Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg1-11-11iJj Kk LI Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq RrSsTt UuVvWwXxYy Zz1234567890&/ECEW£70!?( )[] PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TYPEFACE CORPORATION. VOLUME ONE, NUMBER ONE , 1973 UPPER AND LOWER CASE, THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TYPOGRAPHICS
In this issue: Typography' and the Information, Typography and the New Technologies New Technologies Please A retrospective by Aaron Burns of the development of the emerging technologies in the 20th Century; the challenges, the opportunities. Information, Please a The New York Times Information Bank is a hen I went to uppose that you computerized system that can help you find out art school, I learned that many of my fel- wonted to find out... WHO is the new head of the low students had problems when it came Johnson Foundation? everything about anybody or anything— to drawing certain parts ofthe human ana- WHAT were the basic terms of the General Motors-Curtiss-Wright agreement for the Wonkel that was reported in a newspaper or magazine. tomy. They simply could not draw hands engine? Stop the "Perpetrators" or feet. WHEN was the Amchitka otomictestconducted? I first became conscious of their diffi- WHERE will Swindell-Dressler Company build a A scathing indictment by Edward Rondthaler of culties when I noticed that the people steel foundry in Russia? the unscrupulous typeface design pirate companies who appeared in their layouts never had WHY did Secretary Volpe sign a transportation which unconscionably copy for cut-rate sale hands or feet. Hands always seemed to research agreement with the Polish Government? the original work of creative artists. be behind peoples' backs or in pockets. HOW did Martha Mitchell come to blow the Feet were always out of view, either be- whistle on the Watergate? What's so Hot about Robert Indiana? Answer: hind a desk, or the people were cropped You'd merely consult the remarkable new In- New York Times Art Critic John Canaday at the waist or knees. formation Bank of The New York Times. with some biting observations on the work of this People, however, do have hands and This eminent newspaper has recently taken painter, with a comparison by a graphic designer feet, and very often they must be shown. a giant step into the 21st Century with the intro- The advertisements created by these stu- duction of the world's first computerized system of how"love" really should be. dents very often suffered as a result of for the storage and retrieval of the richly varied contents of newspapers and magazines. Art and Typography these simple but important handicaps. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 Willem Sandberg, former Director of Amsterdam's CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Stedelijk Museum, considers the function of the artist in society and in the shaping of new communications Stop the What's so Hot about patterns. "Perpetrators" Robert Indiana? Is Avant Garde avant garde? Presenting the story behind this ITC typeface, how it came to be designed by Herb Lubalin, and why he thinks maybe it should never have happened. anger. lot of friends in My Best with Letters This article has been labeled "Stop the advertising—talented designers all—have been Four famous designers offer their one"best" piece Perpetrators" for good reason. talking to themselves lately. "What," they want of typographic art. The alarm is genuine. to know, "is so hot about Robert Indiana?" No adequate law protects the type de- "What's he got that we haven't?" they want to Young Typography signer or photocomposing machine manu- know. "Look," they say, "we turn out designs facturer from unauthorized duplication of like his—only better—every day in the week." Featuring each issue the best, the most unusual, the machine's most vital part: the typeface the most significant work being done by students or font negative. Unauthorized contact "What's so special about Robert Indiana?" throughout the world. duplication of these critical negatives has What indeed. reached dangerous proportions, and the I was mulling this over the other day when The Spencerian Revival graphics industry can no longer afford, I came across an article by New York Times Tom Carnase, one of the foremost designers of ostrich-like, to disregard the demoralizing Art Critic, John Canaday. Mr. Canaday was effect it is having on creative talent. It is a exploring this very idea. He'd just been to a letterforms, has created a trend back to Spencerian blight on the industry's legitimate business recent new exhibition at the Denise Rene Gal- through his artful handling of this script form. practices, and bringing it under control is a lery in New York, which was presenting a one- worthy endeavor calling for the concerted O man show of Indiana's designs, and he hadn't Corporate Design is Big Business effort of all. But more about that later; here is And small business. Both are finding that the image the background: gotten over it yet. We operate in a free system where ethics For the uninitiated, Robert Indiana is the they present to the public is becoming more and more and law contribute mightily to the function- creator of LOVE, that cleverly-arranged four
