Typographic Design: Form and Communication

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Typographic Design: Form and Communication Typographic Design: Form and Communication Fifth Edition Saint Barbara. Polychromed walnut sculpture, fifteenth- century German or French. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Typographic Design: Form and Communication Fifth Edition Rob Carter Ben Day Philip Meggs JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750- 8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or on-line at www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Carter, Rob. Typographic design : form and communication / Rob Carter, Ben Day, Philip Meggs. -- 5th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-64821-6 (pbk.: acid-free paper); ISBN 978-1-118-12966-1 (ebk) 1. Graphic design (Typography) I. Meggs, Philip B. II. Day, Ben. III. Title. Z246.C217 2011 686.2’24--dc22 2011017540 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 In memory of our friend, colleague, and teacher Ben Day (1942–2011) “The whole duty of typography, as with calligraphy, is to communicate to the imagination, without loss by the way, the thought or image intended to be communicated by the Author.” Thomas James Cobden-Sanderson Contents Introduction xi Interletter and interword spacing 79 1 The Evolution of Typography 1 Type size, line length, and interline spacing 80 From the origins of writing to Gutenberg’s invention Weight 81 of movable type 2 Character width 81 Typography from Gutenberg to the nineteenth century 7 Italics 81 The nineteenth century Legibility and color 82 and the Industrial Revolution 12 Justified and unjustified typography 85 Typography in the twentieth century 18 Paragraphs and indentions 85 A new century and Legibility and electronic page design 87 millennium begin 27 Typographic details 88 2 The Anatomy of Typography 31 5 The Typographic Grid 91 Letterforms analyzed 32 Background 92 The typographic font 35 Structure and space 92 Historical classification of typefaces 38 Proportion 94 Typographic measurement 42 Single column grids 97 The type family 45 Multi-column grids 100 3 Syntax and Communication 49 Modular grids 105 Typographic syntax 50 Improvisational structures 110 Typographic space 60 6 The Typographic Message 111 Visual hierarchy 64 A multidimensional language 112 ABA form 70 Verbal/visual equations 115 4 Legibility 75 Function and expression 121 Distinguishing characteristics of letters 76 The nature of words 78 Capital and lowercase letters 79 7 Typographic Technology 125 10 Typographic Design Education 187 Hand composition 126 Generation of a typographic sign from a gestural mark 188 Linotype 127 Letter/digit configurations 189 Monotype 128 Urban letterform studies 189 Ludlow 129 Inventing sign systems 190 Phototypesetting 130 Letterform analysis 190 Digital typesetting 132 Flowering typography 191 Electronic page design 134 Sequential typographic 8 Typography on Screen 139 forms in space 191 Rendering type on screen 140 Visual organization and grid structures 192 Selecting typefaces 143 Introduction to systems design 193 Legibility factors for on-screen typography 146 Designing with a single letter 194 Programming for Web design 148 Typography and Structuring Web pages 150 image transformations 194 Case studies in Web design 152 Experimental compositions with found typography 195 9 Case Studies in Typographic Design 161 Syntactic explorations Integrating type and image using onomatopoeic terms 196 in poster design 162 Type chronology booklet 197 The U.S. National Park Service Unigrid System 166 Expressive typography: form amplifies message 198 Book design: VAS: An Opera in Flatland 169 Computer improvisation and manipulation 198 Typographic film titles 173 Observing systems in our surroundings 199 Buenos Aires Underground (Subte) 176 Interpretive typography: Information design: exploring legibility and impact 200 Metropolitan World Atlas 180 Symphony poster series 200 A typographic program for the 17th Street Farmers’ Market 184 Information design: changing Processing typographic form and ideas 219 typographic parameters 201 Typographic process case studies 225 Typographic cubes 202 Experimental typographic transformation 230 Calendar typography 202 Now Projector: Design as Projection 238 Unity of form and communication 203 Typographic book covers 245 Typeface history posters 204 12 Type Specimens 251 Visual identity program 