Broken Scripts and the Classification of Typefaces

Abstract

Current systems of typeface classification are fundamentally useless as they isolate type from other renderings of handwriting. Typeface design can only be understood in its relation to handwriting. The German classification system (DIN 16 518) is analyzed, and a binary classification system is suggested—not of type only, but of writing generally. Broken type is not more German than other derivatives of the roman alphabet; its isolation has done much damage to German type design and typography.