Nuclear Reactions: From Gutenberg to the Meme
Johannes Gutenberg invented the most world-shatteringly brilliant invention of the second millennium: The Printing Press. The advent of the printed word lifted Europe from the Age of Economic and Educational Darkness to one of Freedom, Literacy, and Human Rights. Without the printing press, the world would not have seen the Protestant Reformation, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, or any subsequent events that were fueled by mass communication.
As the existence of moveable type changed the world, the world synergistically changed the appearance of type. The thick strokes of Gutenberg’s 1498 Bible were thinned into Roman script to achieve readability, because alas! literacy rates were rising along with the economy. As the printing press grew in popularity, the literate upper class began losing its hold on power. A middle class was forming, a new public emerging from the empowered, newly literate lower class who had access to reading material.
As communication grew and changed and wove itself inextricably into the fabric of human lives, type grew larger and bolder. The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of advertising as well as several other attention-grabbing forms of communication, which resulted in an explosion of new typefaces. As advertising became more effective, so did the typefaces. The give and take between the styles of typefaces and the formation of publics caused a cascade effect similar to that found in nuclear fission, during which atoms break into two pieces, and the pieces in turn break apart other atoms, and the process continues until a nuclear reaction is achieved. (*boom*)
Moveable type, in its way, is the nuclear reaction of communication, education, and human rights. It defines generations. For example, our generation will always recognize one typeface in particular that shaped our culture, our view of images, and our sense of humor: Impact. The rise of memes has blown up the internet, and the Impact typeface, in a way, shapes our view of the world.
So, while important questions like “Who shot the serif?” can help us determine which typefaces to use in design, it’s always good to geek out over the history of type, because without it, we wouldn’t have novels, basic education, or most importantly, cat memes. Johannes Gutenberg was right when he said, “Like a new star, [moveable type] shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men.”
