SPACE PROBE: Investigations Into Monospace Introducing Base Monospace Typeface BASE MONOSPACE Typeface design 1997ZUZANA LICKO Specimen design RUDY VANDERLANS Rr SPACE PROBE: Investigations into Monospace SPACE PROBE: Occasionally, we receive inquiries from type users asking Monospaced Versus Proportional Spacing Investigations Into Monospace us how many kerning pairs our fonts contain. It would seem 1. that the customer wants to be dazzled with numbers. Like cylinders in a car engine or the price earnings ratio of a /o/p/q/p/r/s/t/u/v/w/ Occasionally, we receive inquiries fromstock, type theusers higher asking the number of kerning pairs, the more us how many kerning pairs our fonts contain.impressed It thewould customer seem will be. What they fail to understand /x/y/s/v/z/t/u/v/ that the customer wants to be dazzled iswith that numbers. the art Like of kerning a typeface is as subjective a discipline as is the drawing of the letters themselves. The In a monospaced typeface, such as Base Monospace, cylinders in a car engine or the price earnings ratio of each character fits into the same character width. a stock, the higher the number of kerningfact pairs,that a theparticular more typeface has thousands of kerning impressed the customer will be. What theypairs fail is relative,to understand since some typefaces require more kerning is that the art of kerning a typeface pairsis as thansubjective others aby virtue of their design characteristics. /O/P/Q/O/Q/P/R/S/Q/T/U/V/ discipline as is the drawing of the lettersIn addition, themselves. a poorly The spaced typeface will indeed require fact that a particular typeface has thousandsmore kerning of kerning pairs to correct its spacing errors than a /R/W/O/X/Y/U/Z/X/ typeface that was optimally spaced to begin with. Therefore, pairs is relative, since some typefaces require more kerning In a proportional typeface, such as Filosofia, pairs than others by virtue of their designthe need characteristics. for a large number of kerning pairs could actually each character width is different to accommodate the particular width of each character. In addition, a poorly spaced typeface bewill indicative indeed require of a poorly produced font. High kerning pair more kerning pairs to correct its spacingcounts errors are alsothan misleadinga because the font can be poorly Filling the Mono-Space typeface that was optimally spaced to kernedbegin with.or kerned Therefore, in a way preferred by the font designer, 2. the need for a large number of kerningnot pairs the couldend user. actually Finally, the user should keep in mind that The first step in designing Base Monospace was the kerning pairs provided in a font are most suitable when choosing the model character width. To facilitate be indicative of a poorly produced font. High kerning pair a harmonious relationship with the screen fonts, counts are also misleading because thethe font font can is be set poorly with regular tracking; when tracking is the goal was to select a character width that changed, particularly when it is tightened, this usually would have a simple ratio to its em-square. The kerned or kerned in a way preferred by the font designer, obvious first choice was 100%, or 1:1 the simplest not the end user. Finally, the user shouldrequires keep modifications in mind to the kerning pairs. ratio of all, but this idea was discarded since this would have yielded a typeface too wide for that the kerning pairs provided in a font are most suitable practical purposes. Eventually, the 1:2 ratio when the font is set with regular tracking;At the whenopposite tracking extreme of kerned typefaces lie monospaced (50%) was selected as the character width for Base fonts, many of which manage to be highly legible despite the Monospace Narrow, and the 3:5 ratio (60%) was is changed, particularly when it is tightened, this usually chosen for Base Monospace Wide. requires modifications to the kerningfact pairs. that they contain not a single kerning pair. Monospaced fonts assign each character an identical width, whereas Since every character in a monospaced typeface must fit into the same space, character shapes At the opposite extreme of kerned typefacesproportional lie monospaced typefaces use varying character widths, which become stretched and squeezed. fonts, many of which manage to be highlyposition legible individual despite theletters on set widths that vary fact that they contain not a single kerningdepending pair. on Monospacedthe width of each character.1 When combined to 3 5 6 7 make words and sentences, the individual letters appear to Some characters, such as the “c,” “f,” “i,” fonts assign each character an identical width, whereas and “l,” were made wider than usual to fit into proportional typefaces use varying characterbe evenly widths, spaced which and kerning is used to further