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Sources: Pipes, Alan. Production For Graphic Designers 2nd Edition, Page 40: Prentice Hall Inc 1997 A John Berry, Being a Typographer Dana Shiroma Vas Blagodarskiy, Kinetic Typography and Mass Communications Typography I Jury, David (2004). About Face: Reviving the Rules of Typography. Switzerland: Rotovision SA. 63. ISBN 2-88046-798-5. Fall 2011 http://idsgn.org/posts/know-your-type-gill-sans/ Table of Contents

7 Typography 8 Eric Gill 9 The History of Gill Sans 11 The Gill Sans Family

12 Weights 14 Numbers & Glyphs

16 Characteristics 18 Gill Sans Today

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Typography is the art and tech- Typography is performed by nique of arranging type in order typesetters, compositors, typog- to make language visible. The raphers, graphic designers, art arrangement of type involves the directors, comic book artists, selection of typefaces, point size, graffiti artists, clerical workers, line length, leading (line spacing), and anyone else who arranges adjusting the spaces between type for a product. Until the groups of letters (tracking) and Digital Age, typography was a adjusting the space between specialized occupation. Digitiza- pairs of letters (kerning). Type tion opened up typography to design is a closely related craft, new generations of visual design- which some consider distinct ers and lay users, and it has been

n and others a part of typogra- said that “typography is now

o phy; most typographers do not something everybody does.” design typefaces, and some type

T designers do not consider them-

selves typographers. In modern s h n times, typography has been put

o A into motion — in film, television n and online broadcasts — to add emotion to mass communication. G MaY s n Vt GILLP s Bold, 14 pt 6 sans p o Rn Regular, 10 pt 7 R oTsTJhosnnsdIGiE H A Eric Gill The History of Gill Sans

The designer of Gill Sans, Eric Gill The history of Gill Sans stems The alphabet, which at the was born in 1882 as Arthur Eric from Edward Johnston’s iconic time only contained uppercase Rowton Gill, and died in 1940. typeface, Johnston Sans, de- letters, was noticed by Stanley signed for the London Under- Morison for its commercial Associated with the Arts and ground in 1913. Eric Gill, who potential. A Monotype advisor, Crafts movement, he was also an had studied under Johnston at Morison commissioned Gill important British sculptor, artist, London’s Central School of Arts to develop a complete font and typeface designer. and Crafts, later became a friend family to compete with the

and apprentice—and even had a sans-serif designs released by Eric Gill gave us Perpetua and small role assisting in creation of German foundries fueled by

Joanna (named after one of his the proprietary typeface. the overwhelming success of daughters), among others. Futura. The font was released Drawing heavily on Johnston’s commercially by Monotype in

His personal life was later discov- p work, Gill first experimented 1928 as Gill Sans. ered to be rather controversial; with his ‘improvements’ in 1926 his well-known religious views P when he hand-painted letter- and subject matter being seen as Y ing for a bookshop sign in his at odds with his sexual and para- hometown, Bristol. Gill also philiac behaviour and erotic art. sketched a guide for the book- a shop owner, Douglas Cleverdon, who later published the work in A A Book of Alphabets for Go Douglas Cleverdon. 8 GILL Bold, 14 pt 9 sans T Regular, 10 pt

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h A s sn Vt d The Gill Sans family A R Originally released as metal contemporaries. The typeface type, over 36 derivatives was initially recommended for nI Gillregular, Sans 72 pt emerged between 1929 and advertising and headline use, sG 1932 — many of which were but as the public got used to was initially designed for created by the Monotype draw- reading sans-serif, Gill Sans bold italic, 24 pt ing office (with input by Gill). turned out to work just as well The typeface is renowned for for body text. its inconsistencies between ADVERTISING, weights, as they were not me- bold, 40 pt chanically produced from a single design (opposed to but its different weights others like Helvetica). italic, 36 pt The Gill Sans family ranges from Light to the exaggerated work wonderfully to Ultra Bold — “because every light italic, 30 pt advertisement has to try and shout down its neighbors,” Gill exaggerate the headline explains in Essay on Typography. ultra bold, 22 pt Gill’s lettering is based on clas- sic roman proportions, which and understate the body text. give the sans-serif a less me- light, 26 pt chanical feel than its geometric

GILL Bold, 14 pt 10 sans Regular, 10 pt 11 WEIGHTS FROM LIGHT TO ULTRA BOLD a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z light light a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z light italic light italic a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z italic italic a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z regular regular a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z bold bold a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z bold italic bold italic a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ultra bold ultra bold

GILL Regular, 36 pt 12 sans Various, 14 pt 13 NUMBERS $ @{ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 0 4 #! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 5 ƒ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 76 é�© ż з é Ç > Ž ₴ £ $ Ө { ^ ~ < * @ ł× ¢ ) ć ± ý Ж ? ƒ ® (ñ ; Џ ©ф §+ й љ ÷ З ö Ђ ì ! ¤ þ } % [ Ӣ ¥ ] Ł ä 9 Œ Қ њєѣ # � 4 8 GILL 1 Regular, 200 pt 14 sans 9 Various, 24 pt 15 2 Regular, 18 pt 805 4 Consistently Inconsistent Characteristics ultra bold, small dot regular, triangular topped regular, regular, eyeglass shaped descender flat bottom i t bd and spurless g

italic, regular, calligraphic tail flat top and regular, spurless tail pq p a ultra bold, transition from bold to ultra bold changes to regular, rounded end R elongated leg rr GILL Regular & Italic, 24 pt 16 sans Various, 72 pt 17 Various, 150 pt Gill Sans Today

Despite its inconsistences, Gill Sans remains popular. Today over two dozen Gill Sans designs are available digitally, with mainstream reach thanks to its inclusion on Mac OS X and Microsoft Office. It can be seen everywhere, used (or overused) on everything from

corporate logos to movie posters—one industry that has

actually embraced the unusual Ultra Bold.

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The type for this book was obviously I like Gill Sans From x-height to base

Y v K set in Gill Sans, the consistently incon- I’m a Gill Sans Man (or Woman) It’s the best typeface H B u

sistent typeface. I use Gill Sans It’s sculptured grace Jn ev’ry chance I can never out of place d

o i n x It was bound using perfect bind, the AND IN UPPER CASE

P T f only binding suitable for this humanist I like GIll Sans It’s just the ace! h

typeface. and Gills Sans Light It’s the BBC

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I choose Gill Sans HM Treasury f g S This publication was designed by the ev’ry time I write Classic Penguin Books

t p one and only, Dana Shiroma (D-shizzle It’s how Britain looks J

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p T T Shiro-yomama on the streets) in the I love Gill Sans It’s Parliament

S E infamous Badlands. She is also suffering if the truth be told British Government Y from minor carpul tunnel syndrome My muse, Gill Sans It KEEPS CALM and CARRIES ON

ms and over-dramatic disease. and Gill Sans Bold It’s British Railways

from our yesterdays

The designer would like to leave you I like Gill Sans The Church of England font o T with a poem dedicated to Gill Sans, in the italic (but not the one with water) h found at http://poorphraser.tumblr.com/ I enthuse Gill Sans Ev’ry conversa-shan post/4107574848. Eric Gill: smart alec about Gill Sans

must legally point out:

I like Gills Sans Eric Gill abused his daughter. s

It’s the font I want And his dog. Z

to peruse Gill Sans Weird man. r s

Can’t refuse Gill Sans But, dash it, ne Introduce Gill Sans I like Gill Sans. t to ev’ry woman, child, man Z JZq i a