Fleischmann on Punchcutting

This 1994 publication is a significant piece of typographic detective work. It centers on a 1766 manuscript discovered by scholar Frans A. Janssen, which provides a rare first-person technical account of the art of punchcutting. Janssen concludes the text was written by the legendary German-born punchcutter Johann Michael Fleischman. The content is notable for its vigorous defense of counter-punches and its sharp, professional “sniping” at Fleischman’s famous French contemporary, Pierre-Simon Fournier. For the book designer and historian, the volume is a dual treasure: it contains Fleischman's rare technical insights and is itself a specimen of his work. Bram de Does hand-set the text in a 12-point Fleischman Roman from 1738, utilizing historical type cast during the Charles Enschedé era.