typography

[ tahy-pog-ruh-fee ]

noun

1. the art or process of printing with type.
2. the work of setting and arranging types and of printing from them.
3. the general character or appearance of printed matter.

typography

/ taɪˈpɒɡrəfɪ; ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl /

noun

1. the art, craft, or process of composing type and printing from it
2. the selection and planning of type for printed publications

Derived Forms

• ˌtypoˈgraphically, adverb
• typographical, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of typography¹

1635–45; < New Latin typographia, equivalent to Greek týpo ( s ) type + graphía -graphy

Example Sentences

“It’s a sort of revolution in thinking about what typography can be and how it can be put to use in a very productive way.”

From BBC

“We were typographers before we were printers,” Cary says, pointing to the hulking Intertype brand typography machine dating from the early 20th century that stands in one of the shop windows.

From Los Angeles Times

Letters are letters, but for designers and typography fans, they matter a lot.

From New York Times

Bobby’s really into typography and when he wrote out the words “The Hundreds,” he liked the way the letters looked and how it all lined up.

From Los Angeles Times

Paperback The redo offers more color and more expressive typography, set against a backdrop of flowers that came from a website of commercial stock images.

From New York Times