MiraCosta College / oceanside MAT 155 Graphic Design 2 : Typography Min Choi // Fall 2017 TRACING META INFO ABOUT META FF Meta is a humanist sans-serif typeface family designed by Erik Spiekermann and released in 1991 through his FontFont library. According to Spiekermann, FF Meta was intended to be a “complete antithesis of Helvetica”, which he found “boring and bland”. It originated from an unused commission for the Deutsche Bundespost (West German Post Office). Throughout the 1990s, FF Meta was embraced by the international design community with Spiekermann and E. M. Ginger writing that it had been dubiously praised as the Helvetica of the 1990s. FF Meta has been adopted by numerous corporations and other organizations as a corporate typeface, for signage or in their logo. These include Imperial College London, The Weather Channel, Free Tibet, Herman Miller, Zimmer Holdings, Mozilla Corporation, Mozilla Foundation, and Fort Wayne International Airport. Over the 25 years since its inception, the FF Meta family has been extended to include eight weights and two widths, as well as additional companion families, like FF Meta Headline, FF Meta Serif, and FF Meta Correspondence. The original FF Meta typeface has extended to a very flexible superfamily, as fresh as it was when it was born. In 2011, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added digital typefaces to its permanent collection for the very first time. Naturally, because of its significance to typography, FF Meta was one of the works included. FF Meta debuted at MoMA as part of the “Standard Deviations” installation in the contemporary design gallery. > Learn more about Meta: pages 25, 157, in Typographic Design: Form and Communication. > Learn more about Erik Spiekermann: www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/201412.html > Essential book to add to your library: Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, Erik Spiekermann, Adobe Press Books, 2014. SUPPLIES tracing / layout paper, pencil, tape, rulers PRESENTATION > 8.5 x 11” size tracing paper: Please trace the handout (attached page 2) exactly as is, and fill in the letterforms. > On the cover page, in the bottom right corner, print out the label including your Name, Class Name, Assignment Title and Date, TRACING META typed, printed and glued neatly in the bottom right corner. > Please fill in with pencil. Add a cover sheet to protect from smudging. > Anything less than a professional presentation will not be accepted for grading. > No guidelines, smudges or eraser marks should be visible. ARTG106 TYPOGRAPHY Spring 2017 DUE DATE: Tuesday October 17, 2017 – Turn in tracing of Helvetica at beginning of class Rosemary Rae email: [email protected] Characteristics of this typeface are: INFO ABOUT META Lower case Upper case • Round dot over the letter i and j. • Angled letter M, more resembling Futura or an FF Meta is a humanist sans-serif typeface family designed by Erik Spiekermann and released • Ends of the letter s are nearly horizontal upturned W than Helvetica or Gill Sans. • Curved bottom of l, making it clearly different • Slanted upper terminal on the top right of E, T in 1991 through his FontFont library. According to Spiekermann, FF Meta was intended to be to a 1 or upper-case i. and F. E and T are not symmetrical. a “complete antithesis of Helvetica”, which he found “boring and bland”. It originated from an • Double-storey a with a very open aperture at • A general feature of FF Meta is relatively open the top. apertures, in contrast to the more folded-up unused commission for the Deutsche Bundespost (West German Post Office). Throughout the • Not fully closed bottom loop in binocular g. appearance of Helvetica. This is believed to 1990s, FF Meta was embraced by the international design community with Spiekermann and • Bend to the left at the top of the letters b, h, promote legibility and make the letterforms k, l. more clearly different from one another. E. M. Ginger writing that it had been dubiously praised as the Helvetica of the 1990s. • Bend to the right at the top of the letter d. • A very distinctive y where the two strokes do not join smoothly. FF Meta has been adopted by numerous corporations and other organizations as a corporate typeface, for signage or in their logo. These include Imperial College London, The Weather source: www.fontfont.com; image from Channel, Free Tibet, Herman Miller, Zimmer Holdings, Mozilla Corporation, Mozilla Foundation, Characteristicshttp://fromyourdeskscom/2010/11/15/erik-spiekermann-2/ of this typeface are: and Fort Wayne International Airport. Lower case • Round dot over the letter i and j. Over the 25 years since its inception, the FF Meta family has been extended to include eight • Ends of the letter s are nearly weights and two widths, as well as additional companion families, like FF Meta Headline, horizontal FF Meta Serif, and FF Meta Correspondence. The original FF Meta typeface has extended to a • Curved bottom of l, making it clearly very flexible superfamily, as fresh as it was when it was born. different to a 1 or upper-case i. • Double-storey a with a very open In 2011, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added digital typefaces to its permanent aperture at the top. collection for the very first time. Naturally, because of its significance to typography, FF Meta • Not fully closed bottom loop in was one of the works included. FF Meta debuted at MoMA as part of the “Standard Deviations” binocular g. installation in the contemporary design gallery. • Bend to the left at the top of the letters b, h, k, l. • Bend to the right at the top of the • Learn more about Meta: pages 25, 157, in Typographic Design: Form and Communication. letter d. • Learn more about Erik Spiekermann: www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/201412.html • A very distinctive y where the two • Essential book to add to your library: Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, strokes do not join smoothly. Erik Spiekermann, Adobe Press Books, 2014. Upper case SUPPLIES • Angled letter M, more resembling tracing / layout paper, pencil, tape. Futura or an upturned W than Helvetica or Gill Sans. PRESENTATION • Slanted upper terminal on the top • I would like these tracings done on 8.5 x 11 inch size tracing paper. right of E, T and F. E and T are not Please trace the handout (attached page 2) exactly as is, and fill in the letterforms. symmetrical. • Add your Name, Class Name, Assignment Title and Date, written neatly in the • A general feature of FF Meta is top left corner. relatively open apertures, in contrast • Please fill in with pencil. Add a cover sheet to protect from smudging. to the more folded-up appearance of • Anything less than a professional presentation will not be accepted for grading. Helvetica. This is believed to promote • No guidelines, smudges or eraser marks should be visible. legibility and make the letterforms more clearly different from one SCHEDULE another. Tracing of Meta Due February 28, 2017 Turn in tracing of Meta at beginning of class source: www.fontfont.com; image from http://fromyourdesks.com/2010/11/15/ erik-spiekermann-2/ ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQR STUVWXYZ& abcdefghijk lmnopqrst uvwxyz 1234567890 $.,’-:;!?.