A Message from the Director

Mar. 9, 2017

The process of creating typefaces for print.

Myriad printed letters appear in our field of vision every day. Yet only rarely do we pay conscious attention to the kinds of typefaces we see printed on physical media (books, newspapers, documents) or shown on electronic displays (TVs, PC, smartphones). We pay far more attention when we compose typefaces to send information to others. Our natural instinct is to select typefaces that draw people's eyes and are easily read.

The methods for creating and arranging typefaces have steadily evolved over the many centuries since type printing was invented. Just this year, Toppan has announced a new typeface called Toppan Bunkyutai. The creation of Toppan Bunkyutai can serve as an opportunity to look back on the various processes used to design and manufacture print typefaces. What typefaces are suitable for the new era?

We invite you to visit and thoroughly enjoy our newest exhibition.

Koichi Kabayama

Director
Printing Museum, Tokyo

Koichi Kabayama

Director
Printing Museum, Tokyo

Born in Tokyo in 1945. Graduated from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo in 1965, and after completing the masters degree course at the university became a research assistant at the Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University in 1969. Became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo in 1976, and later became a professor. Served as the Director-General of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo from 2001, becoming Director of the Printing Museum, Tokyo in 2005, a position he still holds. His fields of specialization are Western history and Western cultural history.