Today, I would like to introduce “In Praise of Type.”

This book is a collection of essays on print culture by 26 notable figures from various fields, including editors, designers, typography researchers, and writers.

Judging by the title, I started reading this book with my heart pounding, wondering if it would be a sentimental tribute to letterpress printing or a nostalgic look back at the past. . . but my fears were unfounded. While comparing metal type and typesetting character, as well as letterpress printing and offset printing, there were many references to the advantages and disadvantages of each.

I was struck by a passage written by Yuzo Kiryu, who worked as a compositor at a letterpress printing shop while writing books, and later changed careers as the industry declined. He expressed his personal feelings: “The sensation of the type has faded from my fingertips. It can be said that it’s completely gone.” Each step of the process, once performed by people like him, has been shoved into computers and become invisible. For me, in not experiencing these technological and print culture shifts, understanding the system is always difficult, and books like this help me greatly.

This book was published in 1991, at a time when printing with metal type was on the decline. Through the diverse perspectives of those who witnessed the prime and fall of print culture, you can learn about the atmosphere and conditions of the time.

Book Information:
“Complete Work: In Praise of Type”
Author: Kohei Sugiura, Mitsuo Fukawa, Nobuo Nakagaki, etc.
Publisher: Katsuji Bunkasha

Purchase Information:
https://nostos.jp/archives/132852?srsltid=AfmBOopQmi3Yx3nBISIDIG3Xd8MpQ5TPm3cDfc6qKFp481Znnt7M3RQ3

Although it is out of stock, you can purchase a used book.

(RK)