Handmade font ＂Yinyan Song Qi＂, which inherits the intangible skills of printing industry, was first launched in Shanghai.

    Xinhua Online Haihai, July 23rd (Reporter Xu Xiaoqing) Recently, Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology officially released a long-term "boudoir-raised" non-legacy handmade font-"Yinyan Song Qi".

    Shanghai is the birthplace of modern news and publishing industry in China, which witnessed and promoted the development and evolution of modern Chinese character printing technology. "Chinese character printing and font writing skills" is an intangible cultural heritage in Shanghai, and its protection unit is Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology.

    In 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology explored the "printing font reform" according to the requirements of relevant authorities, and based on Shanghai’s printing and publishing industry, it collected talents in the fields of fine arts, calligraphy and sculpture from all over the country, and established the font research room of Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology. Today, people widely use computers to input Chinese fonts "Song, Black, Kai, Imitation Song", and the source of font design is this research room. For decades, through inheritance and innovation, the style of Song-style characters has evolved from the initial "Song-style integration" to "Song-style seven-style".

    The font "Yinyan Song Qi" released this time was designed by Xu Xuecheng, the first generation inheritor of the late "Chinese Character Printing Font Writing Technique". In 2020, under the leadership of Chen Qirui, the second generation inheritor of this technique, the value of this font manuscript was rediscovered. Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology started the development project of "Seven Styles of Song Dynasty", led by the fourth generation inheritors, and carried out digital development on the basis of full respect for the manuscript.

    The relevant person in charge of Shanghai Institute of Printing Technology said that the promotion of "Printing and Researching Song Seven" focuses on digital application, which will help to further inherit the intangible heritage of the printing industry and let more people know the evolution of modern Chinese printing fonts. This is also a respect and awe for traditional culture.