History of Calligraphy and the Love of Print

I am well aware of my geek-dom, especially when not only do I feel the nee to teach myself calligraphy when bored, but had to research the history of western style calligraphy. I found it to be fascinating! I know  human development through my knowledge of art history and it is interesting how the development of technology and communication has such an impact. Calligraphic history is the development of formal handwriting. Which originated with the Greeks and Etruscans which the Romans developed into three different styles. Due to the rise of Christianity and different churches spread over regions this divided styles once again until the invention of the printing press in 1454. I love reading up on stuff like this. It is like watching dominos fall or a bouncing ball.

Which leads me to my other obsession, stationary, print and typeface. A fantastic friend gave be this delightful book on Letter Press. I love how even the cover is done in the embossed style of letter press!


There is a multitude of printmaking styles and this book does showcase how combining them can be even more impactful. There is a a crisp clean design to letter press. This style in particular is very popular with wedding invitations. The book is a directory of sorts for printing houses and displays a few pieces from each company.



What was the last thing you had to look up or research?