a factor in their successful growth. The first article CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 on corporate design is by Lou Dorfsman, Design CONTINUES:. ON PAGE 2 Director, Columbia Broadcasting System. The second by Ernie Smith, Proprietor of Port Jerry, a rustic resort. art and typography A Satire of Newspaper Logos let us consider first the function of the artist in society. The prominent illustrator and satirist, Chas. Slackman, the men who handle the antique furniture in my museum have depicts his graphic impressions of the nature of some developed a vocabulary of their own when they speak of styles. of our most prominent newspapers through the they call louis XIV: louis with the twisted legs louis X\/: louis with the bow legs redesign of their logotypes. louis louis with the straight legs Non-Communication • now the legs of these kings, i guess, actually did not differ so much from each other. Ed Sorel, one of America's foremost satirists, expresses but it was nor the kings who created these styles; it was the artists, the architects, the painters and sculptors, his views on the subject of non-communication in the musicians and the authors who tried to render the essence of no uncertain terms. These fascinating drawings will the epoch, who made the impact of a certain period visible, audible, perceptible. be a regular feature in "U&lc." the artist creates the face of society; his work enables us to revive the past. What's New from ITC to cite an example, the paintings and posters of toulouse-lautrec A first-time showing of the newest creations of ore for us the incarnation of Paris around 1900. typeface designers to be offered by ITC to the world how does this come into being? buying public through ITC Subscribers. PAGE 20 CONTINUED ON PAGE IS
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VOLUME I NUMBER 1, 1973
HERB LUBALIN, EDITORIAL & DESIGN DIRECTOR AARON BURNS. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ED RONDTHALER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR JACK ANSON F1NKE, ASSOCIATE EDITOR JO YANOW, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ELLEN SHAPIRO, ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR JOHN PRENTKI, BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING MANAGER
- U&LC" COI, YRIGHT. 1973 AND PUBLISHED BY INTERNATIONAL TYPEFACE CORPORATION, 216 EAST 45TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017 AJOINTLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF PHOTO-LETTERING, INC. AND LUBALIN, BURNS & CO., INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS EDWARD RONDTHALER, CHAIRMAN AARON BURNS, PRESIDENT HERB LUBALIN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT JOHN PRENTKI, SECRETARY/TREASURER BOB FARBER. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ED BENGUIAT, VICE PRESIDENT STEPHEN KOPEC, VICE PRESIDENT
y Ileac?
Stop the "Perpetrators" But now a new technique has entered the CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE The world of graphic arts is alive today with industry. Photography. Phototypography ing of business. Business law has built our opens up new availabilities. Good and bad. new technological advances, so vast and Type pirating is no longer expensive, and as great economic machine, but it is our day- difficult to comprehend, that they strain the by-day ethic that provides the oil to keep long as the law lags behind technology, the giant from grinding to a halt. Some years type pirating will be legal. The develop- imagination of even the most knowledgeable ago a popular treatise on economics — aptly ment of photographic typesetting equip- and creatively gifted among us. New named "The Promises Men Live Br-pointed ment has sparked a rash of new machines out that law alone is not enough to keep our which use an inexpensive font negative materials, new tools, new ways to plan economy healthy. Widespread voluntary rather than the costly matrices of hot metal. work are becoming mandatory for efficiency, adherence to moral and ethical business Ironically, photography has been the tech- principles is the lubricant that makes the nological salvation of the typesetting busi- quality, economy—presenting problems for whole thing work. ness, but when used unethically it can rob all — printers, typesetters, artists, writers, Every enterprise needs ready access to the type designer of his livelihood. It can do the tools of its trade— in this case typefaces. worse than that. It is now threatening to throw advertisers, publishers — all the creative But if this need is satisfied through unethical the creative arm of the industry into chaos. people who have anything to do with prepa- means, particularly when there is an ethical The perpetrators of