The Visual History of Type is a definitive survey of the major typefaces produced since the advent of printing with movable type in the mid-fifteenth century to the present day. More than 320 typefaces are faithfully reproduced in the form of their original type specimens or earliest printings, located chronologically rather than by classification, and contextualized through a combination of editorial consistency and restrained typography whose structure is intended to foreground powerful content rather than to intrude.

The publication sets out to communicate the stages of the development of type from a broad perspective in relation to cultural and technological narratives. Its design integrates textual, visual, typographic and historical facets in a unique body of work, emphasizing the representation of key typefaces presented in their historical specimens in a readable, versatile and unobtrusive format. All of the typefaces selected are reproduced as close to actual size throughout in spreads that are arranged systematically, supported by succinct summaries of the development, appearance and application of each design, and by tabular information locating them firmly within their context. The traditional form of the book is the perfect medium for The Visual History of Type because it provides a natural connection between its form and its content: much of the book's subject matter relates directly to the art of printing and its historical development. This book could not exist without its publisher’s investment in it, a commitment currently for which there is no equivalent in digital and online environments.