Understanding Media, the well-known essay written by Marshall McLuhan, was first published in 1964.

Since that time, the motto “The medium is the message” became one of the most important rules in the western society. Speaking with colleagues and friends – most of them not involved in letterpress, one of the question about my work as graphic designer is: is paper still necessary? I usually reply “yes, of course it is” but, sometimes, I’m quite doubtful.

I was thinking of it when I was putting back these black condensed types and they kicked me to show the truth: the medium (types) is the message (the use of them).

Firstly I supposed to print them on a white paper but, after finding some gold sheets in a drawer, I decided they could be the right support and, with types, they could creat a short-circuit: which is the medium? Also, which kind of message are we talking about, if we don’t see it?