204 Old Style 253 Type in Motion 205 Adobe Garamond 254 Blending Latin and Adobe Minion Display Regular 260 non-Latin typographic forms 205 Additional Old Style fonts 266 Type and image in the third dimension 206 Sans serif 269 Comparative relationships: Univers 55 270 type and image 207 Meta Normal 276 Futura Book 282 Directional poster: Additional Sans Serif fonts 288 from your house to the university 208 Transitional 291 Graphic-design history posters and booklet 209 Baskerville Regular 292 Animated Web site flash pages 210 Georgia 298 Additional Transitional fonts 304 Typezine: my favorite typeface 211 Modern 307 Type history posters 211 Bauer Bodoni Regular 308 Typeface design: mind/machine 212 Additional Modern fonts 314 Experimental typographic system 213 Egyptian 317 Banknote design 214 Serifa Roman 318 Archer 324 Type as metaphor 215 Additional Egyptian fonts 330 Form and counterform, Selected Decorative fonts 332 scale and proportion: “Ne var, ne yok?” 216 A chronology of typeface designs 334 11 Typographic Design Process 217 Glossary 336 Bibliography 346 A traditional model 218 Picture Credits 348 Index 352 Introduction Typography has undergone continuous change over the past six decades. It is the authors’ intention to provide a concise yet comprehensive overview of the fundamental information necessary for effective typographic-design practice. A knowledge of form and communication encompasses a range of subjects, including our typographic heritage, letterform anatomy, visual organization, and the interface between form and meaning. In addition to these fundamentals, this volume presents other topics critical to informed design practice. Recent research provides the designer with an expanded awareness of legibility factors, enabling increased communicative clarity. Technological complexity requires comprehension of earlier and current typesetting processes, for both affect the language of typography. Theo- retical and structural problem-solving approaches, evolved by design educators, reveal underlying concepts. Case studies in applied problem solving demonstrate a knowledge of typographic form and communication. A chapter devoted to typographic design process reveals traditional as well as non- traditional methods and practice. An understanding of typographic classification and form subtlety is gained from the study of type specimens. Through the twelve chapters of this book, the authors share a compilation of information and examples with practitioners and students. It yields both insights and inspiration, bringing order to the complex and diversified subject of typographic design. xi 1 The Evolution of Typography Typography is an intensely visual form of communication. Because this visible language communicates thoughts and information through human sight, its history is presented here in chronological visual form on four timelines. This evolution is shown in the context of world events, architectural development, and art history. The first timeline predates typography. It begins with the invention of writing over five thousand years ago and ends with the invention of movable type in Europe during the middle of the fifteenth century. The second timeline
Recommended publications
  • Type ID and History
    History and Identification of Typefaces with your host Ted Ollier Bow and Arrow Press Anatomy of a Typeface: The pieces of letterforms apex cap line serif x line ear bowl x height counter baseline link loop Axgdecender line ascender dot terminal arm stem shoulder crossbar leg decender fkjntail Anatomy of a Typeface: Design decisions Stress: Berkeley vs Century Contrast: Stempel Garamond vs Bauer Bodoni oo dd AAxx Axis: Akzidenz Grotesk, Bembo, Stempel Garmond, Meridien, Stymie Q Q Q Q Q Typeface history: Blackletter Germanic, completely pen-based forms Hamburgerfonts Alte Schwabacher c1990 Monotype Corporation Hamburgerfonts Engraver’s Old English (Textur) 1906 Morris Fuller Benton Hamburgerfonts Fette Fraktur 1850 Johan Christian Bauer Hamburgerfonts San Marco (Rotunda) 1994 Karlgeorg Hoefer, Alexei Chekulayev Typeface history: Humanist Low contrast, left axis, “penned” serifs, slanted “e”, small x-height Hamburgerfonts Berkeley Old Style 1915 Frederic Goudy Hamburgerfonts Centaur 1914 Bruce Rogers after Nicolas Jenson 1469 Hamburgerfonts Stempel Schneidler 1936 F.H.Ernst Schneidler Hamburgerfonts Adobe Jenson 1996 Robert Slimbach after Nicolas Jenson 1470 Typeface history: Old Style Medium contrast, more vertical axis, fewer “pen” flourishes Hamburgerfonts Stempel Garamond 1928 Stempel Type Foundry after Claude Garamond 1592 Hamburgerfonts Caslon 1990 Carol Twombley after William Caslon 1722 Hamburgerfonts Bembo 1929 Stanley Morison after Francesco Griffo 1495 Hamburgerfonts Janson 1955 Hermann Zapf after Miklós Tótfalusi Kis 1680 Typeface
