This Virtual Special Issue includes twelve articles published in the Journal of Design History between 1988 to 2020 that focus on typographic histories. The selected articles address different aspects of the subject, ranging from designing letterforms and manufacturing typefaces to putting those letterforms to use—through typesetting and letterpress printing, typewriting, collage, lithography and photocopying. To provide a context for this selection of articles this Introduction begins by characterizing the place of typographic histories within the Journal of Design History and the broader field of design history. It then considers the methods, models and approaches available that offer a framework for understanding and interpreting typographic practices and objects. Recognizing that the historiography of typography has a trajectory that predates design history by many years, reference is made to other disciplines that have contributed to this longer history. We then give a brief overview of the various kinds of archives and collections where the materials, methods and objects of typography are held and can be studied. The Introduction concludes by detailing the contribution of the selected articles, grouping them and drawing out themes that become apparent by placing them together. Finally, the article offers suggestions for future research and scholarship.

中文翻译：

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排版历史：三个十年的研究

本期虚拟特刊包括 1988 年至 2020 年间在《设计史杂志》上发表的 12 篇文章，重点关注排版历史。所选文章涉及该主题的不同方面，从设计字体和制造字体到使用这些字体——通过排版和凸版印刷、打字、拼贴、平版印刷和影印。为了为这些文章选择提供背景，本引言首先描述了印刷历史在《设计史杂志》和更广泛的设计史领域中的地位。然后，它考虑为理解和解释印刷实践和对象提供框架的方法、模型和方法。认识到排版史学的发展轨迹比设计史早了很多年，因此参考了对这一更长历史做出贡献的其他学科。然后，我们简要概述了保存和研究排版材料、方法和对象的各种档案和收藏。引言最后详细介绍了所选文章的贡献，将它们分组并通过将它们放在一起来勾勒出显而易见的主题。最后，文章对未来的研究和学术提出了建议。排版的方法和对象被掌握并且可以被研究。引言最后详细介绍了所选文章的贡献，将它们分组并通过将它们放在一起来勾勒出显而易见的主题。最后，文章对未来的研究和学术提出了建议。排版的方法和对象被掌握并且可以被研究。引言最后详细介绍了所选文章的贡献，将它们分组并通过将它们放在一起来勾勒出显而易见的主题。最后，文章对未来的研究和学术提出了建议。