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Counterpunch: Making Type in the 16th Century, Designing Typefaces Now Paperback – February 1, 1997
Smeijers traces the history of letterform design to discover how technique influenced the shape of type, whether the metal punches of the past or today's computer-generated forms. Counterpunch is generouslyillustrated with drawings by the author, examples of early type specimens, and detailed photographs of punches.
- Print length184 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHyphen Press
- Publication dateFebruary 1, 1997
- Dimensions1 x 1 x 1 inches
- ISBN-100907259065
- ISBN-13978-0907259060
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Product details
- Publisher : Hyphen Press; 1st edition (February 1, 1997)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 184 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0907259065
- ISBN-13 : 978-0907259060
- Item Weight : 14.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 1 x 1 x 1 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,160,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #700 in Desktop Publishing
- #11,719 in Industrial Manufacturing Systems
- #18,676 in Design & Decorative Arts
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Along the way, he fell in love with the metal that he shaped into punches. He became quite lyrical about it: "... you feel nothing but delight in this substance, with such a strong and fine substance, which we call steel." He even became jealous of the old-timers, who remember alloys of the past that yielded even more gracefully to the punchcutter's caress. I have to admit, I've worked metal (though not steel), and I know just how that passion developed.
There's more about the history of letterforms and the punchcutters that brought them to life, and about the pleasures there are in being an amateur historian. There's more, too, about current and future practice in type design. This brings us to the one point where I disagree with Smeijers, a statement that I just can't believe he made. He mentions letters on screens, objects that he lumps together as "anything that can carry information and which is able to refresh itself." Earlier, he gave lengthy descriptions of the difference between letterpress and laser printer results, in sharpness of edge and many other dimensions. All those same differences, and more, distinguish CRTs from plasma panels or LCDs, and all the different LCDs from wall displays to cell phones. Perhaps he has since learned to look at modern displays the same way he looks at the older media, or maybe another writer will need to make the distinctions.
The only real reason to criticize this book would come from incorrect expectations. It's not directly about how a modern typographer can use modern tools to get the daily jobs done. It's about the practices of times past - they do bear on today's work, but only in subtle and indirect ways.
Highly recommended for the serious typographer or historian of western technology.
//wiredweird
Most remarkably, he also taught himself to make his own steel type punches - his practical experiments shone new light on the subject and showed the implausibility of some accepted accounts of how things were done.
The book is engagingly written. It's a visual delight too, with text set in the author's `Renard' type and illustrated with his pencil sketches.
It is greatly illustrated, beautifully designed and so lively written that you have to read it like a novel, not able to stop anymore. I hope Fred Smeijers continues writing so interesting books.