Typography Historians Trace the 160 Year Evolution of All Caps as a Visual Shouting Tool

By Doug Wilson · Print Magazine · 2026-07-29

Print Magazine reports that the association between uppercase lettering and yelling dates back to a 1856 newspaper story rather than the internet era. While digital culture cemented this perception, historians now argue that the constant use of capitalized text by public figures

Print Magazine reports that the association between uppercase lettering and yelling dates back to a 1856 newspaper story rather than the internet era. While digital culture cemented this perception, historians now argue that the constant use of capitalized text by public figures