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Type Composition and Method This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Type composition and method Rahmat Ramly. 1991 Rahmat R. (1991). Type composition and method. In AMIC Workshop on Book Publishing : Kuala Lumpur, Aug 13‑17, 1991. Singapore: Asian Mass Communication Research & Information Centre. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87014 Downloaded on 25 Sep 2021 01:42:02 SGT ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Type Composition And Method By Rahmat bin Ramly Paper No.7 \ ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Ivpe Compo1? i tiion and MptrhoH by Rahmat bin R^mly ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Definition of Type Composition 1 he prc?cp<?« of 3i!vihalnn (-ypp Im^a'"' in « pl(«?i^iiia *nfl nirhr active form while dpi i vrrina the p?<?pnrp of Hie me-^nae. ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Termlologies typeface - the different forms and «?»:yle of type. family of type • the different nam*s given ho the different form and style of type. Founts - a complete set of typ» ronslsHno of upper and lower cases alphabet*, numerals, llgatm*** «nd «vmbols. Points - measures Hie sf?p of fcyp»s Leading - spacings between Jlnes of type* Measures • len<iMi». of type* tn^n-i M /-,i in p|r-n«t ( 1" - r, picas i 1 pica - \? points) i Origin of the term x-height x bright no ascenders or descenders Letters with ascenders mean line ATTENTION: The Singapore Copx-hcighyright Actt applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library ThdH baseline Letters with descenders • mean line xhcight wpm baseline EM. Charles VI Serif type H. M. Henry V Sans serif type LANGUAGE OF TYPE of strokes of letters. Serifs create a consistent hori­ The x-height of a lowercase (or small) letter is zontal direction at the ends of strokes. the vertical dimension of the letter between the so- Sans is the French word for without. Sans called mean line and the baseline. serif type is therefore type without serifs. Notice Ascenders are the parts of lowercase letters that sans serif type does not fend to show the that stick up above the mean line, and descend­ same contrast of thick and thin strokes found in ers are the parts of letters that hang below tlie serif tyj)C. baseline. There are two basic kinds of letlerfonro: serif and sans serif. Serifs are the little feet at the ends Cheltenham Light Cheltenham Light Italic Cheltenham Book Cheltenham Book Italic Cheltenham Bold Cheltenham Bold Italic ATTENCheltenhaTION: The Singapore Copymright AcUltrt applies toa the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Cheltenham Ultra Italic Cheltenham Light Condensed Cheltenham Light Condensed Italic Cheltenham Book Condensed Cheltenham Book Condensed Italic Cheltenham Bold Condensed Cheltenham Bold Condensed Italic Cheltenham Ultra Condensed Cheltenham Ultra Condensed Italic llic complete ITr('lielluiiluiin family AlHDIHilII.IKI.MN<)l'QKSIIJVWXYZ Caps abcdefghijklmnop<|rstuvwxyz ljiwen-u.su ADCDEKJilllKIAINdltjIUllJVWXYZ Small caps ac /E (E <e fi li ff ITi m Natures iu I231.r)u7890 Numeials % % '/» VJ -Vt >/h % •% % Hi 7r, l-railions I ! ,.( |« »£ PiiiK'tiialion minks u. M o (*/'#$%"&() I -{|}||/<>' Diiif-kilsaiKlsymUils Uf §*c5^a'(,voQ0Ag The complete font ofl'IT'Cheltenham I .iglit, I si KIWI i in 10 point * A font^pntains all the characters of a particular A type family is made up of a scries of fonts, 17 typeface, which can include all uppercase (capilal generally including regular, light, lM>ld, extra lx)ld, or caps) and lowercase letters and small caps. A italic, condensed, and expanded faces. A type font also includes ligatuies (joined letters), fig family can include additional vaiialions such as tires, fractions, punctuation maiks, and symbols. outline and contour faces. There can be from 26 to possibly -lfSf) characters in a complete font. 0 INCHES POINTS IT inn m uui IT'IT |l|l ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library PICAS o jU llicieaie 12 points loa pica and almost 6 picas loan inch (72 points to an inch). ( Ml ILE "II" TYPE GAUGE POINT SIZE UlTf 6 7 •, I 10 11 12 — _ — Jiztwms HP" — 2- — 2 l- 2- - 2 2 4_ - 2 2 m — 5 — 4 Z 6- 4 4 4 3- — o — 6 — - 4 10 8- 6- 4- v> ~ — 8 — fi 10- 6 5- — 8- fi 15 12 — 10 8 6- 10- EE 14 -12 — 8 7- -10 8 16 -14 12 10 8- =20 : 9- 