Martha Elizabeth Colwell (May 24, 1881 – October 18, 1961 ) was an American printmaker, typographer, and writer.

Colwell was born in Bronson, Michigan; according to the 1880 United States census, her family, including parents Elisha and Nancy, and siblings, Frederic, Albert, Fernando, William and Laura, lived on a farm at Burr Oak.^[1]

Colwell studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago^[2] Her instructors included John Vanderpoel and Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt,^[1] the latter of whom instructed her in the art of Japanese woodblock printing.^[2] After becoming acquainted with Thomas Wood Stevens in 1899 she began contributing illustrations and poetry to editions of the magazine The Blue Sky.^[1]

During her career Colwell worked in advertising, and she was known for her hand-lettered newspaper advertisements. In 1909 she published a book of poetry, Songs and Sonnets, which she designed and illustrated herself; she published other such books during her career.^[3] 1910 saw the publication of the volume On the Making of Wood-Block-Color Prints. For American Type Founders Colwell designed the 1916 display typeface Colwell Handletter and its italic.^[4][5][6] A 1947 exhibition on the history of type design in American noted her place as the only American female type designer known at that time.^[7]

She was associated with the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s;^[2] one of her paintings from the period, Bowl of Fruit in watercolor and tempera on panel, is currently owned by Western Illinois University.^[8] Several other works are in the collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Colwell exhibited widely throughout her career, and was a member of the Chicago Society of Artists and the Chicago and New York Societies of Etchers.^[2]