Websites tell stories, and typography is one of the most important elements of that storytelling. Typography has a real impact on a visitor’s first impressions, so it’s important to understand typography and how it affects your website. Here is a history of typography to get you started:
History of Ancient Communication
Communication has been a vital part of human interaction since the beginning of time. Humans have used a variety of different methods to interact with each other and express themselves. Even in the most primitive of times, humans were able to develop their own writing communication, which is the very beginning of typography.
Paleolithic Era
Typography and the beginning of modern writing have roots that can be found all the way back in the Paleolithic era. Humans utilized cave paintings and symbols to convey messages and language. In about 3500 BC, the Sumerians began using a type of written language, which was a big step in developing written communication.
Ancient Civilizations
As civilizations all over the world progressed, written communication became much more complex and essential. The Egyptians created a system of symbols that represented words and sounds that became known as hieroglyphics. The ancient Greeks utilized an alphabet system that was developed by the Phoenicians. Then, the Romans fine-tuned this alphabet by introducing uppercase letters. These were all vital in informing basic writing systems and typography.
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, calligraphy and other handwritten texts took on a much more artistic form. Monks often copied text by hand using intricate and beautiful calligraphy. These monks took their role very seriously, and each manuscript showcased how skillful they were as scribes.
These manuscripts eventually influenced some of the beautiful calligraphy fonts and typography trends we see today. However, it was a very time-consuming and labor-intensive production, and it became evident that a more efficient method was necessary.
Gutenberg and the Modern Era
It wasn’t until the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg that typography and book production were truly transformed. Gutenberg designed a printing press that utilized metal lettering that could be rearranged and inked quickly, making book production much more economical and faster.
This remarkable invention helped jumpstart how books were produced and distributed using serif and sans-serif typefaces on a much larger scale than before. This meant that education and news were much more accessible to the average person. This is also where layout and lettering were standardized.
The Industrial Revolution and Typography
While Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized book distribution, the Industrial Revolution allowed for a lot more technological advancement in print design and more experimentation with typography. This is when communication styles began to emerge for advertising, promotional materials, and newspapers.
Thanks to Darius Wells, wood-type printing enabled much larger fonts. This was revolutionary for posters and other signage, which helped shape typography for advertising. While this typography did look a little bit cluttered, it did lay the foundation for modern graphic design.
The 20th Century and Innovation in Typography
During the 20th century, typography saw a lot of innovation and sophistication. Different movements, such as Modernism and International Typographic Style (otherwise known as Swiss Style), began to shape typography. These movements set out to emphasize aspects of typography such as legibility and clarity. They also favored simplicity in their typography.
The Swiss Style
The Swiss Style was a movement that greatly influenced typography and graphic design. This style is characterized by sans-serif typefaces, asymmetrical layouts, and grids.
The Modernism Movement
The Modernism movement focused on moving away from classical flourishes and towards clean, simple, geometric design. Paul Renner created the popular typeface called Futura, which became one of the typefaces most associated with the Modernism Movement.
Modernism and this typeface brought together minimalism and functional beauty. Another designer, Frederic Goudy, created some of the most popular typefaces for publishing and branding. Copperplate Gothic and Goudy Old Style are often used because they’re elegant and easy to read. Making sure typography is easy to read is one of the most important things when it comes to print or web design.
The Importance of Typography in Advertising and Branding
By the early 20th century, printing technology had advanced enough to allow advertising to utilize more creative typography. Businesses began using different fonts and typefaces to communicate personality or tone for their brand. If a brand or business wanted to communicate tradition or professionalism, they often chose serif fonts.
However, if they were trying to evoke feelings of modernity and efficiency, sans-serif fonts were a more common choice. Brands aiming to attract consumers who were looking for luxury or elegance chose script or decorative typefaces. Using these different types of typefaces was a way for companies to stand out among their competitors or attract a specific audience.
Brand matters to business, so as branding became even more essential to companies and marketing, typography became one of the most important elements in creating a recognizable identity for a brand or a company. Simply conveying information was no longer the goal with typography; it became a way to communicate values, quality, and even personality. If a company had consistent typography, along with a recognizable and well-designed logo, consumers would be able to immediately recognize brands across a variety of platforms, even including digital platforms later.
While many brands aim to have this level of recognition, there are a few companies that showcase how typography has become a core part of their identity:
- Coca-Cola: This popular beverage company uses the Spencerian script that highlights tradition, a laid-back nature, and fun. This brand has done very little to change its logo, which makes it easy for millions of people to recognize
- Google: This tech giant has a simple yet colorful sans-serif typography that showcases the brand’s simplicity, commitment to accessibility, and innovation.
- Disney: The Disney logo uses a custom typography script that is inspired by Walt Disney’s signature. Walt Disney valued imagination and storytelling, and their logo and choice of typography communicate those values.
These examples go to show that typography is an essential part of communication because it tells consumers what a brand’s personality is before they even read anything else. Brands that choose fonts and typefaces that stay true to their personality and are consistent across all marketing platforms can help strengthen brand recognition and attract consumers.
Typography in the Digital Era
As computers became much more accessible in the late 20th century and early 21st century, typography once again transformed. The digital spaces gave typography nearly unlimited possibilities with typeface designs. While traditional serif and sans-serif fonts, such as Times New Roman and Arial, remained popular, variations of these fonts popped up, as well as many other designs.
In the very first years of utilizing computers, typography had quite a few technical limitations. Computers didn’t have a large amount of memory, processing power was limited, and the screens had low resolution. During this time, fonts were typically bitmap-based. Bitmap-based means that fonts were designed and made by pixels that were fixed rather than an outline that could be scaled to size.
Because of this limitation, fonts and text could look blocky and be difficult to read, especially at smaller sizes. Designers often had to choose readability and clarity rather than creativity. In order to improve screen readability, designers began to create fonts designed specifically for computer screens. Designers made sure that these fonts were optimized for computer screens by focusing on better spacing, simplified shapes, and open letter forms. This ensured these fonts could be legible even on low-resolution screens.
Susan Kare was one of the most important and influential designers during this transition. Kare was a designer and artist working for Apple Macintosh. She is responsible for designing most of the interface graphics, icons, and bitmap fonts. Her work was essential to the development of digital typography because it showed that even with constraints, typography could still be functional, readable, and creative. She is also responsible for establishing many of the design principles that are still used in creating digital interfaces today.
This is just an overview of the history of typography. Considering typography is essential when it comes to designing a website because it makes a lasting impression on your visitors and customer base. If you think you might need a website redesign, contact us for a meeting of the MINDs!