this situation are the alternative, then we are in trouble. When a unauthorized film font duplicators—better ration of the visual word. thief takes pennies from a newsstand, it's described as "contact-copiers." Their work called stealing. But when a duplicator lifts is as easy as it is cunning. From a co-con- How to keep up? How to stay in touch with design material without paying for it, it is spirator the copier borrows or buys an orig- folly to condone the act with the half-excuse inal font negative upon which many thou- what is current? How to plan for tomorrow? "It's not illegal." Under our present laws it's sands of dollars have been spent in creative To envision a future essential to decision- not illegal, but it's highly unethical. design, in microscopic placement of letters, in unit modification and fit, in grid pattern making today? Protecting a type design from piracy is a problem as old as typefounding itself. The and technical layout. With one quick flash alphabet has never enjoyed much legal he duplicates everything. It is a highly lucra- Vital questions for the interested professional. status. Type designer and manufacturer tive business since each contact copy— Yet where can he find the most recent infor- have long been victims of this unfortunate made for pennies— is sold for twenty or even situation. (A parallel condition plagues the fifty dollars to the unwitting typographer mation on trends, styles, fashions? Where fashion industry where brilliant creations by who, incidentally, would never dream of can he read about all and everything that is eminent couturiers are quickly copied and buying counterfeit $20 or $50 bills. Indeed mass produced.) Even so—until recently— unauthorized duplication has much in com- happening in the graphic arts and sciences? the enormous cost of engraving duplicate mon with counterfeiting: both depend upon matrices gave a certain minimal protection the use of unauthorized originals, both util- To help make this broad body of knowledge to metal type. Enough, at least, to discour- ize photography, and in both the cost of age piracy of all butthe most popular faces, each impression is minute compared with and information available — and, hopefully, and enough to encourage manufacturers its disproportionately high market value. to provide some answers — International to continue to create new styles— in the The difference is purely one of legal terms. hope, perhaps, that the new types would Up to now the contact copier has been in Typeface Corporation introduces this first not be quite popular enough to attract the the clear; but ethically he does as much issue of "U&lc," the International Journal of pirate. The whole situation has been far from damage to the industry and its future as the ideal. It has restricted certain designs to counterfeiter does to society. Typo/Graphics, designed by Herb Lubalin and certain typesetting machines: Caledonia, These are the bleak facts today. Facing distributed worldwide. for example, is found only on Linotype. Mod- them realistically no type designer, foundry em #8 on Monotype. Radiant on Ludlow, or manufacturer of typesetting equipment "U&lc" will have broad general appeal, etc. This has been awkward for the graphic is enticed by the prospect of investing thou- communicator—almost as if red paint could sands in a new alphabet simply to have it covering important graphic events and be applied only by roller, blue only by lifted by night. presenting original articles by world leaders brush, and green only by spray— While no industry-wide attack has yet yet he has learned to been launched against contact-copiers, in the typographic arts, as well as reprints live with it. certain segments of the business have been very active. In London, important typeface of articles of importance that have appeared changes in British Copyright Law are in the in other publications. works. In Geneva, ATYP I (L'Association Typographique Internationale) and WIPO "U&lc" (World International Property Organization) will feature outstanding examples have drafted a typeface proposal for pres- of typographic design in all fields of entation at the 1973 Vienna International Diplomatic Conference on Industrial Prop- visual communication, from the best- erty. There is a strong possibility that a docu- known creators to the undiscovered shops. ment will emerge from this Conclave which, when ratified by the various countries, will "U&lc" will offer in-depth analysis of the give legal protection to typefaces. We must be on the alert to be sure that our Congress material presented and study the direction does not bury the document in committee. of current work and developments in typo- In the field of sound, a parallel effort by WIPO and Unesco in drafting legislation to graphic technology. "protect producers of phonograms against unauthorized duplication of their phono- In brief, "U&lc" will provide a panoramic grams" has met with considerable success. It was originally signed by 31 states (includ- window, a showcase for the world of graphic ing the U.S.) at a 1971 Diplomatic Conference arts — a clearinghouse for the international convened in Geneva for the purpose. Since then the legislatures of France, United King- exchange of ideas and information. dom, Sweden, Finland and Fiji have ratified the document and it became law in all five It is the intent of the editorial staff and the countries on April 30,1973. More ratifications directors of ITC that "U&lc" will come to are expected soon. This sets an excellent precedent. Meanwhile in Washington, Sena- serve as the international journal for all who tor John McClellan is heading a Congres-
