The Stroke
by Gerrit Noordzij · first published 2006
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2010–2026first – last mentioned
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"The stroke is the most concise and powerful statement of Gerrit Noordzij's theory of writing. First published in Dutch in 1985, it appears here for the first time in English. The book puts forward a genuine theory of all writing, done with any kind of generating tool. Noordzij starts with fundamentals - the space within and between letters - and proceeds in stages towards a full account of how the strokes of writing can be formed, and an analysis of the qualities of letters. Along the way, there are reflections on history and culture, and remarks on method. Noordzij's theory serves to repair
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…understand the technical language of typography. If you'd like to learn more, some excellent books are: - The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst - Detail in Typography by Jost Hochuli - The Stroke by Gerrit Noordzij
on “A few things I’ve learned about typeface design” ↗A really interesting book on the characteristics of written and printed letterforms is "The stroke" [0]. One really interesting thing is the way that writing and reading have changed more than one might expect. A few anecdotes: - Until some time in the middle ages, scribes did not consistently use…
on “550-Year-Old Gutenberg Bible in High-Res Detail” ↗> as useful a skill as calligraphy. Typography is a multi billion dollar industry; see Gerrit Noordzij's The Stroke for why the calligraphic stroke is as relevant as ever in the digital age :)
on “A Google a Day” ↗This is a strange analogy, because learning calligraphy is essential for any type designer worth their salt. Read The Stroke by Gerrit Noordzij.