Counterpunch: making type in the sixteenth century, designing typefaces now

by Fred Smeijers

Counterpunch is both an explanation of the 16th-century method ofcutting metal type and an impassioned plea for contemporary designers to incorporate the lessons of history as a means of creating typography in our digital age. Smeijers sees the counterpunch technique as essential for ensuring the regularity of form, repeatability, and speed of production necessary for rational design. 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.

Genres: Design, History, Nonfiction, Art

184 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1997

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reserve five stars for books that change me or change the way I see the world. When you've finished reading Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style, read this and get a much deeper insight into type design and craft. Smeijers' basic argument, to oversimplify, is that the 16th-century type designers -- punchcutters -- weren't 'designers' in any recognizable modern sense. Rather, they were closer to sculptors, thinking about metal type in three dimensions rather than two, and working at 100% scale -- i.e., tiny. The results of their craft and way of thinking are the core designs for nearly all book typography ever since. Smeijers goes deep, deep into the the craft of working with steel, how the characteristics of the material and how it was worked influenced the way it was thought through -- or the design, as we would say today. He also makes a compelling case, as the title hints, for how these craftsmen worked the negative space first. First rate, highly recommended.

[Nigel Ewan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, educational, and thought-provoking. I wish I had read it ten years ago.

[Jawaher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book not only for people interested in type design, but also graphic designers and anyone working with type in their daily lives. It starts with an introduction of the fundamentals of type: terminology, letterforms and the relationship between the black and white space. Then it delves into the history of printing, how it was done, and the role of a punchcutter. Smeijers doesn't stop at the 16th century, he goes on to explain what happened since then, and the challenges we face now in a screen-based world. And the subject matter doesn't stop at the content: the 2nd edition of the book is set in Haultin, a custom typeface that Smeijers created based on French punchcutter Pierre Haultin's typefaces.

What makes this book interesting is that Smeijers actually did some punchcutting himself in order to understand the process and how punchcutters approached things. The book also reveals to you a different way of tackling type design. Punchcutters in the 16th century did the counters first, while at the present day we draw the whole shape first. It makes you think: Hey should I draw counters first? Is this a better way to do it? The book definitely makes you think about approaching type design differently. Whether it is a better way is up for experimentation.

[Laura Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of books about typography start with the way calligraphers form letters with pen and ink. This is of course related to how type designers design type, but when people were first printing from metal type, what they did didn't have very much to do with writing with a pen.

Instead, they made the type from a "punch", which was a metal image of the letter, and one of the ways they made the punch was with a "counterpunch", which might carve out a blank place in the middle of the letter. They might use the same counterpunch for the middle of a, g, p and d.

This book has all the information its author could come up with for how the great type makers of the 16th century worked, and also some observations about how type design has changed with computer programs for automating some of the work of type design.

I'm always fascinated by the fact that just about anything I'm interested in (cooking, music, literature...) turns out to have been changed in major ways by how people did it in the 16th century. Printing is another example of that.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text covers the history and process so thoroughly and the abundant images added clarity. It may not be of interest to everyone, but if you study or work with type this book is fascinating. Very detailed.