"This richly illustrated book guides readers through four centuries of visual and trade history, equipping them to contextualize the aesthetics and production of typography in a way that is practical, engaging, and relevant to their practice. It is fully illustrated throughout with 200 color images of type specimens and related ephemera, and written for design educators, advanced design students, design practitioners, and type aficionados"--

In 1985, Berkeley-based graphic design company Emigre, the publisher of the legendary design magazine of the same name, launched one of the first independent digital type foundries to explore the new design possibilities offered by the MacIntosh computer. To announce each of their new typeface releases, Emigre published small booklets displaying the virtues of the fonts and revealing the processes used to design them. By creating specific contexts, many of these so called "type specimens" went beyond being simple sales tools. In fact the Emigre booklets were meant to be enjoyed as much for the typefaces as for their esoteric content.

Type Specimens introduces readers to the history of typography and printing through a chronological visual tour of the books, posters, and ephemera designed to sell fonts to printers, publishers, and eventually graphic designers. This richly illustrated book guides design educators, advanced design students, design practitioners, and type aficionados through four centuries of visual and trade history, equipping them to contextualize the aesthetics and production of type in a way that is practical, engaging, and relevant to their practice. Fully illustrated throughout with 200 color images of type specimens and related ephemera, the book illuminates the broader history of typography and printing, showing how letterforms and their technologies have evolved over time, inspiring and guiding designers of today.