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of the Historical Development of Typography on Modern Classification of Typefaces
    M. Tomiša et al. Utjecaj povijesnog razvoja tipografije na suvremenu klasifikaciju pisama ISSN 1330-3651 (Print), ISSN 1848-6339 (Online) UDC/UDK 655.26:003.2 THE IMPACT OF THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TYPOGRAPHY ON MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF TYPEFACES Mario Tomiša, Damir Vusić, Marin Milković Original scientific paper One of the definitions of typography is that it is the art of arranging typefaces for a specific project and their arrangement in order to achieve a more effective communication. In order to choose the appropriate typeface, the user should be well-acquainted with visual or geometric features of typography, typographic rules and the historical development of typography. Additionally, every user is further assisted by a good quality and simple typeface classification. There are many different classifications of typefaces based on historical or visual criteria, as well as their combination. During the last thirty years, computers and digital technology have enabled brand new creative freedoms. As a result, there are thousands of fonts and dozens of applications for digitally creating typefaces. This paper suggests an innovative, simpler classification, which should correspond to the contemporary development of typography, the production of a vast number of new typefaces and the needs of today's users. Keywords: character, font, graphic design, historical development of typography, typeface, typeface classification, typography Utjecaj povijesnog razvoja tipografije na suvremenu klasifikaciju pisama Izvorni znanstveni članak Jedna je od definicija tipografije da je ona umjetnost odabira odgovarajućeg pisma za određeni projekt i njegova organizacija s ciljem ostvarenja što učinkovitije komunikacije. Da bi korisnik mogao odabrati pravo pismo za svoje potrebe treba prije svega dobro poznavati optičke ili geometrijske značajke tipografije, tipografska pravila i povijesni razvoj tipografije.
    [Show full text]
  • Fonturi Sans Serif Sau Fonturi Cu Serife?
    Fonturi sans serif sau fonturi cu serife? Disputa serif versus sans serif este una epică. Ca și în cazurile Mac vs. PC, Adidas vs. Nike, Cola vs. Pepsi, etc. există argumente pro și contra, diferențe de gusturi și opinii, dar niciuna dintre părți nu deține adevărul absolut. Aflați în cele ce urmează mai multe despre cele două tipuri de fonturi și câteva sfaturi de folosire a lor. Fonturile cu serife Fonturile cu serife își au originea în alfabetul roman inventat în timpul Imperiului Roman, exemplul clasic fiind majusculele de pe coloana lui Traian (113 e.n.), deși primele inscripții cu caractere cu serife provin din Grecia antică (secolele IV-II î.e.n.). Originea lor nu este stabilită clar: Edward Catich, în studiul său, “The Origin of the Serif”, consideră că serifele sunt o rămășiță a procesului de pictare a literelor pe piatră înainte de sculptarea efectivă cu dalta. Originea cuvântului în sine nu este clară, cele mai credibile explicații fiind cea din Dictionarul Oxford de Limba Engleză potrivit căruia cuvântul s-a format dupa apariția lui “sanserif”, citat în Dictionarul Oxford în 1841 și cea oferită de un al doilea dictionar, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, care leagă noțiunea de cuvântul “schreef” care în olandeză înseamnă “linie” sau “semn de peniță”. Clasificarea pe scurt a fonturilor cu serife (old style, transitional, modern, latin serif și slab serif) o puteți reciti în articolul “Type, typeface și tipuri de fonturi” (http://typography.ro/2008/11/23/type-typeface-si-tipuri-de-fonturi/), dar o voi relua și în cele ce urmează mai detaliat: Old Style: apărute în secolele al XV-lea și al XVI-lea în timpul Renașterii, au avut drept inspirație inițialele romane și minuscula carolingiană, motiv pentru care se mai numesc și “anticve” sau “antique”, termen folosit de altfel pentru toate fonturile create după epoca “Blackletter”.
