Typographic Specimen Poster

Typographic Specimen Poster Type specimen posters were historically released by foundries and printers as a means of introducing new typefaces to designers. The design aesthetic of the posters was mostly utilitarian (simple and functional) with the goal of displaying a typeface in different sizes for the designer to visualize how the typeface could be used. As technology progressed from the linotype to the digital press, the emphasis on posters as the primary means of showing off a new typeface diminished, however the type specimen poster grew into their own form of expressive design. While modern type specimen posters are not as common, they are often far more expressive than their historical counterparts. Akzidenz Grotesk, design by Gunter Gerhard Lange in 1898 Homework: Put a Typeface to a Name This is a project that focuses on research and utilizing your knowledge of typography and layout skills learned over the past semester. Using InDesign, the objective of your type poster is to highlight the different qualities or characteristics of your chosen typeface, introduce the typographer, as well as generate a design that compliments the aesthetics of the prominent design movement of the time. Part 1) Research and Sketchbook Exercise: Research online and find at least 5 examples of type specimen sheets that inspire you, even if their design is different from the approach you will be taking. From your assigned century, choose a typographer and typeface they designed. Research the prominent design movement associated with your typographerʼs region and time period (Example: Typographer: Eric Gill, Typeface: Gill Sans, Time Period: 1920s England, Prominent Design Movement: Art Deco). In your sketchbook begin to conceptualize ideas for this project. Make at least 5 sketches of possible directions. Edit your concepts down to your best 2 ideas and redraw them on 8.5 x 11 white paper using a micron pen. We will critique your final two sketches before the end of class. Type design based on the following time periods: 1600 and earlier Baskerville, Bookman, Joanna, Garamond 1700s Didot, Palatino 1800s Cairo, Courier, Playbill, Rockwell 1900s Arial, Futura, Geneva, Gill Sans, Helvetica, Verdana, Trajan, Myriad, Avenir, Georgia, Part 2) Type Specimen Poster Objective Create an 18 x 24” inch type specimen poster in InDesign. The layout can be based on a grid or break the grid. However if you break the grid, it should compliment what was happening in graphic design during that given time period, i.e. You would not see breaking the grid with an Old Style typeface, but you would with a typeface designed in the 1970s-1990s. Your poster must display the following properties: • The name of the typographer • The name of the typeface • A full alphabet of both upper and lowercase letterforms and numerals • A minimum of 1 paragraph on your research of the typeface and typographer • The design of the poster should reflect the aesthetics of the prominent design movement in place during period in which the typeface was developed. You can create or incorporate any imagery of your choosing, however, it must be historically appropriate to your typeface and the aesthetics of the time period in which it was developed. The emphasis of your poster should remain primarily the type. Letters can be transparent, overlapped, bleed off the page or be arranged in different colors. Output (Due 11/4): Setup an 18 x 24 inch page in InDesign, CMYK. Include a 1” Margin, .125 Bleed and .5 Slug on your Document Setup. When you are ready to print, export your file (File> Export) as a PDF with Crop and Bleed marks checked in the “Marks and Bleeds” PDF settings. Print on the large-scale plotter and trim. .

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