Caflisch Script: a one-axis multiple master typeface

Handwriting
For 6,000 years, man has communicated through written
symbols. The evolution of handwriting, from the earliest
pictograms to our current alphabet, has been driven by a
quest for simplicity and efficiency. For centuries, written
language has been the primary means of documenting
human endeavor, affording us a window to the past.
The alphabet we know today was established during
the Italian Renaissance. The elegant and practical
scripts of this time evolved from earlier writing systems
and derived their character from the broad-edged quill
(figures 4 and 6). These scripts, in all their forms, had a
sweeping influence on society and led to the creation of
the roman and italic letterforms that we use today.
In the early 17th century, with the advent of copperplate
engraving as a means of reproducing letterforms
and illustrations, italic handwriting evolved to emulate
the marks of the engraver’s pointed burin. The pointed
quill soon replaced the broad-edged quill, giving rise to
copperplate handwriting. For the next 300 years, a vari -
ety of pointed-quill handwriting styles were practiced by
professionals and amateurs alike (figures 10 and 11).
Modern handwriting is a potpourri of styles, written
with a wide variety of instruments. It is an everyday
activity with results ranging from a disposable note to a
fine piece of calligraphy. Whether we write in a traditional
or unconventional manner, our personality, intellect,
and mood shine through. However, the primary
purpose of writing is communication, which requires a
legible script. Fine handwriting is a craft worthy of
admiration as well as a joy to read.
Early Pictogram, Val Camonica