Maria Ramos Silva - Typewriter typefaces, dig into the past for future reference

History is full of hidden stories, but few stand the test of time. The stories behind typewriter font libraries are among those that remain invisible to many. In the best of cases, type specimens and original documentation are still accessible through historical archives. Some information on the subject comes from fields not clearly linked to the design industry, like document examination. And, if we dig enough, we can also find gems in the form of typecasts (typewritten pages uploaded to a blog). All of these sources together can create the foundation for a wonderful overview of typewriter font libraries. This presentation will show a large variety of typefaces created for typewriters in different styles and scripts. We will see samples that refute the belief that mechanical typewriters did not offer many typeface options. We will understand how typefaces met the requirements of the machine, from mechanical to electric models. We will also be able to picture the design process at the time, while discovering some of the reasons for the appearance of typewriter typefaces. They were a milestone in type design history and yet we know very little about them.