History of Graphic Design - Midterm

Here are concise definitions for your terms from Meggs’ History of Graphic Design:

• Pictograph – A symbol or drawing representing an object or concept, often used in early writing systems.

• Rebus Writing – A writing technique using pictures to represent sounds or syllables instead of literal meanings.

• Papyrus – A writing material made from the papyrus plant, used in ancient Egypt.

• Vellum – A fine parchment made from calfskin, used for manuscripts.

• Scriptorium – A room in medieval monasteries where manuscripts were copied and decorated.

• Camera Obscura – An optical device that projects an external image onto a surface, aiding artists in drawing.

• Carpet Page – A full decorative page in illuminated manuscripts, resembling textiles with intricate patterns.

• Illuminated Manuscript – A handwritten book decorated with gold, silver, and colorful illustrations, mainly in the medieval period.

• Textura – A Gothic script characterized by dense, vertical, and angular letterforms.

• Chinese Calligraphy – The artistic practice of writing Chinese characters, emphasizing brush strokes and form.

• Typography – The design and arrangement of type in printed material.

Printing & Type Developments:

• Woodblock Printing – A technique where images or text are carved into wood, inked, and pressed onto paper.

• Relief Printing – A method where the raised surface of a block is inked and transferred onto paper.

• Engraving – A printmaking technique where designs are cut into a metal plate and inked for printing.

• Fat Face – A bold, heavy, and exaggerated serif typeface, popular in the 19th century.

• Egyptian Type – A slab-serif typeface with thick, block-like serifs.

• Uncials – A rounded script used in manuscripts from the 4th to 8th centuries.

• Semi-Uncials – A script evolving from uncials, incorporating lowercase letterforms.

• Sans-Serif Type – A typeface without serifs, emerging in the early 19th century.

Print Media & Technological Advancements:

• Broadsides/Broadsheet – Large printed posters or newspapers used for public communication.

• Industrial Revolution – A period of rapid industrialization (18th-19th century) that revolutionized printing, advertising, and mass communication.

• Daguerreotype – An early photographic process creating images on silver-plated copper.

• Calotype – An early photographic process using paper negatives, developed by William Henry Fox Talbot.

• Lithography – A printing technique using oil and water on a flat surface to create images.

Art Movements & Influence:

• Ukiyo-e