optimize the model character width. position individual letters on set widthsspacing that between vary difficult combinations. Monospaced typefaces depending on the width of each character.were1 originallyWhen combined designed to to deal with the mechanical 4 8 0 restrictions of composing systems such as the typewriter, Other characters, such as the “d,” “m,” and “w,” make words and sentences, the individual letters appear to were made narrower than usual to fit into the be evenly spaced and kerning is used towhich further forced optimize each character to have the same single set model character width. spacing between difficult combinations.width. Monospaced Thus, the typefaces narrow “i” is set on the same base as the were originally designed to deal with widethe mechanical“w,” resulting in a somewhat irregular looking letter JK LM spacing. Base Monospace, as its name implies, belongs to This stretching and squeezing of characters restrictions of composing systems such as the typewriter, becomes particularly problematic in the heavier this category of typefaces characterized by letter designsBase Monospace Wide Bold weights; there is usually not enough room to that each occupy a single set width, like the infamous accommodate both the thickness of the stem weight, as well as the complexity of some characters such typewriter font Courier (designed in 1956 by Howard as the “m” and “w.” The stem weights must Kettler), and the many other monospaced fonts that inspired therefore be adjusted, and although the stem weights of the “i” and “l” (left) are heavier than its design.2 the “m” and “w” (right), the overall color density is the same when set in text (below). The difficulty with monospaced fonts is that they do not easily conform to traditional notions of good typography. GNM< KJK Traditionally, when setting a text, theABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ object isabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz to maximize spacing and kerning to a point where a text appears MJKKNM LJHHNH an even “color” when viewed at reading distance. However, while this might be desirable visually and esthetically LNL LNHHNM> EMIGRE #70: THE LOOK BACK ISSUE | 228 | 1997 SPACE PROBE: Investigations into Monospace Occasionally, we receive inquiries from type users asking Monospaced Versus us how many kerning pairs our fonts contain. It would seem 1. Proportional Spacing that the customer wants to be dazzled with numbers. Like cylinders in a car engine or the price earnings ratio of a stock, the higher the number of kerning pairs, the more /o/p/q/p/r/s/t/u/v/w/ impressed the customer will be. What they fail to understand is that the art of kerning a typeface is as subjective a /x/y/s/v/z/t/u/v/ discipline as is the drawing of the letters themselves. The In a monospaced typeface, such as Base Monospace, each character fits into the same character width. fact that a particular typeface has thousands of kerning pairs is relative, since some typefaces require more kerning pairs than others by virtue of their design characteristics. /O/P/Q/O/Q/P/R/S/Q/T/U/V/ In addition, a poorly spaced typeface will indeed require more kerning pairs to correct its spacing errors than a /R/W/O/X/Y/U/Z/X/ typeface that was optimally spaced to begin with. Therefore, In a proportional typeface, such as Filosofia, the need for a large number of kerning pairs could actually each character width is different to accommodate be indicative of a poorly produced font. High kerning pair the particular width of each character. which forced each character to have the same single set counts are also misleading because the font can be poorly width. Thus, the narrow “i” is set on the same base as the kerned or kerned in a way preferred by the font designer, 2. Filling the Mono-Space wide “w,” resulting in a somewhat irregular looking letter not the end user. Finally, the user should keep in mind that The first step in designing Base Monospace was spacing. Base Monospace, as its name implies, belongs to choosing the model character width. To facilitate the kerning pairs provided in a font are most suitable when this category of typefaces characterized by letter designs a harmonious relationship with the screen fonts, the font is set with regular tracking; when tracking is the goal was to select a character width that that each occupy a single set width, like the infamous would have a simple ratio to its em-square. The changed, particularly when it is tightened, this usually typewriter font Courier (designed in 1956 by Howard obvious first choice was 100%, or 1:1 the simplest requires modifications to the kerning pairs. ratio of all, but this idea was discarded since Kettler), and the many other monospaced fonts that inspired this would have yielded a typeface too wide for its design.2 practical purposes.