THE PARSONS INSTITUTE 68 Fifth Avenue 212 229 6825 FOR INFORMATION MAPPING New York, NY 10011 piim.newschool.edu SCRIPT FAT FACE MA FRAKTUR E/ SCRIPTS FORME NUAI TIQU TEXTURA ON 19 SOMME AN GOTHIC R IST AREND TH CENTUR LINEALE E N CL A HUM TER DISPLAY 25 Systems for Classifying Typography: Y FRAC SCHWAB GOTHIC / ANTIQUA DISPLAY BLACKLET BATARD TURE ANTIQUE 18TH CENTURY BLACKLETTER ACHER INCISES LINEAL ORNAMENTALS GROTESK MECANES SCRIPT EGYPTIAN L Y SLAB IT EGYPTIENNE ALI ROMAN ROMANS 17TH CENTUR C COND VENETIAN OLD STYLE PRECLASSICA CLASSICAL ROMAN E V NSED Y ELZEVIR ERNACULAR DIDONE ITALIENNE GERALDE A Study in Naming Frequency ASSICAL ITALIC MODERN REALE CL 16TH CENTUR RENAISSANCE ITALIAN DIDOT REVERSED IONIC SANS S BLACKLETTER SC SH ROTUNDA RI ADOWED PT ERIF LINEALE INCISE EGYPTIAN SCRIPT IC GLYPHIC EXTURA FRAKTUR T OUTLINE NDA TRANS GAELIC D HWABACHER / GRAPH ROTU ITI FAT FACE ARENDON SC TAYLOR CHILDERS ONAL CL HAND MANUAL/ R WRITTEN GLYPHIC GRAPHIC SHADED CALLIGRAPHIC TEXTURA BACHE SCRIPT GE STENCIL GRAPHIC SCHWA RAL DE E CALLIGRAPHICS DECORATED DISPLAY AC BLACKLETTER OLD F SCRIPT BLACKLETTER A HUM UR GLYPHIC HYBRID ANIST FRAKT CLASSICALS GOTHIC S MICS. CRIPT SLAB HUMANIST MODERN MODERN DIDONE RENAISSANCE MODERN ISED SANS SERIF HUM ROMAN VENET ETRIC ANIST IAN GEOM JESSICA GRISCTI GOTHIC BOOK OLD F VARIANTS MODERNS ANTIQUA ITALIC ACE SERIF R LINEALS OT SERIF U VINC GEOMETRIC ND HUMANIST . GERALDE M A EN FRENCH ECHAN BAS TIO DIDON ALDI TAR ROMAN ISTIC GROTESQ TEXTURA NE DA TR UE 20TH CENT. GROTESK ES A HUMANIST VENET TRANSISIONAL N OLD STYLE SITIO OLD FAC OLD D NEO- TRANSISTIONAL MODE -GROT. I GROTESQ DONE IAN SERIF NAL ISTIC NIST TRANS GERALDS NEO RN FACE ITION SLAB AN E ALS DIDONE GROTESQUE CH HUMA E LIBERTY LEBEN M DISPLAY DECORATIVE SAMPLED SQUARE A IAL/ CUR TED REALIS A MANIST GOTHIC T VILIN L HU SCRIPT CURSIVE ROTUND INDUSTR E VERNACULAR OCESSED A SCRIPTS EAR PR GEOMETRIC GOTHIC MANIPUL ESQU ANTIQUE T DINGBA TIN GRO LA RENAISSANCE ORNAMENT GEOMETRIC TS GR MO APHIC NEO BASTARDA SQUE HUMANIST ORNAMENTAL PERIOD DERNIST OTE DISPLAY SANS SERIF R CALLIGRAPHIC G SCRIPT PROBLEMS VENET T I IAN BLACKLETTER ALIC TEXT R ETTER GOTHIC O L BLACK GLYPHIC M A HUMANIST ALDINE GEOMETRIC SANS SERIF N OLD STYLE T EGYPTIAN I SLAB S C HUMANIST ERIF VENETIAN SANS RIC T CH CLARENDON ROMAN GEOME SERIF DUT SERIF OLD STYLE GERALDE CLA GOTHIC LASSICAL RENDON A LD S. INE TE L F POST MODERN TRANSIT A MODERNS A NEO C ERIF T GRO NEO CL F REVIV FR ACE NEO I UE ONALS TRANSIT E TRANS. KEYWORDS 19TH NCH A QUARE S DIDONE NSITIONALS WEDGE R S . SLAB DI 20TH CENT DON Typeface Classification, type specimens, type TRA CENT PRIM GROTESQ MODERN IONAL ER MODERN YRICAL MODERNIST L E . CALLIGRAPH REF TI CLARENDON ME- STYLE- REFRENCIN REFRENCING P R L E CASUAL ING ACE- systems, typeface taxonomy, typography NC TRANSITIONA EGYPTIAN I L NG IC CURSIVE G EGYPTIAN FAT FACE SANS SERIF FORMAL BRUSH HANDWRIT SANS SERIF GEOMETRIC 20TH HUMANIST ROMAN CENT RO TOPICAL BLACKLETTER TU IPT NDA SCR TITLING . HUMANISTIC GROTESQUE ER F SCRIPT R E SANS E HAND N R E DISPLAY MOD TEXTURA SIVE MODERN CORATIVE/ DE DECORATED CUR DISPLAY BLACKLETT GEOMETRIC SANS SERIF SANS SERIF TRANSITIONAL IF GEOME OLD STYLE OLD OLD S TE VENETI GEOMETRIC TRIC TYLE LA AN BOOK OLD FACE 20TH CENT. SERIF SERIF OTESQUE TRANS . SLAB SER C GR ON IT TEMP ITI IONAL ALI ORAR ONAL AN