MiraCosta College / oceanside

MAT 155 Graphic Design 2 : Typography Min Choi // Fall 2017

TRACING

FUTURA— the prototype of the family of geometric sans-serif . It was designed in 1927 by Paul Renner. As opposed to earlier sans-serif designs, the strokes appear to be even weight and geometric. This seems most visible in the almost perfectly round stroke of the O but Futura is actually slightly imperfect. It is often said that Futura was directly related to the Bauhaus. Renner him- self was not associated with the Bauhaus although many of the modern principles taught at the Bauhaus are incorporated into the letterform design of Futura.

Futura was developed during a competitive period in the 1920s when various foundries were developing modern san serif type faces for various lead type setting technology. It would be followed by by U.K. Monotype designed by Eric Gill and Metro by U.S. Linotype designed by W. A. Dwiggins.

Futura was one of the most popular in use in the 20th century, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, and is in use in the corporate Roman- design of Volkswagen to this day. (See classic ad at left). Check out more of Volkswagen’s iconic print advertising: http://fontsinuse. The basic letterform style so com/uses/1976/volkswagen-of-america-ads-1960-66 called because it is derived from inscriptions on Roman Futura remains an important family and is used world wide on a daily basis for print and digital purposes as both a headline monuments. and text . It is a much better “geometric san serif” alternative to Avant Garde - which was originally never intended to be a text typeface by its designer Herb Lubalin but is often misused. Futura was director Stanley Kubrick’s favorite font, specifi cally in its Extra Bold form, and used it for the promotional campaign of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut, as well as the Kubrick Collection DVD boxset. Director Wes Anderson incorporated Futura as a motif in his fi lm The Royal Tenenbaums, and used an outlined form for the title logo of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It is also featured on the US edition of Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami published by Vintage Books.

SUPPLIES tracing / layout paper, pencil, tape, rulers

PRESENTATION > 8.5 x 11” size tracing paper: Please trace the handout (attached page 2) exactly as is, and fi ll in the letterforms. > On the cover page, in the bottom right corner, print out the label including your Name, Class Name, Assignment Title and Date, typed, printed and glued neatly in the bottom right corner. > Please fi ll in with pencil. Add a cover sheet to protect from smudging. > Anything less than a professional presentation will not be accepted for grading. > No guidelines, smudges or eraser marks should be visible.

DUE DATE: Tuesday September 26, 2017 – Turn in tracing of Futura at beginning of class

Volkswagen advertising is unique in the history of automobile advertising, if not all advertising. Its tone, style, wit, irreverence have been imitated, mimicked, swiped, copied, misunderstood, and admired more than any campaign before or since.