Increasingly, advertising campaigns, record covers and branding are adopting manually created typography. This is the first publication to offer a complete overview of handwritten typographics, drawing on an extensive array of examples from around the world.

An introduction by design historian Steven Heller places the contemporary work in a broader context of design. At the heart of the book are hundreds of examples, presented in creative themes: ‘scrawl’; ‘scratch’; ‘stitch’; ‘simulate’; ‘shadow’; ‘suggestive’; and ‘sarcastic’.

In an age of characterless digital typography, Handwritten returns to the values of craft. This outstanding collection of unusual, meticulously wrought and occasionally breathtaking pieces is a must for any student or practitioner of design.

Steven Heller is art director of The New York Times Book Review and author of many successful books on graphic design. Mirko Ilíc, the New York–based graphic designer, has won numerous awards for his hand-drawn design work.