What is a typeface?
People and society
66
People began to write things down
about 5,500 years ago. Before this,
they told stories and passed
news on by word of mouth.
Today, writing is all
around you.
Writing and printing
Paper and pens
The paper you use today comes
from trees. Long ago, people made
paper from reeds or animal
skins. The first pens were
pieces of reeds,
dipped in soot
or ink.
Writing machines
The first typewriters were
invented about 200 years ago.
They made writing much quicker.
Today, word processors, like this
laptop computer, are used instead.
The
alphabet
Fountain
pens are filled
with ink.
Laptop computer
Quill pens in a pot of
ink with a scroll made
from papyrus reeds
Signs and
symbols
Sometimes, signs and
symbols are used to
write letters and words,
or even secret codes.
Pictograms
are pictures
used for writing. This old
Chinese word means “to sell”.
Hieroglyphs
were used
by the ancient Egyptians.
This one stands for “chick”.
Runes
were Viking symbols
that were carved on stone or
wood. This is the “M” sound.
Music
symbols like these
are used to write down
musical sounds (notes).
Morse code
changes the
alphabet into dot and dash
signals for sending messages.
Early typewriter
