Typographia: or the printers' instructor, including an account of the origin of printing / [J. Johnson].

  • John Johnson
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Typographia: or the printers' instructor, including an account of the origin of printing / [J. Johnson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    32/708 (page 10)
    6 BLACK LETTER. This letter, which is used in Breland, de- srended from the Gothic characters: tt ts called Gothic, by some; and Old Lnglish, bp others; but Printers term tt Black Detter, on account of its taking a larger compass than either Woman ov italic, the full and spreading strokes thereof appearing more black upon paper. On the tne troduction of the Roman character, its use began to Decline, and it was seldom used except in Ha works, particularly Statute Haw; it was at length expelled from these, and only made its appearance tn the heads of Statutes, &e. According to the predictions of all our predeces-. sors, it was reasonable to conclude thatit would, ere this, have been banished from every office, and con- signed to rest in Oblivion’s tomb, with its parent the Gothic, which, in the primitive time of printing, was the established character, and prevailed against the Latin ; which had been first introduced in Spain, by Alphonsus VI. 1080, when that Prince put an end OC OC GO) TOG, q to writing in Gothic characters throughout his domi- ‘Eé nions. This opinion might have been fulfilled, had not our founders produced the above modern Black ; E which so captivated the printers, that it immediately =G became in general use, being cast in all the various | sizes, both Full-faced and Open. Upon the gradual improvement of metal types, our Founders (emulating each other) in addition to their plain two-line letters, commenced cutting open letters of almost every size: yet here their exertions | did not end, they have now taken [nearly] the whole range of Fancy, in bringing forward ornamented let- ters of every size and description, together with a new character, which they term Egyptian : this latter is all the rage at present, particularly in placards, jobs, &c. | : SESE SESE SE SER SE SESE SE SE SE SEAS AS = aS a ry FESS SESE SESE SESE SE EGE GE GE SESE SE SIEGE EGE GEG ESE SESE ELL GE Se Se ae Se ae Oe ee ee Be Oe ee SS Oe eT Oe oC Oe oe 8e Oe Oe Se oe ee Se ae ‘ ee oy Gr