Typography One typeface classification Why classify?

Classification helps us describe and navigate type choices Typeface classification helps to:

1. sort type (scholars, historians, type manufacturers),

2. reference type (educators, students, designers, scholars) Approximately 250,000 digital typefaces are available today—

Even with excellent search engines, a common system of description is a big help! classification systems Many systems have been proposed Francis Thibaudeau, 1921 Maximillian Vox, 1952 Vox-ATypI, 1962 Aldo Novarese, 1964 Alexander Lawson, 1966 Blackletter

Venetian

French

Dutch-English

Transitional

Modern

Sans Serif

Square Serif

Script-Cursive

Decorative J. Ben Lieberman, 1967 Marcel Janco, 1978 Ellen Lupton, 2004 The classification system you will learn is a combination of Lawson’s and Lupton’s systems Black Letter Old Style serif Transitional serif Modern Style serif Script Cursive Slab Serif Geometric Sans Grotesque Sans Humanist Sans Display & Decorative basic characteristics

+ stress

+ serifs (or lack thereof)

+ shape stress: where the thinnest parts of a letter fall

diagonal stress vertical stress no stress horizontal stress Old Style serif Transitional serif or Slab Serif or or reverse stress (Centaur) Modern Style serif Sans Serif Display & Decorative (Baskerville) (Helvetica) (Edmunds) serif types

bracketed serifs unbracketed serifs slab serifs no serif Old Style Serif and Modern Style Serif Slab Serif or Square Serif Sans Serif Transitional Serif (Bodoni) or Egyptian (Helvetica) (Baskerville) (Rockwell/Clarendon) shape

Geometric Sans Serif Grotesk Sans Serif Humanist Sans Serif (Futura) (Helvetica) (Gill Sans) Geometric sans are based on basic Grotesk sans look precisely drawn. Humanist sans are based on shapes like circles, triangles, and They have have uniform, human writing. They have rectangles. symetrical curves asymetrical curves, open apetures, and finials that reach away from the letter. problem area: stress direction

Remember the clock Look at all the round letters

diagonal stress Old Style serif (Caslon)

 & : vertical stress  & : horizonal stress Everything else: diagonal stress vertical stress Transitional serif (Baskerville) problem area: humanist vs. grotesk

Grotesk Sans Serif Humanist Sans Serif symetrical curves asymetrical curves (Helvetica) (Gill Sans) Black Letter

Black letter was developed from the handwritten manuscripts of 1400’s Germany.

+ upright calligraphic strokes + looks medieval Old style serif A style popular from the 1460’s–1770’s

+ diagonal stress in the round strokes + Minimal variation of thick and thin strokes + small, coarse serifs, often with concave bases + small x-height + lowercase ascenders often exceed the capital height Transitional serif

A style introduced in the 1780’s by John Baskerville.

+ vertical stress in rounded strokes + bracketed serifs with flat bases + greater contrast between thick and thin strokes + larger x-height + lowercase ascenders often match the capital height Modern Style serif

Introduced in the 1770s by Didot and Bodoni.

+ vertical stress in rounded strokes + unbracketed hairline serifs + extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes + small x-height Script Designed to mimic hand-written text

+ looks hand written + joined lowercase letters + variation between thick and thin strokes + no serifs (often replaced by swashes) + a variety of x-heights Cursive

Designed to mimic hand-written text

+ looks hand written + unjoined lowercase letters + variation between thick and thin strokes + no serifs (often replaced by swashes) + a variety of x-heights Display & Decorative

Introduced in the 1800s to meet the demands of advertising.

+ often whimsical or decorated + usually only legible at large sizes + wide variation in stroke weight and quality + both serif and sans serif Slab Serif

(Also called Square Serif or Egyptian) Introduced in the early 1800s.

+ thick serifs with squared-off ends; serifs are nearly as thick as strokes + slab serifs may be bracketed or unbracketed) + minimal variation of thick and thin strokes + large x-height + vertical stress (if any) in rounded strokes Geometric Sans

+ Sans serif constucted with geometric forms: triangles, circles, squares Grotesque Sans Sans serif with a precise, mechanical appearance

+ uniform, symetrical curves + little to no variation of thick and thin strokes + May also be spelled “Grotesk” Humanist Sans

Sans serif with the shape of human writing

+ asymetrical curves and open apetures + some variation of thick and thin strokes Classification decision guide sheet: use for practice and worksheets.

Typography 1 Professor King Typography 1 Type classification Professor King Type classification characteristics decisions 1: start easy: Does it look like handwriting? If yes, are the letters Does it look like medeival calligraphy, like Goudy Text? connected, like Snell Roundhand? Then it’s Script. Then it’s Blackletter.