CONTEMP SERIF Y TRANSITIONAL SLAB SERIF TRANSIT HUMANIST OLD STYLE MODERN Y IT 19TH CENT. ALIC ANIST CLARENDON GROTESQUE MO T OLD STYLE PROJECT DATE FRENCH EARL RANS TRA E HUM October 2012–January 2013 NSITIONAL DERN LYPHIC ITIONAL MODERN G DUTCH /SQUAR SLAB OUTLI SPENCERIAN NE BRUSH DECORATIVE & EXOTIC/ INLINE STENCIL DWRITTEN RICAL Y DISPLAY DISPLA FREEFORM TO MONOLINE S IVE HAN OLD STYLE FORMA HI CAPITALS SAN CORAT L DE SCRIPT PEN R HAND S WRITE TEX BLACKL TOOLED SERIF TUR TYPE SWASH A SCRIPT SCRIPT & BRUSH BROKEN EXPERIMENTAL ETTER/ DECORATIVE & DISPLAY ROTUNDA DISPLAY COMPUTER A ABSTRACT BLACKLETTER RELATED TTER L E TECHNO BLACKL TIN SCHWABACHER BLACKLETTER OL D STYLE VENETIAN SANS SERIF URA SCRIPT FRAKT SERIF TRANSIT SANS SERIF IONAL ED GARALDE ICAL SANS SERIF UN MODERN SLAB SERIF OLD FACE SLAB TRANSI IC LATIN MONOSPAC EGYPTIAN GLYPH SLAB TIONAL DIDO MODERN ES. SITIONAL Varying typeforms for the Western printing process have HUMANIST AN NE MODERN SERIF TR SANS SERIF GEOMETRIC MODERN GROTESQUE been concurrently designed since the invention of the NEO-GROT printing press c1450. Even though the variation of styles Figure: A visual overview of 25 typographic classifications have expanded in number with fairly good documentation, and even though the process has been essentially evolu- and animals. In the typographic world, a shared standardized tionary, the design community has yet to develop a system of classification is lacking. Typographers and type comprehensive system of classification. Many attempts scholars have attempted to create proper systems of organi- have been made to standardize but no naming system has zation for decades. These systems date back to at least been successful to the point of its general adaption. This 1899, when Theodore Low DeVinne published a typo- paper analyses 25 typeface classification systems published graphic classification system in his book, The Practice in the last century, ranging from typographic greats like of Typography. With the invention of the printing press, Theodore Low De Vinne and Maximilien Vox and culmi- photo reproduction, and post script fonts, printing became nating with contemporary type and design scholars such more efficient and typographic practice became more as Ellen Lupton and Robert Bringhurst. Each system widespread. Today the typographic world is cluttered with (despite its original visual organization or lack thereof) examples along many design approaches; a logical way is presented through a color-coded pie chart. The color to name the group to which any particular design is codes reference three main branches of type design: Serif, challenging. One style can have two, even three names, Sans Serif, and Topical (Topical is the term used by all meaning essentially the same exact thing. Typographers Bevington/Chong to reference a subdivision of non-text who create systems often have a difficult time deciding faces). In our concluding demonstration we use this term which name to chose. Sometimes, they chose both. “Topical,” to replace “Display.” By examining a wide cross Major problem occurs in topical and display classifica- section of naming taxonomies, we observe those names tions. With so many styles of topical typefaces all obtaining that have prevailed, those that failed, and those that such specific differences, it is often