    [Show full text]
  • INTERNATIONAL TYPEFACE CORPORATION, to an Insightful 866 SECOND AVENUE, 18 Editorial Mix
    INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION TYPEFACE UPPER AND LOWER CASE , THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF T YPE AND GRAPHI C DESIGN , PUBLI SHED BY I NTE RN ATIONAL TYPEFAC E CORPORATION . VO LUME 2 0 , NUMBER 4 , SPRING 1994 . $5 .00 U .S . $9 .90 AUD Adobe, Bitstream &AutologicTogether On One CD-ROM. C5tta 15000L Juniper, Wm Utopia, A d a, :Viabe Fort Collection. Birc , Btarkaok, On, Pcetita Nadel-ma, Poplar. Telma, Willow are tradmarks of Adobe System 1 *animated oh. • be oglitered nt certain Mrisdictions. Agfa, Boris and Cali Graphic ate registered te a Ten fonts non is a trademark of AGFA Elaision Miles in Womb* is a ma alkali of Alpha lanida is a registered trademark of Bigelow and Holmes. Charm. Ea ha Fowl Is. sent With the purchase of the Autologic APS- Stempel Schnei Ilk and Weiss are registimi trademarks afF mdi riot 11 atea hmthille TypeScriber CD from FontHaus, you can - Berthold Easkertille Rook, Berthold Bodoni. Berthold Coy, Bertha', d i i Book, Chottiana. Colas Larger. Fermata, Berthold Garauannt, Berthold Imago a nd Noire! end tradematts of Bern select 10 FREE FONTS from the over 130 outs Berthold Bodoni Old Face. AG Book Rounded, Imaleaa rd, forma* a. Comas. AG Old Face, Poppl Autologic typefaces available. Below is Post liedimiti, AG Sitoploal, Berthold Sr tapt sad Berthold IS albami Book art tr just a sampling of this range. Itt, .11, Armed is a trademark of Haas. ITC American T}pewmer ITi A, 31n. Garde at. Bantam, ITC Reogutat. Bmigmat Buick Cad Malt, HY Bis.5155a5, ITC Caslot '2114, (11 imam.
    [Show full text]
  • Tv38bigelow.Pdf
    Histoire de l’Ecriture´ Typographique — le XXi`eme si`ecle (The History of Typographic Writing—The 20th century). Jacques Andr´e, editorial direction. Atelier Perrousseaux, Gap, France, 2016. http://www.adverbum.fr/atelier-perrousseaux Review and summaries by Charles Bigelow (TUGboat vol.38, 2017). https://tug.org/books/#andre vol.1 TUGboat38:1,pp.18–22 vol.2, ch.1–5 TUGboat 38:2, pp.274–279 vol.2, ch.6–8+ TUGboat 38:3, pp.306–311 The original publication, as reviewed, was in two volumes: Tome I/II, de 1900 `a1950. ISBN 978-2-36765-005-0, tinyurl.com/ja-xxieme. 264 pp. Tome II/II, de 1950 `a2000. ISBN 978-2-36765-006-7, tinyurl.com/ja-xxieme-ii. 364 pp. These are the last two volumes in the series The History of Typographical Writing, comprised of seven volumes in all, from the beginning of printing with Gutenberg through the 20th century. All are in French. The individual volumes and the series as a whole are available in various electronic and print formats; please see the publisher’s web site for current offerings. ❧ ❧ ❧ 18 TUGboat, Volume 38 (2017), No. 1 Review and summaries: The History of phy had begun to supplant print itself, because text Typographic Writing — The 20th century display and reading increasingly shifted from paper Volume 1, from 1900 to 1950 to computer screen, a phenomenon now noticed by nearly all readers and publishers. Charles Bigelow In the 20th century, typography was also trans- Histoire de l’Ecriture´ Typographique — le XXi`eme formed by cultural innovations that were strikingly si`ecle; tome I/II, de 1900 `a1950.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of the Printed Bengali Character
    The Evolution of the Printed Bengali Character from 1778 to 1978 by Fiona Georgina Elisabeth Ross School of Oriental and African Studies University of London Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1988 ProQuest Number: 10731406 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ProQuest 10731406 Published by ProQuest LLC (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 20618054 2 The Evolution of the Printed Bengali Character from 1778 to 1978 Abstract The thesis traces the evolution of the printed image of the Bengali script from its inception in movable metal type to its current status in digital photocomposition. It is concerned with identifying the factors that influenced the shaping of the Bengali character by examining the most significant Bengali type designs in their historical context, and by analyzing the composing techniques employed during the past two centuries for printing the script. Introduction: The thesis is divided into three parts according to the different methods of type manufacture and composition: 1. The Development of Movable Metal Types for the Bengali Script Particular emphasis is placed on the early founts which lay the foundations of Bengali typography.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Technological Impacts on the Visual Representation of Language with Reference to South Asian Typeforms