Does it look decorated? Is it only legible in large sizes, If it looks like writing but the letters do not connect, like like Cottonwood? Then it’s Display & Decorative. Charme, then it’s Cursive. diagonal stress vertical stress no stress horizontal stress Old Style serif Transitional serif or Slab Serif or or reverse stress (Centaur) Modern Style serif Sans Serif Display & Decorative (Baskerville) (Helvetica) (Edmunds) 2: is it a serif face?

Look at the stress of the round letters and the serif style. Does it have vertical stress and bracketed serifs, Does it have thick square serifs, like Rockwell or Clarendon? like Baskerville? Then it’s a Transitional Serif. It’s a Slab Serif. (Also known as a Square Serif or Egyptian.)

Do the round letters have diagonal stress, like Centaur? Does it have vertical stress and unbracketed serifs, It’s an Old Style Serif. like Bodoni? Then it’s a Modern Style Serif. bracketed serifs unbracketed serifs slab serifs no serif Old Style Serif and Modern Style Serif Slab Serif or Square Serif Sans Serif Transitional Serif (Bodoni) or Egyptian (Helvetica) (Baskerville) (Rockwell/Clarendon) 3: is it a sans serif face?

Is it based on circles, squares, and triangles, like Futura? Does it have have asymetrical curves and open apetures, like Then it’s a Geometric Sans Serif. Gill Sans? Then it’s a Humanist Sans Serif. (Some Humanist Sans faces also have variations of thick and thin strokes.)

Geometric Sans Serif Grotesk Sans Serif Humanist Sans Serif Does it have uniform, symetrical curves? Does it look (Futura) (Helvetica) (Gill Sans) carefully drawn instead of written, like Helvetica? Then Geometric sans are based on basic Grotesk sans look precisely drawn. Humanist sans are based on it’s a Grotesk Sans Serif. (Also spelled Grotesque.) shapes like circles, triangles, and They have have uniform, human writing. They have rectangles. symetrical curves asymetrical curves, open apetures, and finials that reach away from the letter.

rev: 22 Sept. 2012 revised 23 Sep 2014 2 type classification quiz:

+ 25 typefaces to classify (None from worksheet: all new.) + Classification: 2 points + Explanation: 2 points You must understand the process and explain your thinking to do well. type classification practice fill in the worksheet along with the lecture 1. Goudy Text: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. 1. Goudy Text: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Black Letter, because it looks like medieval calligraphy 2. Centaur: Big fjords vex quick waltz nymph. 2. Centaur: Big fjords vex quick waltz nymph.

Old Style, because it has diagonal stress and bracketed serifs 3. Baskerville: Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz. 3. Baskerville: Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz.

Transitional serif, because it has vertical stress and bracketed serifs 4. Didot: Fickle jinx bog dwarves spy math quiz. 4. Didot: Fickle jinx bog dwarves spy math quiz.

Modern Style, because it has vertical stress and unbracketed serifs 5. Rockwell: Bawds jog, flick quartz, vex nymph. 5. Rockwell: Bawds jog, flick quartz, vex nymph.

Slab Serif, because it has thick square serifs 6. Snell Roundhand: Nymphs blitz quick vex dwarf jog. 6. Snell Roundhand: Nymphs blitz quick vex dwarf jog.

Script, because it looks like handwriting with joined lowercase 7. Gill Sans: Vamp fox held quartz duck just by wing. 7. Gill Sans: Vamp fox held quartz duck just by wing.

Humanist Sans Serif, because it has asymetrical curves, open apetures, spread finials 8. Classic Grotesque: DJs flock by when MTV ax quiz prog. 8. Classic Grotesque: DJs flock by when MTV ax quiz prog.

Grotesque Sans Serif, because it has even, symetrical curves 9. Eagle light: Brick quiz whangs jumpy veldt fox. 9. Eagle light: Brick quiz whangs jumpy veldt fox.

Geometric Sans Serif, because it is based on geometric shapes 10. Rosewood: Fickle bog dwarves jinx empathy quiz. 10. Rosewood: Fickle bog dwarves jinx empathy quiz.

Display & Decorative, because it is whimsical and ornamented, and only legible at large sizes 11. Helvetica: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. 11. Helvetica: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

Grotesque Sans Serif, because it has even, symetrical curves 12. cottonwood: Big fjords vex quick waltz nymph. 12. cottonwood: Big fjords vex quick waltz nymph.

Display & Decorative, because it is whimsical and ornamented, and only legible at large sizes 13. Bell: Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz. 13. Bell: Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz.

Transitional serif, because it has vertical stress and bracketed serifs 14. Village: Fickle jinx bog dwarves spy math quiz. 14. Village: Fickle jinx bog dwarves spy math quiz.

Old Style, because it has diagonal stress and bracketed serifs 15. Mrs. Eaves: Bawds jog, flick quartz, vex nymph. 15. Mrs. Eaves: Bawds jog, flick quartz, vex nymph.

Transitional serif, because it has vertical stress and bracketed serifs Classify typefaces 16–30 on your own. (classification worksheet 2)