History of Graphic Design Chapter 8

Romain du Roi

• Typeface commissioned by King Louis XIV for the royal printing office.
• Defined by high contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp horizontal serifs, and balanced letter forms.

Folio

• A paper sheet folded vertically to create four pages.

Old Style

• Refers to the Venetian Roman type design tradition.

Transitional Roman

• Emerged from the Romain du Roi, moving away from traditional calligraphic features.
• Characterized by bracketed serifs and more consistent stroke width compared to old-style fonts.

Rococo

• French artistic style flourishing from approximately 1720 to 1770.
• Featured elaborate ornamentation, asymmetrical designs, and light pastel colors.

Pouce

• An obsolete French unit of measure slightly longer than an inch, divided into 12 lines, each with six points.

Point

• The smallest unit in the Jeune system of type measurement; six points make one line, twelve lines make one pouce.

Type Family

• A group of fonts that are visually compatible, with various weights and styles that can be mixed.

Engraving

• Drawing technique using a graver on a copper plate, popular during the Rococo period for its ornate designs.

Packing

• Material used in letterpress printing placed behind the sheet to ensure smooth impressions, notably utilized by John Baskerville.

Paper Finishes

• Laid Finish: Features horizontal lines created during manufacturing, giving paper texture.
• Wove Finish: Smooth texture achieved by finer mesh wire, eliminating visible marks.
• Calendaring Paper: Hot-pressed for a glossy surface; Baskerville experimented with this technique for better printing results.

Analytic Geometry

• Developed by René Descartes, this geometry integrates algebra with geometric problems and sets the foundation for information graphics.

Axis

• Perpendicular lines used in Cartesian coordinates to plot points on a two-dimensional plane.

Cartesian Coordinates

• Mathematical system for defining points based on two numbers related to horizontal and vertical axes, creating a grid.

Line Graph

• A chart that uses Cartesian coordinates to represent statistical data graphically, introduced by William Playfair in 1786.

Modern Typeface

• A style of Roman type that emerged in the 18th century, characterized by increased contrast and geometric forms.

Neoclassicism

• A movement that revived classical Greek and Roman aesthetics focusing on simplicity, order, and symmetry.

Miagre and Gras

• Types from the Didot foundry: Miagre represented condensed fonts, while Gras depicted expanded styles.

Pied de Roi

• Standard measurement for type sizes in France, established by the Didot foundry.

Stereotyping

• A printing process creating duplicates of relief surfaces through molding, significantly improving printing efficiency.

Editions du Louvre

• A publication by Pierre Didot that epitomized Neo-Classical graphic design, showcasing modern typography and engravings.

Romanticism

• An artistic movement reacting against Neoclassicism, emphasizing imagination and emotion in art.

Wood Engraving

• A technique that cuts across the grain of wood, refined by Thomas Bewick for detailed illustrations in letterpress.

Pierre Simon Fournier le Jeune

• A significant figure in type design who introduced standardized measurement and produced over 4600 type characters.

George Bickham the Elder

• An esteemed English penman and engraver known for the "Universal Penman" book, showcasing penmanship and decoration.

John Pine

• A prominent engraver known for his independent works and intricate engraving techniques for both text and illustrations.

William Caslon

• An influential English type designer whose fonts remained popular for over two centuries, known for legibility and sturdy texture.

John Baskerville

• Printer and typographer who greatly influenced type design with his elegant, transitional styles; known for innovative book layouts and quality print.

René Descartes

• Philosopher and mathematician who developed analytic geometry, crucial for modern graphic design and information representation.

William Playfair

• Scottish author who popularized the use of graphical representations of data, such as line graphs and bar charts.

Louis Rene Luce

• Type designer and punch cutter known for his narrow, condensed types and diverse ornamental designs.

Giambattista Bodoni

• Italian printer and designer who emphasized geometric and mathematical forms in typography, moving away from Rococo styles to modern efficiency.

Francois Didot

• Founder of a family-run print and type founding business, pivotal in advancing type design in France.

Francois Ambroise Didot

• Son of Francois Didot, known for introducing refined paper and developing the point system widely adopted in printing.

Pierre Didot

• The older son of Francois Didot, continuing the family's legacy in type design and printing methods.### Firmin Didot
• Took over father’s printing office post-revolution.
• French government awarded him the Imprimerie Royale’s former printing office at the Louvre.
• Contributed to neo-classical revival with graphic design in a series of additions at the Louvre.
• Published the 1819 specimen of new type characters in Paris.
• Younger son of François Didot, he became head of the Didot type foundry.
• His modern typography exhibits precision beyond that of Bodoni.
• Invented stereotyping, a process for creating duplicate printing surfaces via molding.
• Enabled large-scale production of economical books for wider audiences using stereotyping.

William Blake

• An English poet and artist known for publishing illustrated poetry books.
• Used monochrome etching to combine text and imagery, enhancing artistic expression.
• Personally hand-colored each page with watercolor, creating unique editions.
• His works aimed to transcend graphic design material for spiritual expression.
• The 1789 title page from "The Book of Thel" exemplifies his integration of letterforms into illustrations.
• Considered a precursor to 19th-century romanticism, expressionism, and abstract art with his vivid colors and organic forms.

William Bulmer

• Selected by publishers John and Josiah Boydell and George W. Nicol for printing Shakespeare's dramatic works from 1792 to 1802.
• Printed significant volumes including William Somerville’s "The Chase" in 1796.
• Combined Bodoni and Didot’s clean designs with traditional English readability and warmth.
• Collaborated with Thomas Bewick for illustrations, enhancing the visual appeal of his printed works.

Thomas Bewick

• Renowned as the father of wood engraving.
• Developed a fine engraving technique using a graver to achieve intricate effects by cutting across the grain of Turkish boxwood blocks.
• Created cuts with the grain on softer woods to enhance detail.
• Gained recognition for his publication "A General History of Quadrupeds" in 1790.
• His wood engraving techniques became a major illustration method in letterpress printing until the rise of photomechanical halftones.

Explore key terms and concepts from Chapter 8 of the History of Graphic Design. This quiz features flashcards that define important terminology crucial to understanding graphic design evolution. Test your knowledge on typography, layout, and the influence of historical figures in design.