Evolution of Typography

Step 1: The first known forms of typography

The first forms of typography were developed by ancient civilizations such as China, Greece and Rome. These cultures were able to develop their own writing systems, most of which being handwritten or carved into stone. The kind of typography that you see today didn't emerge till the 15th century. Pretty amazing, right? This enabled the mass production of books and other printed materials.

Step 2: The early styles: Blackletter, Roman & Italic!

In the early days of typography, fonts were limited to quite basic styles, some being mentioned in the section title. Blackletter (also known as Gothic/Old English) was a pretty popular printing style in the early days, but its complexity made it very hard to read for most. The legible and popular Roman lettering style was based on classical lettering. The italic style was invented during the 16th century so we could emphasize and differentiate titles and headings from body text.

Step 3: The changes thanks to the Industrial Revolution!

During the industrial period, a time where significant technological advancements, economic growth and social changes occurred, typography also went under some significant changes. As new printing technology was developed, typefaces become more refined and versatile. There were serif and sans-serif fonts, with sans-serif fonts gaining a whole lot of popularity thanks to it's clean, modern appearance.

Step 4: Digital Age's role in Typography

Digital age has brought a lot of significant changes. Thanks to new software like desktop publishing software, designers are easily able to create and modify typefaces, creating an explosion in new fonts and styles. Designers have also been able to experiment with new typographic forms thanks to digital typography, such as kinetic typography, which involves text animation.

Step 5: What about User Experience?

Typography has had a massive impact on user experience, often in digital media. As poor typography is hard to read and unappealing, while good typography would be legible, appealing and even engaging! Typography is critical for creating a seamless and enjoyable user experience. It's also important that you take into consideration factors like varying screen sizes and lighting, as well as accessibility needs for users with things such as vision impairments.

Step 6: Readability & Other Uses

Another factor to consider when it comes to typography is readability. Font choice, line length, and paragraph spacing are all important considerations. Text should be easy to read and understand, especially when it comes to longer documents. To add, typography can also create hierarchy and emphasis by using different font sizes, weights and styles to highlight and vary information. (This article might come in handy!)