"Type design is one of the most visible and widespread forms of graphic expression in daily life. It is still not noticed by all readers of newspapers, magazines or books. Nevertheless letter forms reflect the style of a period, and its cultural background.
We are surrounded by them everywhere. The designer of new typefaces works in extremely small dimensions in shaping a letter, and he is also limited by the traditional forms of the alphabet. There are few possibilities for new ideas, for a good design should not have eccentric and unusual details.
But the compromises required in designing for metal type can be ignored today because the new digital technology allows freedom in making new designs.
Typography is two-dimensional architecture, based on experience and imagination, and guided by rules and readability. And this is the purpose of typography: The arrangement of design elements within a given structure should allow the reader to easily focus on the message, without slowing down the speed of his reading."
-Hermann Zapf, German typeface designer, creator of Palatino and Optima.
Hermann Zapf