    Historical technological impacts on the visual representation of language with reference to South Asian typeforms Article Accepted Version Ross, F. (2018) Historical technological impacts on the visual representation of language with reference to South Asian typeforms. Philological Encounters, 3 (4). ISSN 2451-9189 doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/24519197-12340054 Available at http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/66725/ It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work. See Guidance on citing . To link to this article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/24519197-12340054 Publisher: Brill All outputs in CentAUR are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including copyright law. Copyright and IPR is retained by the creators or other copyright holders. Terms and conditions for use of this material are defined in the End User Agreement . www.reading.ac.uk/centaur CentAUR Central Archive at the University of Reading Reading’s research outputs online Fiona Ross Historical technological impacts on the visual representation of language with reference to South-Asian typeforms. The scripts of South Asia, which mainly derive from the Brahmi script, afford a visible voice to the numerous linguistic communities that form over one fifth of the world’s population. However, the transition of these visually diverse scripts from chirographic to typographic form has been determined by historical processes that were rarely conducive to accurately rendering non-Latin scripts. This essay provides a critical evaluation of the historical technological impacts on typographic textual composition in South-Asian languages. It draws on resources from relevant archival collections to consider within a historical context the technological constraints that have been crucial in determining the textural appearance of South-Asian typography.
    [Show full text]
  • Books About Music in Renaissance Print Culture: Authors, Printers, and Readers
    BOOKS ABOUT MUSIC IN RENAISSANCE PRINT CULTURE: AUTHORS, PRINTERS, AND READERS Samuel J. Brannon A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences. Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Anne MacNeil Mark Evan Bonds Tim Carter John L. Nádas Philip Vandermeer © 2016 Samuel J. Brannon ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Samuel J. Brannon: Books about Music in Renaissance Print Culture: Authors, Printers, and Readers (Under the direction of Anne MacNeil) This study examines the ways that printing technology affected the relationship between Renaissance authors of books about music and their readers. I argue that the proliferation of books by past and then-present authors and emerging expectations of textual and logical coherence led to the coalescence and formalization of music theory as a field of inquiry. By comparing multiple copies of single books about music, I show how readers employed a wide range of strategies to understand the often confusing subject of music. Similarly, I show how their authors and printers responded in turn, making their books more readable and user-friendly while attempting to profit from the enterprise. In exploring the complex negotiations among authors of books about music, their printers, and their readers, I seek to demonstrate how printing technology enabled authors and readers to engage with one another in unprecedented and meaningful ways. I aim to bring studies of Renaissance music into greater dialogue with the history of the book.
