typographer

American  

[tahy-pog-ruh-fer] / taɪˈpɒg rə fər /

noun

1. a person skilled or engaged in typography.

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typographer British  

/ taɪˈpɒɡrəfə /

noun

1. a person skilled in typography

2. another name for compositor

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Etymology

Origin of typographer

First recorded in 1635–45; typograph(y) + -er ¹

Explanation

A typographer is someone who designs printed words. If you admire a beautifully designed font, you can thank a typographer. Famous typefaces, like Helvetica, Futura, or Times New Roman, were all designed by typographers. When you think of how many printed words we all read on a regular basis, both on paper and on screens, you'll start to realize what an important job typographers do. They arrange type in a way that aids communication and conveys a mood along with the words. Typographer adds the Greek typos, "dent or impression," to grapheia, "writing."

Example Sentences

Hailing from a dyed-in-the-wool Social Democratic family, she is the daughter of a typographer and a pre-school teacher.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Frederiksen, raised by a typographer father and a mother who worked in daycare, joined youth politics to fight social inequality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Back then, the personal computer revolution was just beginning, and typographer Vincent Connaire was working on new fonts.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2021

On this day in 1829, 189 years ago, an inventor named William Austin Burt patented a typographer, an early writing machine and forerunner to the typewriter.

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2018

I am afraid that if I were to furnish a specimen of the contractions, a modern typographer would be puzzled to reproduce it with the desirable exactitude.

From Schools, School-Books and Schoolmasters by Hazlitt, W. Carew