ABC: History and Form of the Latin Script

Based on Hans Eduard Meier’s (1923–2015) standard work The Development of Script and Type (first published in 1959), the editors have completely revised the book, supplementing and expanding it with state-of-the-art scientific findings.

In his original work, Meier described the development of the Latin script, from Phoenician inscriptions and Greek  lapidarian writing to the most important printed texts of the early 20th century.

The publication ABC: History and Form of the Latin Script provides an overview of the development of the Latin script. It covers the origin of Latin characters and how they were changed and altered over the centuries and cumulates in a presentation of contemporary digital scripts and fonts. The authors supplemented Meier’s original work with a genealogy of all the fonts presented, including their font genres, as well as important 20th and early 21st century milestones that were previously absent.

The book is intended as a reference work for students of type design or visual communication, as well as for laypeople interested in fonts and scripts who would like to learn how the Latin alphabet developed across the epochs.

About the editors

Rudolf Barmettler started as a lecturer at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) for typography in 1989, headed the Visual Communication subject area from 1999 to 2008 and founded and headed the post-graduate programs CAS / MAS Type Design and Typography in 2006. His research focused on Swiss typographical design of the 20th century.

Rupert Kalkofen graduated in German Studies and History in Bonn and Konstanz, received his doctorate in Karlsruhe and taught in Karlsruhe and Konstanz. Since 1991, he has been living in St. Gallen, teaching at the University of St. Gallen and the St. Gallen University of Teacher Education (PHSG).

Roland Stieger is a trained typesetter and typographic designer as well as a co-founder of the TGG Visual Communication agency in St. Gallen. After having completed further training in type design at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), he is now the co-director of the College for Visual Design at GBS St. Gallen, initiator and co-organizer of Tÿpo St. Gallen and president of VGS publishing house.

Book design: TGG Visuelle Kommunikation, St. Gallen

92 pages, illustrated throughout, 20 × 29,7 cm, Swiss brochure