    [Show full text]
  • From the Aldine Press to Aldus @Sfu Showcasing Simon Fraser
    FROM THE ALDINE PRESS TO ALDUS @ SFU Showcasing Simon Fraser University Library’s Aldines Online by Alessandra Bordini MA, University of Siena, 2007 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Publishing in the Publishing Program Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology © Alessandra Bordini 2017 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2017 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License approval name: Alessandra Bordini degree: Master of Publishing title of project: From the Aldine Press to Aldus@SFU: Showcasing Simon Fraser University Library’s Aldines Online supervisory committee: John W. Maxwell Senior Supervisor Associate Professor and Director Publishing Program, Simon Fraser University Mauve Pagé Supervisor Lecturer Publishing Program, Simon Fraser University Michael Joyce Supervisor Web and Data Services Developer SFU Library, Simon Fraser University date approved: January 25, 2017 ii abstract This report stems from a joint commemoration in 2015 of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Simon Fraser University and the five-hundredth anniversary of the death of pioneering Renaissance publisher and scholar Aldus Manutius. To mark these occasions, Publishing@SFU and SFU Library Special Collections joined forces to create a web-based resource comprising an outstanding selection of Aldines from the Wosk–McDonald collection, one of the largest such in North America. This report details the creation of Aldus@SFU, a prototype digital exhibition of the collection intended to be as widely accessible as possible on the Internet through ubiquitous technologies. Adopting a syncretic approach that emphasizes the continuous relationship between innovation and tradition, this report outlines and explores the key intersections between Aldus’ plan to popularize classical literature and the core mission of our project: to contribute to public knowledge by making SFU Aldines conveniently and freely available online via a flexible, mobile- optimized user interface.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Classification of Type
    The Classification of Type “It must be admitted that the classification of printing types is a controversial subject and one upon which little amicable agreement may be expected.” ALEXANDER LAWSON THE CLASSIFICATION OF TYPE The Classification of Type CLASSIFICATION: Historical Movements Renaissance Roman Letter Renaissance Italic Letter The Mannerist Letter The Baroque Letter AaBbCc AaBbCc BEMBO: MONOTOYPE BEMBO ITALIC: MONOTOYPE AaBbCcPOETICA: ROBERT SLIMBACH AaBbCcADOBE CASLON: CAROL TWOMBLY Geometric Modernism The Neoclassical Letter The Romantic Letter The Realist Letter AaBbCc AaBbCc AaBbCc AaBbCc BODONI: GIAMBATTISTA BODONI BASKERVILLE: JOHN BASKERVILLE DIDOT: ADRIAN FRUTIGER AKZIDENZ GROTESK: BERTHOLD Geometric Modernism Lyrical Modernism Postmodern Postmodern Geometric AaBbCc AaBbCc AaBbCc FUTURA: PAUL RENNER AaBbCcPALATINO: HERMANN ZAPF ESPRIT: JOVICA VELJOVIC OFFICINA: ZUZANA LICKO THE PARSONS INSTITUTE 68 Fifth Avenue 212 229 6825 FOR INFORMATION MAPPING New York, NY 10011 piim.newschool.edu THE CLASSIFICATION OF TYPE The Classification of Type SCRIPT FAT FACE MANUAIRE FRAKTUR SCRIPTS FORME QUE/ N TEXTURA ANTI 19TH CENTURY SOMME GOTH LINEALE CLARENDO IC HUMANIST DISPLAY 25 Systems for Classifying Typography: FRACTURE SCHWABACHER GOTHIC DISPLAY BLACKLETTER BATARD ANTIQUE 18TH CENTURY / ANTIQ BLACKLETTER INCISES UA LINEAL ORNAMENTALS GROTESK MECANES SCRIPT EGYPTIAN SLAB ITALIC EGYPTIENNE ROMAN ROMANS 17TH CENTURY CONDENS VENETIAN OLD STYLE PRECLASSICAL CLASSICAL ROMAN VERNACULAR ELZEVIR ED DIDONE ITALIENNE A Study in Naming Frequency
    [Show full text]
  • Calligraphic Tendencies in the Development of Sanserif Types in the Twentieth Century