18 „ »^ 10 I localise Iheie aic 12 points In a pica, the 12 scale on a I lahcinle doiihlesasllie pica scale What, art thou drown among these heartless hinds? LI IT] lliis line of type is set x2(> picas K)INtS AND PICAS AI labenile"9 is a tool used to measure type. All type nieasuremenls are described in units It contains scales that indicate various increments called picas and points (abbreviated pi and of space, and Liter you will learn how to use it. pis.). \Vi' say that fi picas equal one inch. Ilieie An item worth noting: While it's okay lo say are 12 points to one pica. Ueing the smallest unit Ihal (i picas equal an inch, they don't really. Aclu of measurement, |>oints are usually used to ally, (> picas measure only .!>!)()! inch, a discrep­ descril>e the height of type. Being the laigcrunil ancy thai becomes evident on dimensions over of measurement, picas aie used todesi iibe line It) inches lengths. A line measuring .SO picas is wiillen > M) and is read "by M)" T-lop of ascender lo bollom of descender ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyiasn lyi>e'g Tecsh npoinologtic asizl Uen iversity Library (in mis case, 48 pi.) I coding I WW5ZTZ5WZ ap|iear.s between IJaseline lo baseline 51 pi. ascenders and minus ly|>c size.... 48 pi. descenders. enr£ yields leading 3 pi. The eye of man halh nol Hie eye of man halh nol heard, Hie ear of man halh Hie eve of man halh not heard, Hie ear of man halh nol seen, man's hand is nol heard, Hie ear of man halh nol seen, man's hand is not not seen, mans hand is not able lo lasle, his tongue to able to lasle, his tongue to able lo lasle, his tongue lo conceive, nor his heart lo conceive, nor his head lo conceive, nor his heart lo re|K)rt, what my dream was. re|K)t1, whal my dream was. re|H>rt, whal my dream was. 10/10ITC Cheltenham fkx>k 10/12 I'll: Cheltenham B<x)k 10/14 ITC Cheltenham Hook z I z 12 22 LINE SPACING Four ixiinls of space would be written as 10/M Line spacing refers lo the amount of space Cheltenham. These instniclions are read as "10 on inserted between lines of type. II is also called 12" and "10 on 14" Cheltenham. When no leading leading (pronounced "ledding") because when is inserted, we say "10 point Cheltenham solid," metal type was commonly used spaces fielween which is written as 10/10 Cheltenham. lines were created l>y inserting pieces of lead between rows of tyfie. leading is measured from baseline to base line, or b/b, and is indicated in points. Tor example, 10 point Cheltenham with 2 points of space between lines is written as 10/12 Cheltenham. •Ttlllllllfjlt ••* xlieighl point size of tyjie GO point fit: (Jjomm Bold Ophelia OpheliaUphelia Three 36 |x>inl tyix'faces. Fnrh apfirnrs to Ix* a different size Ixranse of different x-height. I must dance barefoot on her I must firmer Imrefnnl on her wcddlnp; dny. nnd, for your w r<ifliny fltiy ami. for \niir alov e of her, lead apes In hell. dlov e nf her. lead apes in hell. ATTENTION: The SingaIp musore Cto dancpyrighet A barefooct appliest to nth ehe usre of this document. NaIn musyang tT rfirmrechnofl ofmrejiwgical Unilv oerns iftcty Lr ibrary wedding day. and. for your urrfrfhia cfny, nnd, for your blov e of her, lead apes In hell. (ove of her, fencf npe$ in ficff. I must dance barefoot on her I must dance barefoot on her wedding day, and, for your wedding day, and, for your c love of her, lead apes in hell. f love of her, lead apes in hell. Most of the examples alxivc are 10 ix>int lype. Canyon identify the two 9 poinl samples? It is the apparent size of a typeface that is important, and this is I vised to a great extent on lire size of the x height. jinoflG =-p'q I'IIMII 01 = j 'a ':> "t? MOMSiry TYPE SIZE Even if Ihe distance between ascenders and According to traditional practice, fvpe size is iden descenders is the same among typefaces, their lifted in points. Ideally, Ihe point size of a ly|>e- x heights will cause one face to appear larger or face should Ix? detennined by measuring Ihe smaller than another. A 10 point typeface with a vertical distance from the lops of the ascenders to large x height looks bigger than a 10 point type­ Ihe bottoms of Ihe descenders, and many contem­ face with a small x height. porary ty|>esel!ing systems are standardizing this Traditionally, display lype refers to type 18 practice.
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