Typewriters—Before and Beyond

There was a time, not so long ago, when if you wanted something typed you had to use a typewriter. There was only one font to choose from and the decision was made for you. It was much easier to read than handwriting, but like writing something out by hand there wasn't spell or grammar check, automatic capitals, and you always had to think a few words ahead or you would run out of space. And if you made a mistake you had to fix it with white out or re-type the whole page hoping that you wouldn't make another mistake.

Books were made a bit differently. The process was similar in that the letters were physically stamped onto the page, but instead of being done one letter at a time whole pages were stamped. Professionals called typographers chose the font, arrange the words, and the spaces in between the words and lines before the book was printed. This is still done in some places today. A typesetter understand how fonts work and why certain fonts are easier to read then others, along with how the spacing between words and lines helps or hinders our eyes.

Most of us have never considered the subtle differences between fonts. Just because we have a choice doesn’t necessarily mean we understand the components of good typographic composition. The next section will explain a little theory behind the good usage of fonts and typography.