A Typographic Quest, Number 2, Display Types

In the second issue of the A Typographic Quest series, Carl Dair examines display types – the typefaces that, arguably, are the first to catch a reader’s eye. Because their primary function is to attract attention, display types differ fundamentally from text types, where readability and subtlety take precedence. This distinction also explains why, in the early years of advertising, many headlines were hand-lettered rather than set in type. In just 28 pages, Dair delivers what may be one of the most insightful introductions to display typography ever written.