Counter-punches

Western typography is still dominated by characters designed during the first hundred years or so following the advent of printing. What are the processes behind these forms? This work presents a very precise study of the achievements of the engravers of French and Flemish hallmarks in the 16th century. Based on his experience with character execution and an in-depth analysis of the artifacts that have come down to us, Fred Smeijers shatters the antediluvian conceptions that permeated the subject. In his introduction, he raises fundamental questions regarding the design of letters and typographical characters. The last chapters deal with current technical and social developments. Fred Smeijers