Brief History

The incredible story of the world of fonts, some famous typefaces to know.

1. The Kish Tablet and Proto-Cuneiform

   limestone tablet with pictographs and markings that date back to around 3500 BCE. The tablet was found at the site of the ancient Sumerian city of Kish in Iraq

   The oldest known writing system is cuneiform, which originated in Mesopotamia

   around 3400 BC. The word "cuneiform" comes from the Latin word cuneus, which means "wedge".

   1. Pictographic, Ideographic, and Alphabetic Languages:

      Pictographic - use simple pictures or symbols to represent objects or ideas directly.

      Ideographic - use symbols to represent abstract ideas or concepts rather than specific objects, though some symbols may have originated as pictograms. (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean)

      Alphabet - Each letter typically represents one or more sounds, known as phonemes. Much easier to teach and learn compared to the previous types.

      Phoenician alphabet, which emerged around 1050 BCE. The Phoenician alphabet consisted of 22 consonantal letters and is considered the ancestor of many modern alphabets, including the Greek, Latin, and Cyrillic scripts.

2. Gutenberg and the Printing Press (15th Century):

   • Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the movable type printing press in the mid-15th century revolutionized the production of books and printed materials.

   • The Gutenberg Bible, printed around 1455, is one of the earliest and most famous examples of printed material using movable type.

3. Blackletter Typeface (15th Century):

   • Also known as Gothic script, Blackletter was a dominant style in European printing from the 12th to the 17th century.

   • Famous landmarks include the "Gutenberg Bible" and the "Thirty-Six-Line Bible" printed by Johannes Gutenberg, both of which utilized Blackletter typefaces.

4. Roman Typefaces and the Renaissance (15th - 16th Century):

   • In the 15th century, humanist scholars sought to revive the classical Roman letterforms of antiquity.

   • Aldus Manutius, a Venetian printer, is credited with popularizing the use of the italic typeface in the early 16th century, which was designed to mimic the handwriting of the time.

5. EB Garamond Typeface (Late 16th/20th Century):

   EB Garamond is a digital revival of the Garamond typeface, which was originally created by Claude Garamond in the 16th century.

   The digital revival was initiated by the Egenolff-Berner foundry (hence "EB" Garamond) in the late 20th century, aiming to recreate the elegance and historical accuracy of the original Garamond typeface.

   EB Garamond is praised for its readability and classical aesthetic, making it a popular choice for both print and digital typography.

6. Helvetica Typeface (20th Century):

   • Developed in the 1950s by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann, Helvetica is one of the most iconic and widely used sans-serif typefaces.

   • Its clean, neutral design makes it versatile and suitable for various applications, from signage to corporate branding.

   • Helvetica became a landmark in modern typography and is still prevalent in design today.