want to have their finger on "what is new," N sional committee charged with drafting widespread revision of the U.S. Copyright "what is happening," and "what to look for" Law— last revised in 1909! Strenuous efforts in the world of typographies. are being made to include typeface protection in the new draft, and over a thousand The Editors GERRY GERSTE
THIS EDITORIAL WAS SET IN ITC TIFFANY MEDIUM. 8
LONGEST WORD IN THE LANGUAGE
One question people never tire Finally, the editors of the of asking is "What is the longest Merriam Webster New International word in the English language?" Dictionary have included in their Youngsters run across this query "New Words" supplement the word factor for a person who was talented at in their earliest book of riddles, making layouts but all thumbs when it complete with the answer: came to setting type. "Smiles, Actually, there is a longer imen- Like those students who could not because there's a mile between word, a term found in the Oxford draw hands or feet, these "artists-with- the first letter and the last" English Dictionary: type" were faced with similar inhibitions. But the matter is one that mono- The more complicated they made the lay- grownups frequently debate, and out... the more difficulty they would have the belief is widespread that floc_ when it came to setting the type. It is easy to see, therefore, and also to understand, how or why most early typo- anti- cm; graphic formats probably were arrived at —more from a consideration of labor ef- forts and costs than from a consideration of esthetics and art. Gutenberg's first pages for his bible were set with a flush wstab- ilihll- silico- left and ragged right margin—not per- haps because it was more beautiful that way, but because it was easier that way. fish- gm- vol- It was only when the mechanical fea- lift_ tures introduced by the linotype space men- bands were invented for use in newspa- . per settings, that we had the introduc- tion of flush left and flush right settings. tartan- ea- liD"- It was easier for the machine and the op- • erator to set type this way. (It also made for pretty terrible typesetting. ) don• osis. This feature of typesetting has remained is the longest meaningful word The word is a noun defined as an actual disease of the lungs as the predominant "style" for text set- in the language. "estimating as worthless." It is in to which miners are especially ting ever since. the dictionary and, with its susceptible. The longest word in As printing mechanization developed twenty-nine letters, is one letter the language — and, if you don't emerged, believe it, look it up! and new typesetting processes longer than anti-you-know-what. artists were freed from the age -old me- chanical restrictions that hand-set metal type placed on their creative efforts. From type to letterfornas. A major design freedom for the typo- signatures supporting it are in the Senators the plagiarist. Tjtpography and the New ilechnologies graphic artist was the invention of plate- There's no way of condoning any part of CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE hands. All this is good. But legal wheels move making. Printing from a plate surface it without everybody losing something. slowly. rather than directly from the type itself. Do we have to wait? No. Not if enough Since, in this situation, we can't call a How technology influences art. With this new graphic art technology, typographers and buyers of typography cop, we must find a way to take care of it Photography freed these artists from are shocked by the thought of counterfeit ourselves! such inhibiting factors. The camera could artists were able to take proofs of the metal type, cut them up and paste them type—albeit legally counterfeited. Inter- George Lois, Chairman of Lois,Holland, faithfully render hands and feet, and the into different positions without restric- national Typeface Corporation is one indus- Callaway says: artist could now permit himself to think try mover that has refused to wait. Facing "There's enough illegality, unethicality and create in terms that no longer were tions—and make printing plates. This the inequity squarely, the company has and immorality in the world without having limited only to what he could draw. meant that all previous limitations, im- issued an "ITC design license mark" (see to condone the