Developments of Type & Design

After the years of early development of writing, the world began to move forward in a creative sense. During the medieval age, early Christian arts were transformed into religious works. Sometime during the fifth century, people started creating illustrated and illuminated books. They did this for the illiterate religious people. Pope Gregory the Great stated that "in images, the illiterate read". Usually, illuminated manuscripts were covered with gold leaf and rich colors that made the pages look majestic and spiritual. 

Just 300 years later, in 700 CE, the Chinese were developing a woodblock printing process which is called xylography. Raised images and calligraphy were cut onto wooden slabs, which were then inked. The printer would transfer the ink to the paper by placing a piece of paper o the raised inked surface and rubbing the back. Xylography is an example of relief printing which is any printing process in which the ink sits on a raised surface. 

These are very important steps of the graphic design world because these are types of work that you will still see today. Xylography is still used today and you will often see the illuminated manuscripts in religious environments.