hard to classify them deserve renewed support in the hierarchy of typeface into larger groups. While some create an abundance of classes. We see the useful, and the daring, as they are classifications for such typefaces, others ignore the problem removed or affixed to the typographic lexicon. Each name, completely. Ignoring these “topical” designs leaves a large from all the systems, within our wider categories of Serif, number of type styles unaccounted for, or relegated into Sans Serif, and Topical are collected into a series of master the “others” category. Through the examination of the diagrams. From these a final, suggested master classifica- history of typographic classification, it may be possible to tion—our cumulative research effort is presented. We create a unified taxonomy using a consistent naming logic. submit this master as a suggested industry standard. The final visual in this paper displays such unified logic; it, in turn, is constructed from a series of seven composite INTRODUCTION displays. These seven composites are organized according A taxonomy may be defined as the study classification. to the findings from the twenty five examples that preceed. Without scientific classifications in biology, there would (Note: we capitalize classes when they are specified as classes be no consistent professional jargon, and scientists would within any particular system, and do not capitalize when be far less effectively communicative when studying plants they are noted but not included in that particular system.) PIIM IS A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT © 2013 PARSONS JOURNAL FOR FACILITY AT THE NEW SCHOOL INFORMATION MAPPING AND PARSONS INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION MAPPING 25 SYSTEMS FOR CLASSIFYING TYPOGRAPHY: A STUDY IN NAMING FREQUENCY TAYLOR CHILDERS, JESSICA GRISCTI, AND LIBERTY LEBEN FAT FACE SCRIPTS ANTIQUE/ GOTHIC CLARENDON DISPLAY DISPLAY ANTIQUE BLACKLETTER ORNAMENTALS SCRIPT EGYPTIENNE CONDENSED ROMANS OLD STYLE ELZEVIR ITALIC MODERN ITALIAN DIDOT 1 THE PRACTICE OF TYPOGRAPHY THIBAUDEAU CLASSIFICATION Theodore Low De Vinne Francis Thibaudeau Theodore Low De Vinne was an American typographer Parisian Typesetter Francis Thibaudeau was determined and printer practicing in the late nineteenth century. to create the first rational system for categorizing type. In The Practice of Typography De Vinne details the He worked as a French typographer who designed type organizing systems popularized in type specimen books, specimens for Renault and Marcou and Derbergny and commenting, “but all ornamental types, and indeed many Peignot. Thibadeau was motivated to create a new system plain types, are named and classified in an unsatisfactory due to the density and disorganization of the type catalogs manner.” Which might be because his approach to typeface he was charged with designing. classification is very classic. De Vinne does not include Originally, there were only four main categories: Clarendons, or slab serifs, with the Romans, or serif, Roman, Didot, Egyptian, and Antique. Due to his French types. Instead, he lumps Clarendons in the display perspective, he uses Didot to describe Modern Roman category along with fat faces and the sans serifs, referred typography, rather than the “Didone” popularized some to by De Vinne as Gothics.