legalized plagiarism that posed by metal type upon creative typo- page%) to be used on all authorized film With photography, the artist was now has invaded the typographic field which I free to choose between "fine art" and a graphic arrangements, no longer existed. strips, grids, discs, transfer sheets or other have always regarded as being curiously The artist was now free from his "lead master alphabet products using ITC designs new form of "commercial art" as a ca- honest! handcuffs." Type has never been the same. and manufactured by licensed ITC sub- reer. A graphic art that today uses all the scribers. Any legitimate manufacturer may Saul Bass of Saul Bass & Associates says: tools of modern graphic arts technology; Since the beginning of this century we become a licensee. This mark clearly "I don't have time to investigate who is type, platemaking, screen tints, printing have been witness to a design revolution ethical and who isn't in our business. I have identifies the product's authenticity and presses, cameras, colored papers, trans- in typography which has explored virtu- assures the purchaser that a royalty has faith in the integrity of my suppliers and ally every facet of communications. would be sorely disappointed if I found out fer sheets, colored felt-tipped pens (in- been paid. U&Ic urges other producers of stead of watercolor brushes) and scores The ideas which were projected only original faces to use similar forms of pro- otherwise. I sincerely hope my typogra- yesterday in the research laboratories of phers are not buying contact-copied fonts! of other materials and methods— all now tection for the designer and the industry. available for the creatively gifted but industry by men who work at the arts and Finally, then, there is a very potent weapon Louis Dorfsman, Vice President, technically limited graphic designer. sciences of communications are becom- available to every typographer and every Advertising & Design, ing reality today; typesetting by Cathode full-scale rejection of All of which is precisely the point I buyer of typesetting: CBS Broadcast Group says: Ray Tubes at speeds of from 1,000 to the contact-copier. As a growing number of "I will avoid doing business with the type wish to make about the development of characters per second; TV- News- professionals in the typographic commu- shops that buy unlicensed type fonts for modern typography. 30,000 nity become clearly aware of this obviously the sake of bargain-hunting and bigger Ever since Gutenberg, typographic de- paper printouts; FacsimileTransmissions via telephone and satellite; Electrostatic unjust situation, those opportunists who cal- profits. I don't know much about that end sign has developed in direct relationship computer- lously take advantage of the designer are of our profession, but thanks to ITC, I'm be- to the advances that have taken place in printing; Laser Graphic Arts; becoming more and more exposed.Their ginning to find out! ized typography; Computer Typograph- graphic arts mechanization and technol- position is increasingly difficult to defend. How would you say it? Will you say it ogy. First, from a metal hand-set begin- ics; and Optical Character Recognition. Several graphics leaders have come for- where it counts—in a letter to your type sup- All of this new technology will make ward in defense of the type designer in no ning almost 500 years ago — to a mechan- plier? And will you send a copy to U&Ic.? ical machine-set period begun 100 years possible a whole new typographic art. In uncertain terms. Are you ready to stand and We'll forward it to Senator McClellan and future issues of 'Mc" we will present ago — to an electronic film-set era less be counted with them? use it in our continuing campaign against many examples and case histories of than 10 years old. Milton Glaser of Push Pin Studio says: legalized plagiarism. breakthroughs that are now being uncov- "It is almost impossible to distinguish With your help added to that of others, we Suppose you had to set ered in the new world of typo/graphics. can move forward, so that the 70s, instead between legitimacy and plagiarism. your own type. One example of the new frontiers we of marking the spread of legalized plagia- We are in the business of making our the rism and the demise of type design, will be During the metal/letterpress era, mak- can look forward to is discussed in ideas public and available. One of the the years of its renaissance. ing a typographic layout almost always article presented on page 1 —The New most agreeable ego satisfactions is seeing Take your pen in hand. Do your share to- meant that whatever the artist planned York Times Information Bank. the way these ideas become part of a day for integrity. as his layout he would have to set in type mutual graphics consciousness. Plagiarism offers no satisfaction to any- ... himself. To most artists, this was a one, neither victim, community, nor finally, ED RONDTHALER slow process, and worse, an inhibiting AARON BURNS