Next is Text - Font, Moveable Type and Letters

When I first became excited about computers, I thought that computers would make writing easier. I even thought that computers might eliminate writing. Instead, computers have increased the use of writing.

When the printing press was invented, more words were created. When computers were invented, more words were used. When the internet became popular, words increased. We use words and letters more now than at any time in history.

...and as we create new forms of writing, some of our old forms disappear. Many of us take for granted the variety of fonts we use. Many of us do not understand the history of letter making.

What is Times New Roman? Why was it created? Why do we still use it?


What is Arial? Ives? Geneva? Courier? What is Myriad Pro? How were fonts created before computers? Who did it? Why do we like certain fonts?


read part of Simon Luxley's book on the history of type and font making