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.

This landmark study is the first comprehensive exploration of the `Proportioned Script', an Arabic writing system attributed to the Abbasid wazir (minister) Ibn Muqla and the master scribe Ibn al-Bawwab that has dominated the art of Arabic and Islamic penmanship from the 10th century to the present day. Volume One, `Sources and Principles of the Geometry of Letters', traces the origin of the Proportioned Script to the cross-cultural encounter between Greek learning and the scientific, artistic and philosophical pursuits of classical Islam. On the basis of instructions in surviving sources it identifies a grid module that serves as a common foundation for the design of all the Arabic letter shapes. In Volume Two, `From Geometric Pattern to Living Form', the authors construct each of the letter shapes on the grid module and compare their findings to samples traced by two classical master scribes. They conclude by examining the religious, aesthetic and cosmological significance of the Proportioned Script in the wider context of the Islamic cultural heritage. Drs Moustafa and Sperl have succeeded in unearthing the very foundations of Arabic penmanship, with implications for the arts of Islam as a whole.

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.

This lively account of the printed word draws together the histories of typography and printing into one robustly illustrated volume, and describes how dramatic changes in technology have affected type design. Historical paintings, engravings, and photographs give a visual context to the different eras of type design and print, and key typefaces from each historical era are discussed and compared to others of the era. The original use of each typeface is pictured alongside contemporary examples, providing a broad sense of the character of each face. Sidebars explain how to use individual typefaces, warn of pitfalls, and highlight the particular benefits of using the face. A superb and engaging introduction to the world of typography, the book is also a vital reference for anyone who works with type and knows that understanding the history of letterforms is key to using type creatively and effectively.