Chapter I: Front Matter

_The_ ART & PRACTICE _of_
TYPOGRAPHY

THE FIRST PRINTED DECLARATION

Fac-simile in reduced size (original type form about twelve by
seventeen inches) of the Declaration of Independence officially
printed about July 5, 1776. It was this setting of the Declaration
that was read before Washington’s army. Reproduced direct from the
original in the Congressional minute book of July 4, 1776
]

_The_ ART & PRACTICE _of_
TYPOGRAPHY
_A Manual of American Printing_
INCLUDING A BRIEF HISTORY UP TO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, WITH
REPRODUCTIONS OF THE WORK OF EARLY MASTERS OF THE CRAFT, AND A PRACTICAL
DISCUSSION AND AN EXTENSIVE DEMONSTRATION OF THE MODERN USE OF
TYPE-FACES AND METHODS OF ARRANGEMENT

Second Edition

_By_

EDMUND G. GRESS

EDITOR THE AMERICAN PRINTER

AUTHOR THE AMERICAN HANDBOOK OF PRINTING

NEW YORK·OSWALD PUBLISHING COMPANY·1917

Copyright, 1917, by the
Oswald Publishing Company

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TO THE TYPOGRAPHERS OF THE PAST WHO
MADE THE ART HONORED AMONG MEN AND
TO THE TYPOGRAPHERS OF THE PRESENT
WHO ARE RESTORING TO PRINTING ITS
ANCIENT DIGNITY THIS BOOK IS
DEDICATED

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE vii

SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS ix

LIST OF REPRODUCTIONS xvi

LIST OF DESIGNERS xx

WHEN BOOKS WERE WRITTEN 1

THE ORIGIN OF TYPOGRAPHY 7

THE SPREAD OF TYPOGRAPHY 13

TYPOGRAPHY IN COLONIAL DAYS 19

TYPOGRAPHY IN THE 19TH CENTURY 27

THE “LAYOUT” MAN 35

HARMONY AND APPROPRIATENESS 41

TONE AND CONTRAST 47

PROPORTION, BALANCE AND SPACING 53

ORNAMENTATION 59

THE TYPOGRAPHY OF BOOKS 67

BOOKLETS, PAMPHLETS, BROCHURES, LEAFLETS 75

CATALOGS 83

PROGRAMS 91

ANNOUNCEMENTS 99

TICKETS 107

LETTERHEADS AND ENVELOPS 111

BILLHEADS AND STATEMENTS 119

PACKAGE LABELS 123

BUSINESS CARDS 127

THE BLOTTER 131

POSTERS, CAR CARDS, WINDOW CARDS 135

ADVERTISEMENTS 139

NEWSPAPERS 147

PERIODICALS 151

HOUSE-ORGANS 161

TYPE-FACES 169

IMPRINTS 195