TRACING BASKERVILLE John Baskerville (Source: Birmingham Museum); Virgil Aeneid with Expansive Margins and Fine Alignment, 1757 (Source: Typefaces for Books)
MiraCosta College / oceanside
MAT 155 Graphic Design 2 : Typography Min Choi // Fall 2017
TRACING BASKERVILLE John Baskerville (Source: Birmingham Museum); Virgil Aeneid with expansive margins and fine alignment, 1757 (Source: Typefaces for Books)
“Having been an early admirer of the beauty of letters, I became insensibly desirous of contributing to the perfection of them. I formed to myself ideas of greater accuracy than had yet appeared, and had endeavoured to produce a set of types according to what I conceived to be their true proportion.”
— John Baskerville, preface to Milton, 1758 (Anatomy of a Typeface) http://idsgn.org/posts/know-your-type-baskerville/
ABOUT BASKERVILLE Baskerville is known as a Transitional typeface. Transitional refers to fonts that bridge the gap between the organic Old Style typefaces and the mechanical looking structure of the modern fonts. Characteristics of Transitional fonts include: A greater contrast between thick and thin strokes, wider, gracefully bracketed serifs with flat bases, larger x-height, vertical stress in rounded strokes, the height of capitals more closely matching that of ascenders, and the numerals and cap height are consistent.*
John Baskerville was an English writing master, stonecutter, letter designer, typefounder and printer. Although in his lifetime he was un- derappreciated compared with his close contemporary William Caslon, he is now recognized as the other half of the duo that transformed English printing and type founding. After first working as an accomplished writing master and headstone engraver in Birmingham, he found business success japanning (coating with black varnish) trays and snuff-boxes.
His quest for perfection meant his first complete book took until 1757 to produce, during which time he made major innovations in press construction (making a flatter, sturdier bed), printing ink (blacker, more even, and quicker-drying), papermaking (wove instead of laid), and of course letter design (which Handy cut to Baskerville’s designs). The result was a brilliant series of original typefaces and splendid books appearing from 1754 to 1775. The perfection of his work seems to have unsettled his compatriot printers, and some claimed his printing damaged the eyes! Abroad, however, he was much admired, notably by Fournier, Bodoni (who intended at one point to come to England to work under him), and Benjamin Franklin.
The modern revival of Baskerville’s designs began in the 1920s, thanks to the work of Bruce Rogers, and soon the major foundries all had their own Baskervilles.**
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 fill in the letterforms. > Print out the cover page including your Name, Class Name, Assignment Title and Date, typed in the bottom right corner and taped neatly at the top. This cover sheet will 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: September 12, 2017 Turn in tracing of Baskerville at beginning of class
Please note: Compared to the slightly gothic feel of Caslon, Baskerville is purely neoclassical; in it is seen the more geometric forms of that period’s architecture. See also Mrs Eaves, an interesting if mannered experiment in reviving Baskerville by mimicing the unpredictability of form found in letterpress text.
* Source: A Typographic Workbook, Kate Clair ** Source: myfonts.com