This book investigates the fundamental relationship between lettering and drawing, proposing that script functions as a form of visual art rather than merely a vehicle for language. Nicolete Gray, a noted scholar of typography and lettering, examines the evolution of Western script through the lens of contour and silhouette. She argues that the aesthetic qualities of letterforms—their weight, shape, and spatial arrangement—are comparable to the principles of fine art drawing and composition.

Experts and design historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of typography and graphic art. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for analyzing letterforms as artistic objects rather than just functional text.