The Beauty of Myeongjo Type
The name "Myeongjo" is synonymous with "modern typeface," adopted from Europe by the Sino-Korean cultural sphere. This book covers the introduction of typography from Europe to China and Japan, as well as the brief but early history of Hangul typefaces. It also explores how Myeongjo adapted to the character reforms and changes in typemaking techniques before and after World War II, and even to the digital environment, covering every era of Myeongjo's history up to the present day. The over 200 illustrations, which take advantage of the large B4-size format, are also excellent.
A deeper examination of the term "Ming" (or "Ming" for short) transcends the scope of typeface (or design) and leads us to consider the turbulent modern history of East Asia and its relationship with written media. Against this backdrop, the "beauty" discussed in this book transcends mere formal descriptions. It depicts the Ming type itself, which has endured the modern history of the Chinese character cultural sphere and adapted to the medium.