Type Foundry

A type foundry is a company that produces and/or distributes Typeface s. Originally, type foundries manufactured and sold metal and wood typefaces and Matrices for line-casting machines like the Linotype and Monotype machines designed to be printed on Letterpress printers. Today's Digital Type foundries accumulate and distribute typefaces created by Type Designer s, who may either be Freelancer s operating their own independent foundry, or employed by another foundry. Type foundries may also provide custom type design services.

In England type foundries began when William Caxton invented the printing press. Thereafter the City of London became a major centre for the industry, until recent times when famous metal-based printing districts such as Fleet Street came to the close of their era. The industry was particularly important in Victorian times, when education became available to all due to the new School Boards, and firms such as Charles Reed & Sons were in their heyday. The St. Bride Printing Library in the City of London encourages wider public interest in the remarkable history of typefounding for the printed book and newspaper.

LARGE TYPE FOUNDRIES