Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies Typography Classification Textbook: Thinking With Type: pages 13 – 33 Core Concepts: Typography Classification Glossary C I 19C printers sought a means of classifying type to parallel art and history classification systems Cap height Capline I type classification is determined by historic/technology trends Capitals (caps) I 20/21Century designers continue to design new typefaces based on Centre align historical characteristics (revivals) Centered Chancery italic I any classification system must be widely recognized by professionals Character forming a basis of shared understanding Character count Character set Further Study Character space Chase I Planet Typography Families Clarendons http://www.planet-typography.com/manual/families.html Closed up I Adobe Colour http://www.adobe.com/browser/classifcations.htm Column Compressed I I Love Typography (Classification series in four parts) Condensed http://ilovetypography.com/2007/11/21/type-terminology-old-style/ Contrast http://ilovetypography.com/2007/11/21/type-terminology-humanist-2/ Counter http://ilovetypography.com/2007/11/21/type-terminology-transitional- Crossbar type// Curly quotes Cursive http://ilovetypography.com/2008/05/30/a-brief-history-of-type-part-4/- transitional-type/ I Typophile http://www.typophile.com I Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOX-ATypi-classification Student Notes © 2004 – 2019 Linda Coe Type Classification 1 Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies Type Classification The Vox System Typefaces are classified into between eight and twelve categories/ The Vox system created a few new names for groupings for the subcategories according to their particular characteristics. Given the ever international audience; expanding collection of typefaces, a precise taxonomy—one that allows Geralde: for expansion, comprehensiveness, adaptability, correction is yet to be GARamond/ALDus (Manutius) devised. Didone: During the 19C printers sought a means of classifying type to parallel art DIDot/BodONI and history classification systems. Humanist typefaces take their forms *Texts on type vary in the description from calligraphic styles and were born in the Renaissance period. Those of the type classification system. Some systems distribute the typeface designs typefaces in the Oldstyle, Transitional and Modern categories are less into more sub groups than others. organic; more abstract in their shape. They come to us from the baroque Note, too, the names of the categories and Enlightenment periods. vary (for example, Humanist is often referred to as Venetian as the designs As technology improved so, too, grew the finesse with which type forms originated in Italy). were produced. It is possible to follow the development of typography through the emulation of handwriting, carved stone columns and increas- ingly dexterous machinery to the digital forms we have today. Maximillien Vox proposed a classification system in 1954 adopted by the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) and widely used today. A great many people have Several new category names were derived for the international audience never set eyes on a well- (see sidebar). formed typeface. — Jan Tschichold The first four Vox categories are based upon historic forms. The subse- quent five categories are based upon their appearance after which a further three terms categorize those faces based on the processes or tools that shaped their visual design. I Humanist (Venetian) I Old Style (Geralde) I Transitional (Reales) I Modern (Didone) I Slab Serif (Egyptian) I Sans Serif (Lineales): Humanist, Geometric, Grotesque I Glyphic (Flare Serif) I Script, Italic, Chancery I Decorative/Ornamental I Blackletter I Hybrids/Other (eg Solex by Zuzana Licko, Sauna by Underware, and Beowulf by LettError) The classifying of typefaces is fraught with inconsistency and confusing, overlapping terms: eg Gothic is used to identify Blackletter faces, but the Student Notes © 2004 – 2019 Linda Coe Type Classification 2 Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies term is also used to describe a sans serif face in the US; the class Didone, An Historical Overview Modern and Bodoni are synonymous. Clarendon is a term for bracketed Renaissance: slab serif faces in general; Humanist describes serif faces designed from a 15th & 16th centuries Venetian model—and is also used to describe classic sans serif faces! Baroque: 17th century Revival type designs over the centuries—some faithful reconstructions and Neoclassical: others new designs—have evolved and multiplied as new technologies arose. 18th century Many individuals have attempted to create a practical method for identi- Romantic: fying and classifying type designs. However, designing type follows no set 18th & 19th centuries pattern or rulebook. Particularly true of the contemporary digital period Realist: we find ourselves in. Many new designs are combinations of two—or 19th & early 20th centuries more—styles. The Vox system (or an adaptation of it) remains the most Geometric Modernist: useful. 20th century Lyrical Modernist: 20th century Postmodernist: Late 20th century A COMPARISON OF TYPOGRAPHY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS Vox British US French German Other Medieves Blackletter Text — Gebrochene Schriften Gothic Garaldes Old face Old Style Elzevir Antiqua — Lineales Sans serif Gothic Antique Grotesk Grotesque Mécanes Slab serif — Egyptienne Egyptienne — Some contemporary typeface designs defy even the most thorough type classification system. This may be because the letter forms do not have sufficient identifiable characteristics or those that they do have cross cate- gories. These faces may be composed of some classical features or be made up of digital media—or both. These faces are designed for specialty use so one could consider them “display faces.” They should not typically be used for text settings as their unfamiliarity slow reading considerably. They often provoke intense dis- cussion and debate and are a medium of spirited play and experimentation. Examples include hybrid designs such as Fudoni, by Max Kisman and Prorotype by Jonathan Barnbrook Student Notes © 2004 – 2019 Linda Coe Type Classification 3 Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies Stempel Schneidler ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Berkeley Old Style ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 I Humanist (Venetian) derived from 15th century Italian humanist handwriting/calligraphic form I first group of Roman typefaces (evolved after Gutenberg’s invention of movable type) I flourished in Italy during the 1460s and 1470s O I revived by William Morris and the private press movement Characteristics I poor and gradual contrast between thick/thin strokes e I oblique stress I slanted bar on the lowercase e; descending cap J tail I slanted ascender foot serifs on lowercase letters I caps and ascenders same height Th I serifs heavy and steeply sloped I the set of the letters is generally wide I type is heavy in weight and appearance Je Examples include: Berkeley Old Style, Centaur, Cloister, Deepdene, Golden, Jenson, Kennerley, Stempel Schneidler A Student Notes © 2004 – 2019 Linda Coe Type Classification 4 Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies Caslon ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Palatino ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890 I Old Style (Garalde) first cut by Francesco Griffo for De Aetna (published by Aldus Manutius, 1495) the basis for all Roman types cast in the 16th and 17th centuries and early 18th century (Italy, France, England and the Netherlands) O I displays some of the same characteristics as humanist typefaces, but the pen-formed shapes are more refined I the first italic typestyles were created in 1501: Aldine Italic (Aldine Press, Aldus Manutius) they were compressed, sloping faces, quite calligraphic, to save space on the page e I 17th century punchcutters took the French Old Style models and enlarged the x-height and increased the contrast between the thick/thin strokes Characteristics Th I sharply cut, economical faces I slanted stress I medium weight and contrast between thick/thin strokes A I lowercase letters have oblique ascenders and foot serifs I bracketed serifs, lighter than Humanist faces I horizontal crossbar on the lowercase e I caps are usually shorter than lowercase letters Q Examples include: Bembo, Caslon, Galliard, Stempel Garamond, Goudy Old Style, Janson, Lucida, Minion, Palatino, Plantin, Sabon, Times, Trump K Student Notes © 2004 – 2019 Linda Coe Type Classification 5 Introduction to Typography Emily Carr University of Art + Design Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC Continuing Studies Clearface ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Stone Serif ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 I Transitional (Reales) Roman du Roi, the first new face in 200 years, cut by Phillipe Grandjean in 1692 I O possess characteristics of both the Old Style and the Modern faces I 18th century greater precision of the copperplate engraver’s tool and the availability of smoother paper allowed for finer letter