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Printing existed well before
typography.
Born in China during the 1st century, it used
xylography or woodcutting. The text,
all in one piece, was raised the letters, outlined
and then inked. Printing was obtained by covering the piece of wood with a leaf
of paper and rubbing it with a brush.
 Typography is
the art of printing texts with lead movable types.
Gutenberg,
in 1439, was the first to have the idea not only of separating the letters to
compose words, but also of duplicating the types by moulding. Slotten in a
frame, called a chase, of the same dimensions as
the page, inked and covered with a sheet of paper, the characters printed the
paper by passing under a press of his invention.
Modern printing was born.
Trying to imitate manuscripts
without turning to the copysts, printing rapidly took another direction with the
creation of types evolving towards increased legibility and harmony of the text
and page. The " Latin Bible printed to 42 lines a page ", also
called the " Gutenberg Bible " was printed in 1442. This first
typographical work, was still using a two column lay out and a type fount, the
"textura" issued from Gothic Script.
This type also called " Lettre de forme "
has only been used to print the Bible.
The fount
types used in printing are issued from four families distinguished by their
serif or the slight projection finishing off the
stroke of their capitals. Thus are distinguished the "Antique
" ,
sanserif , the " Egyptian " with square
serif, the " Old face style "
with triangular serif, and finally the " Modern
face " with a light straight serif.
Great
families of typographers : Elzevir at the end of the XVth century,
Garamond, Estienne (father of French printing), Plantin in the XVIth,
Didot, Bodoni in the XVIIth and XVIIIth century, quoting
only the greatest forerunners, have created beautiful founts still used nowadays
which are called after them. In the XXth century the dynasty of
Peignot, Maximilien Vox, Adrian Frutiger… have proved by their creation the
strength and need of hand-set lead fount, the
only one used in Bibliophily for it allies spirit and hand.
It stands for the knowledge and know-how of
Men who have raised their profession to the rank of Art.
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