An Investigation Into the Growing Popularity of Script Typefaces and the Technical Means by Which They Are Created Today Yacotzin Alva
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Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections 5-1-1997 An Investigation into the growing popularity of script typefaces and the technical means by which they are created today Yacotzin Alva Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Alva, Yacotzin, "An Investigation into the growing popularity of script typefaces and the technical means by which they are created today" (1997). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rochester Institute ofTechnology SCHOOL OF PRINTING MANAGEMENT AND SCIENCES An Investigation into the Growing Popularity of Script Typefaces and the Technical Means by which They are Created Today. A thesis project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the School of Printing Management and Sciences of the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences of the Rochester Institute ofTechnology Yacotzin Alva Thesis Advisor: David Pankow Technical Advisor: Archibald Provan Rochester, New York School of Printing Management and Sciences Rochester Institute ofTechnology Rochester, New York Certificate ofApproval Master's Thesis This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Yacotzin Alva With a major in Graphic Arts Publishing has been approved by the Thesis Committee as satisfactory for the thesis requirement for the Master of Science degree at the convocation of May, I997 Thesis Committee: David Pankow Thesis Advisor Marie Freckleton Graduate Pro am Coordinator Director or,Designate An Investigation into the Growing Popularity of Script Typefaces and the Technical Means by which They are Created Today. I, Yacotzin Alva, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library of R.LT to reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit. Acknowledgments I would like to express my appreciation to the people who have been a great support during the completion of this research. Especially, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to David Pankow, Curator of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection, for the assistance and guidance that he has given me. I would also like to thank Professor Archie Provan, and the type designers who returned questionnaires for their support and for providing me with the necessary material to complete this project. in Table of Contents List ofTables vi Abstract vii Chapter i Introduction i History of script faces 2 Precursors 3 * Development of script faces n Technical considerations 14 Endnotes for Chapter 1 16 Chapter 2 Review of literature in the field of study 17 Chapter 3 Methodology 20 Chapter 4 The influence of technology 21 Digital tools for type design 22 Ikarus 22 Metafont 23 Fontographer 23 FontLab 23 FontStudio 24 Endnotes for Chapter 4 25 IV Chapter 5 Script typeface classification 26 Script typeface definitions 28 Joined script faces 30 Unjoined script faces 41 Endnotes for Chapter 5 83 Chapter 6 Questionnaire results and conclusions 84 Conclusions 91 Endnotes for Chapter 6 93 Chapter 7 Recommendations and suggestions for further study 94 Appendix 1 Index of typefaces 95 Appendix 11 Index of designers 101 Appendix in Index of type foundries 109 Bibliography in List ofTables and Figures Table i: Latin alphabet letterform styles and dates of popular use 3 Figure i: Roman capitals of the Trajan Column 5 Figure 2: Capitalis quadrata 5 Figure 3: Capitalis rustica 5 Figure 4: Uncials 5 Figure 5: Half-uncial 6 Figure 6: Insular script 7 Figure 7: Carolingian minuscule 8 Figure 8: Bastarda 10 Figure 9: Gothic book hand 10 Figure 10: Humanistic cursive 10 Figure 11: Edward Johnston handwriting 12 Figure 12: Copperplate 14 VI Abstract The examination of any current type specimen book invariably discloses a large number of faces designed to imitate some form of handwriting. Strictly speaking, such designs are known as script types. It is a matter of opinion which typefaces should be classified as scripts, especially since all early type designs were derived from written forms. Today, we typically label a typeface as a script if it retains the look of having been written with a pen or other writing implement. Type specimen catalogues of the nineteenth century list numerous examples of such written seventeenth- eighteenth- forms, though these are mostly restricted to styles developed by the and century writing masters. Modern scripts differ from those of the last century because of a bewil dering variety of structures derived from forms created by different writing instruments, includ ing the broad-edged pen, the steel pen, and the brush. In addition to such traditional sources, more recent scripts have been inspired by the felt-tipped marker, pencil, ruling pen, ball point pen and even the spray paint can. For this thesis project, the author prepared a historical introduction and then attempted to clas sify as many historic and contemporary script faces as possible in order to determine how type designers are breaking new ground in the structure of these fascinating letterforms. Many recent script faces are radically different from traditional models, while some explore the very limits of style, legibility, and technical fit. Such experimentation would have been much more difficult in the days when types were cast from metal or even when types were made for photocomposition devices. Today, the number and variety ofscript faces are increasing at a rapid rate due to improve ments in computer type design software. Therefore, this thesis project also reviews some of the powerful type design software and digital technology now available which allow designers to create types of great originality. Also included are the results of a questionnaire sent to selected contem porary designers of script faces. Vll Chapter 1 Introduction For 6,000 years, humans have communicated through written symbols. The evolution of an effec tive symbol set for a particular language or languages, from the earliest pictograms to our current alphabet (in the Western World ), was driven by a quest for simplicity and efficiency. For centuries, handwritten documents were the primary means of recording human endeavor; surviving exam ples afford us a window to the past. The basic design elements or structural forms of the latin alphabet we use today were estab lished during the Italian Renaissance and by the end of the fifteenth century. The elegant and practical letterforms of this time were the products of a long evolution and derived part of their character from the broad-edged pen. These letterforms had a sweeping influence on how texts were created and led to the creation of roman and italic types as well as the script faces that we use today. As soon as these forms were fixed in metal, there was little chance for a radical depar "norms" ture from the established by the printer and the type founder. Personal communication, however, was still carried on through handwriting; a new profession, that of the writing master, was already established by the early sixteenth century and correspondents and record-keepers were trained in the most elegant styles. By the early seventeenth century, with the establishment of copperplate engraving as a means of reproducing letterforms and illustrations, formal handwriting had evolved to emulate the kinds of lines made by the engraver's pointed burin. The pointed pen soon replaced the broad-edged pen, giving rise to a style of handwriting known as copperplate. For the next 300 years, a variety of pointed-pen handwriting styles were practiced by professionals and amateurs alike. The handwriting of today is a mixture of styles, written with a wide variety of instruments. It is an everyday activity with results ranging from a swiftly scrawled disposable note to a fine piece of calligraphy. Whether one writes in a traditional or unconventional manner, a formal or informal style, one's personality, intellect, and mood often shine through. Ultimately, the primary purpose 1 which requires a script with at least a bare minimum of ofwriting is communication, legibility. History of Script faces Script types, because they derive from a profusion of handwriting styles, are difficult to organize "script" into a tidy classification scheme. Even the word is hard to define since it means different things to different people; thus the simplest definition might be to declare that they are typefaces made in imitation of handwriting. However, since all typefaces can be traced back to handwrit ten origins, a more precise definition is required. To begin with, there are four general stylistic classes of types that predominate in the western hemisphere: roman, italic, decorative, and script. i.) Roman types are based on the inscriptional capitals used in Roman monuments and on the Carolingian minuscule. In general, roman types came to be preferred over blackletter forms in Europe and America, though both were derived from a common origin. For that reason, this black- study will not include any script faces based on blackletter structures. A separate study of letter scripts, however, would be well worthwhile. 2.) Italic types were first developed by Francesco Griffo da Bologna in 1501 for the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius and were used for printing pocket books of the classics for the use of humanist scholars. This early cursive or italic, as it was called almost everywhere, was an imitation of the Cancellaresca corsiva used in Italy at that time. Italic types soon were used as companions to roman.2 roman types; their shapes are calm alongside the clear, serious and upright 3.) Decorative types are much freer in design, sometimes so much so as to be barely recognizable.