The Gurmukhi Type of Oxford University Press

In 1877, Oxford University Press (OUP) published The Gospel According to St John in the Sindhi language. The Gospel was printed with a new fount of Gurmukhi designed and cast specifically for this volume, making it one of the first examples of movable Gurmukhi type used for printing the Sindhi language. OUP's Gurmukhi is notably different from its predecessors as its design mirrored calligraphic traditions of particular Gurmukhi manuscripts; and it marks a significant stage in the evolution of Gurmukhi type. This article looks at the design decisions behind the unique shaping of the letterforms, the people involved in its creation, the impact of technical constraints of letterpress printing on the Gurmukhiscript, and the book printed using the type. Finally, it considers whether those involved in the creation of OUP Gurmukhi were able to achieve their intentions for their undertaking.