    Keith Tam 62 Calligraphic tendencies in the development of sanserif types in the twentieth century Abstract Dissertation submitted in Sanserif typefaces are often perceived as something inextricably linked partial fulfillment of the to ideals of Swiss modernism. They are also often thought of as some- requirements for the thing as far as one can get from calligraphic writing. Yet, throughout Master of Arts in Typeface Design, University of the twentieth century and especially in the past decade or so, the design Reading, 2002 of sanserif typefaces have been consistently inspired by calligraphic writing. This dissertation hence explores the relationship between calli- graphic writing and the formal developments of sanserif typefaces in the twentieth century. Although type design is an inherently different dis- cipline from writing, conventions of calligraphic writing did and still do impose certain important characteristics on the design of typefaces that modern readers expect. This paper traces and analyzes the formal devel- opments of sanserif typefaces through the use of written forms. It gives a historical account of the development of sanserif typefaces by charting six distinct phases of sanserif designs that were in some ways informed by calligraphic writing: • Humanist sanserifs: Britain 1900s • Geometric sanserifs: 1920s–30s • Contrast sanserifs: 1920s–50s • Sanserif as a book type: 1960s–80s • Neo-humanist sanserifs: 1990s Three primary ways to create calligraphic writing, namely the broadnib pen, flexible pointed pen and monoline pen are studied and linages drawn to how designers imitate or subvert the conventions of these tools. These studies are put into historical perspective and links made to the contexts of use.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief History of Typefaces the Invention of Printing Movable Type Was Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in Fifteenth-Century Germany
    A brief history of typefaces The invention of printing Movable type was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in fifteenth-century Germany. His typography took cues from the dark, dense handwriting of the period, called “blackletter.” The traditional storage of fonts in two cases, one for majuscules and one for minuscules, yielded the terms “uppercase” and “lowercase” still used today. Working in Venice in the late fifteenth century, Nicolas Jenson created letters that combined gothic calligraphic traditions with the new Italian taste for humanist handwriting, which were based on classical models. )ADMIT)HAVEHADALITTLEWORKDONE 2PCFSU4MJNCBDITUZMFE!DOBE+FOTPO BGUFS/JDPMBT+FOTPOTSPNBOUZQFT ANDTHEITALICSOF,UDOVICODEGLI!RRIGHI DSFBUFEJOmGUFFOUIDFOUVSZ*UBMZ )DONTLOOKADAYOVERFIVEHUNDRED DO) )ADMIT)HAVEHADALITTLEWORKDONE 2PCFSU4MJNCBDITUZMFE!DOBE+FOTPO BGUFS/JDPMBT+FOTPOTSPNBOUZQFT ANDTHEITALICSOF,UDOVICODEGLI!RRIGHI DSFBUFEJOmGUFFOUIDFOUVSZ*UBMZ )DONTLOOKADAYOVERFIVEHUNDRED DO) The Venetian publisher Aldus Manutius distributed inexpensive, small-format books in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries to a broad, international public. His books used italic types, a cursive form that economized printing by allowing more words to fit on a page. This page combines italic text with roman capitals. Integrated uppercase and lowercase typefaces. The quick brown fox ran over lazy d the lazy dog 2 or 3 times. ITC Garamond, 1976 The quick brown fox ran over the lazy d lazy dog 2 or 3 (2 or 3) times. Adobe Garamond, 1986 The quick brown fox ran over the lazy d lazy dog 2 or 3 (2 or 3) times. Garamond Premier Regular, 2005 Garamond typefaces, based on the Renaissance designs of Claude Garamond, sixteenth century Enlightenment and abstraction The painter and designer Geofroy Tory believed that the proportions of the alphabet should reflect the ideal human form.
    [Show full text]