This comprehensive illustrated history begins with the origins of the alphabet itself and carries the reader through the first handwritten books, the invention of printing in the Renaissance, the explosion of graphic styles (and printed media) in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the impact of digital technology on design today. This work explores the evolution of styles under the pressure of social, cultural, and technological change, accompanied by a comprehensive selection of illustrations of key works in typography and design since the invention of writing. It covers a number of topics, from the art of the medieval manuscript to the birth of advertising to the workings of modern mass media. The author is able to bring a designer's eye to the analysis of visual communication. This is a book for designers, historians, and students, and those who are interested in the visual arts or concerned about the future of the printed word.