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                       _The_ ART & PRACTICE _of_
                               TYPOGRAPHY


[Illustration:

  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
]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                       _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

[Illustration]

                                  _By_

                            EDMUND G. GRESS

                      EDITOR THE AMERICAN PRINTER

                AUTHOR THE AMERICAN HANDBOOK OF PRINTING


                NEW YORK·OSWALD PUBLISHING COMPANY·1917

[Illustration]




                        Copyright, 1917, by the
                       Oswald Publishing Company


[Illustration]

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




                  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


             APPENDIX—GREETING CARDS

[Illustration]




                            AUTHOR’S PREFACE


In the preface to the first edition of “The Art and Practice of
Typography,” the author stated that he did not “anticipate again having
the pleasure of producing a book as elaborate as this one,” but the
favor with which the volume was received made another edition advisable,
and in consequence he has had the additional pleasure of enlarging and
revising it and of producing a volume even more elaborate and with a
better selection of examples.

The task of rewriting and replanning the second edition was near
completion when America entered the war against Germany, and now, a few
months later, the book is presented to the public. The first edition was
published in February, 1910. Work on the new edition was begun by the
author in the latter part of 1913, and so great has been the task, in
addition to his customary editorial labors, that almost four years have
passed.

The extent of the work will be comprehended when it is mentioned that
there are twenty-eight chapters, in which the illustrations or
typographic arrangements, numbering six hundred and fifteen, include
forty full-page specially-printed inserts. Most of these illustrations
or typographic arrangements are in color. The text matter, which makes
direct reference to the examples, totals nearly one hundred thousand
words.

That these examples are mostly high-class and by many of the best
typographers in America (Europe also being represented), is due to the
fact that the author during his connection with _The American Printer_
has received several thousand pieces of printing, from which selections
were made for this work.

Great care was exercised in the choice of examples in order that the
book would not become obsolete, and it is believed that most of the type
arrangements shown will be considered good for a hundred years to come.
That this is possible is proved by the Whittingham titles on page 32,
one of which is sixty-eight and the other seventy-three years old at
this writing. These titles were set up when most typography was poor,
yet few other type arrangements of that time would meet approval today;
which indicates that it is not _when_ printing is done, but _how_ it is
done that makes it good or bad.

Attention should be called to the plan of this volume. There are two
parts, the first having to do with typography of the past and the second
with typography of the present. Good printing of the present has a basic
connection with that of the past, and for this reason one part is
incomplete without the other.

The entire first part should be studied before any of the ideas in the
second part are applied to present-day problems, and especially should
the chapter on Type-Faces be patiently read and studied. The printer
should first know type-faces and then learn how to use them.

In the chapters on Harmony, Tone, Proportion, Ornamentation and other
art principles the author does not intend to advocate that his readers
shall make pictures with type or build pages that are merely beautiful.
The first requirement of typography is that it shall be easy to read;
the second is that it shall be good to look at. The efficient
typographer studies the copy and arranges it so that the reader’s task
is an easy and pleasant one.

                  *       *       *       *       *

In planning the second edition the general style of the first edition
was retained. However, an effort was made to change the style,
especially of the binding, but so satisfactory was the original that it
was again adopted.

The historical chapters in the first part have been revised and slightly
altered, but they are practically as before. Extensive changes have been
made in the second part. The text has been thoroly revised, and better
typographic examples substituted in many cases. These chapters
especially have been