stationery, add a flourish to your correspondence and develop your own unique style of modern calligraphy.

A history of the influence of communication technologies on Western architectural theory. The discipline of architecture depends on the transmission in space and time of accumulated experiences, concepts, rules, and models. From the invention of the alphabet to the development of ASCII code for electronic communication, the process of recording and transmitting this body of knowledge has reflected the dominant information technologies of each period. In this book Mario Carpo discusses the communications media used by Western architects, from classical antiquity to modern classicism, showing how each medium related to specific forms of architectural thinking. Carpo highlights the significance of the invention of movable type and mechanically reproduced images. He argues that Renaissance architectural theory, particularly the system of the five architectural orders, was consciously developed in response to the formats and potential of the new printed media. Carpo contrasts architecture in the age of printing with what preceded it: Vitruvian theory and the manuscript format, oral transmission in the Middle Ages, and the fifteenth-century transition from script to print. He also suggests that the basic principles of "typographic" architecture thrived in the Western world as long as print remained our main information technology. The shift from printed to digital representations, he points out, will again alter the course of architecture.

The typograhic grid is a child of constructive art. This book offers a collection of about two dozen typographic works of the author including books, brochures and art catalogues. The works, documented in schematic drawings and many individual illustrations, are not meant to be recipes; instead, they should provide the reader with impulses of how he himself can set design processes in motion from the outset. The many-sidedness of design with grid systems should be made manifest

Transforming Type examines kinetic or moving type in a range of fields including film credits, television idents, interactive poetry and motion graphics. As the screen increasingly imitates the properties of real-life environments, typographic sequences are able to present letters that are active and reactive. These environments invite new discussions about the difference between motion and change, global and local transformation, and the relationship between word and image. In this illuminating study, Barbara Brownie explores the ways in which letterforms transform on screen, and the consequences of such transformations. Drawing on examples including Kyle Cooper's title sequence design, kinetic poetry and MPC's idents for the UK's Channel 4, she differentiates motion from other kinds of kineticism, with particular emphasis on the transformation of letterforms into other forms and objects, through construction, parallax and metamorphosis. She proposes that each of these kinetic behaviours requires us to revisit existing assumptions about the nature of alphabetic forms and the spaces in which they are found.

Originally commissioned by the British newspaper The Times in 1931 in response to a critique of the previous typeface they used, the Times type family - including Times Roman, Times New Roman, and a number of other variants - has become one of the most commonly used throughout the world. Distributed by Microsoft with every copy of Windows since version 3.1 and used as the default typeface for many applications including Microsoft Word, Times has become a widely accepted typeface for high school and college papers. It is also widely used in publishing, including for almost all mass market paperbacks produced in the United States, and it became the official typeface of all U.S. government diplomatic documents in 2004. This new volume in the "I Love Type" series is expertly curated to prove that this highly functional type family can be highly aesthetic and cutting edge, when utilized by internationally respected designers for the incredibly creative designs featured in these pages.

The business of Stephenson Blake and Company grew from modest beginnings in 1818 into a business that dominated the typefounding industry in Britain. Roy Millington charts the history of this typefoundery, with particular focus on the changing technical and social milieu in which the company operated. Illustrated with examples of typefaces, display specimens and the machinery of personalities of the company, this thorough account of a traditional manufacturing business should appeal to anyone interested in typographical or printing history.