Friday, December 14, 2012

The ABC's Never Looked So Good

Penguin Drop Caps is a series inspired by typography--its beauty and its power of expression.  A drop cap, or an initial cap, is the first letter of a word when designed and set larger than the surrounding text.  It is used to introduce a new idea, paragraph, or chapter.  We may recognize such elements from books of our childhood, from sacred and historic texts, and from beautiful early editions of classic literature.  Whether they appear in illuminated fifteenth-century manuscripts set by scribes or digitally displayed in Jessica Hische's own Daily Drop Cap blog, a drop cap letter impresses upon the reader the arrival of something of which to take note, something unique and special that deserves to be savored.

 

For the book lover, the series is a nod to the tradition of printing and the distribution of ideas, stories, and opinions—ranging from paper to digital media. For the writer and artist, the series pays homage to the significance of composition, texture, and form. With Penguin Drop Caps, we are inspired by the timeless tradition and craft of letters and their endless capacity to communicate.

 

The first six editions are here:

 

Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
My Antonia
Great Expectations
Middlemarch
Madame Bovary

 

No comments: