A short history of the printed word

About this book

"A Short History of the Printed Word Makes plain the evolution, impact and development of the printed word as we know it. Covering the earliest forms of the letters of the alphabet, to graphic technology today, this revised classic is an invaluable guide for designers, students, and typophiles." "Warren Chappell, the originating author, was expert in every printing technique and medium of illustration in his age, and was the ideal guide through the landscape of printing and letterforms. Robert Bringhurst, designer, typographer, poet, scholar, and translator, has masterfully revised the text. The past two decades have not only seen the advent of the digital revolution, but the fruits of new typographical research have further illuminated the history of the printed word." "The lucid and lively narrative is interspersed with more than 200 illustrations of calligraphy, typefaces, and pages from the greatest books ever printed, as well as presses and workshops. The authors take the reader through the evolution of the printing press. They explore the contributions of the great printers and typographers, from Gutenberg to Goudy, and investigate the complex interaction between the creation of moveable type and the societies it reflected and influenced. Robert Bringhurst guides the reader into the heart of the most turbulent and important period in the printing arts since the advent of the printing press -- the digital revolution. Book jacket."--Jacket.