Typography Exam Notes PDF

Typography exam (Chat GBT) Lesson 1 How Do Scripts Originate? Token → Pictogram → Ideogram → Phonogram → Letter/Syllable Token: object smaller than what it represents Pictogram: simplified image of the object Ideogram: expansion of the concrete meaning Phonogram: an ima...

Typography exam (Chat GBT) Lesson 1 How Do Scripts Originate? Token → Pictogram → Ideogram → Phonogram → Letter/Syllable Token: object smaller than what it represents Pictogram: simplified image of the object Ideogram: expansion of the concrete meaning Phonogram: an image that represents the sound of a word Letter/Syllable: words are reduced to components represented by images Understand Evolution Cuneiform (31st century BC – 2nd century AD) Origin: commerce in Mesopotamia Way of Writing: wedge-shaped strokes on clay with a reed stylus Evolution of Function: o recording & storing economic information (first) o write religious & narrative texts (later) Hieroglyphs (31st century BC – 4th century AD) Origin: pictographs & symbols, Egypt Characteristics of a Script: o linear order (from up to down) o rhythm & repetition of signs o same size for all signs regardless of proportions Concepts & Definitions Hieroglyphs: are illustrative & resemble ornaments Hieratic: is a cursive script used in Ancient Egypt alongside hieroglyphs, pen & ink on papyrus sheets, easier & faster to use than hieroglyphs Demotic: is a simplified script derived to from hieratic & hieroglyphic, to replace them Deciphering Scripts Key Concepts: Rebus Principle: images together represent a word based on similar pronunciation Determinative: is an ideogram specifying that the associated word belongs to a particular semantic group Evolution: Image → Stylization → Abstraction (similar script evolution patterns globally) The Birth of Alphabets Proto-Sinaitic Script Developed by: miners from Canaan Concepts & Definitions: o earliest evidence of an alphabetic script o ancestor of the ancient South-Arabian script & the Phoenician alphabet o precursor of almost all modern alphabets Acrophony: name of characters represent the initial sounds (e.g. Alpha, Beta) Origins of the Latin Alphabet Phoenician Script (each symbol represented a sound) Innovative: only a few symbols had to be learned Not a True Alphabet: it has no vowels Concepts: o written from right to left Boustrophedon (style of writing): o alternates between right to left & left to right o letters are also mirrored when switching directions Greek Alphabet True Alphabet: introduction of vowels Etruscan Alphabet Introduced: word separation by placing 1-3 vertical dots between them Evolution of the Latin Alphabet Writing evolution o direction settles left to right (7th BC) o reintroduced some lost letters, invented some new ones o adopted & developed the Etruscans’ experiments word spacing o from sans serif to serif Capitalis Quadrata (square capitals) o they were modelled on the square proportions of the O o Romans named their letters on monuments (texts engraved there) Origin of serif o artisans painting the letters in preparation for the engraving o writing the letters on the stone using a flat brush & paint Roman Script Evolution Cursiva Romana Moderna Differences with all previous writing styles o written between four lines (quattrolinear scheme) o letters with extended upwards or downwards Bilinear Scheme: letters written between two lines Quadrilineair Scheme: letters written between four lines Papyrus vs Parchment Papyrus: produced relatively quickly & cheaply widely distributed in the Mediterranean susceptible to humidity  almost all papyrus from ancient times deteriorated you can write only on one side Parchment: provides a smoother writing surface more durable both sides can be written on with equal ease naturally curls up & shinier => less pleasant to read rarer => much more expensive Early Christian Scripts Impact of Rome's Empire Fall Rome governed the Roman Empire centrally language & script remained standard throughout the empire developed differently in the various regions & national hands emerged Carolingian Minuscule Purpose: Standardize script across Charlemagne's empire. Based On: Merovingian & antique semi-uncial scripts. Rules Decreed by Charlemagne Quadrata (capitals) for titles Uncial for headings, introductions Carolingian minuscule for body copy Capitals at the start of sentences Spacing between lines Advantages easy to read & quick to write clear & well-proportioned letters with rounded shapes fewer ligatures than in the Merovingian  spaces separated words sentences began with a capital letter => More readable Lesson 2 Blackletter Why Transitioned Carolingian minuscule was labor-intensive & parchment is expensive Advantages narrower, reduced line spacing, simplified letterforms could fit more text on less material faster & cheaper to produce books Concepts & Definitions Picket Fence Effect: the vertical strokes’ obstinate rhythm Ligatures: letters joined together to save space The Birth of Printing The 5 Typographic Revolutions (with years!) 1. 1450 Johannes Gutenberg 2. 1870 Industrial Revolution 3. 1950 Photo Composition 4. 1973 Digital Era 5. 2016 Variable Fonts The Origins of Printing Block Printing (China): Downsides correcting a single character was impossible time-consuming & inflexible Porcelain Movable Type (China): Downsides watery Chinese ink didn’t adhere well to the ceramic letter blocks uneven printing surface (blocks sometimes altered during the baking) Metal Movable Type (Korea): Advantages durable & reusable Johannes Gutenberg: Innovations method for mass production of movable type using matrices & adjustable molds new alloy: lead, tin, bismuth & antimony for durable type use of oil-based ink for consistent printing invention of a wooden printing press (inspired by the agricultural presses) Historical influence block printing from China, reproducing text efficiently movable type in China & Korea, potential of reusable letters agricultural screw presses, mechanic base for his printing press handwritten blackletter scripts, design of his printed texts Concepts & Definitions Punch: metal tool with a mirror-image of a typeface, used to create letterforms Counterpunch: tool used to carve out shapes in the punch, refining letterforms Matrix: negative mold created by striking the punch into a soft metal, forming a hollow version of the letter, used to cast movable type Lead (advantages & disadvantages) + cheap + liquefies at relatively low temperature – spreads poorly – fills the matrices poorly – rapid wear due to the softness of the metal Tin (advantages & disadvantages) + renders the metal much more fluid + fills the matrices better – shrinks so much when cooling that the typeface often breaks off & remains stuck in the mold Bismuth & antimony expand when cooling (advantages) + less shrinkage when the alloy cools + the letter releases automatically from the mold + the antimony in the alloy provides much greater hardness & durability 42-Line Bible Year: 1452–1455 Type Style: textura typeface, identical to hand copied Bibles, illuminated capitals Nicolas Jenson Year: 1471 Type Style: humanist letter, clear, legible, subtle curves, contrasts between thick & thin strokes, evolved into the modern 'roman' type Inspiration: Italian humanist handwriting reforms combined the Carolingian minuscule with Roman capitals The First Printed Cursives Littera Brevi/ Littera Cancellaresca Corsiva: inspired by informal humanist handwriting used in papal & royal chancelleries narrow, smooth, elegant calligraphic script Advantages: reduced page count for cheaper production Original Capitals Used: upright Roman capitals separated with space Key Designers Francesco Griffo: first pocket-sized book printed entirely in italic type created the first italic type Ludovico degli Arrighi: created the first printed cursive type inspired by chancery script Robert Granjon (punchvcutter): developed slanted capitals for italics known for Civilité type & italic designs Typographic Terminology Typeface/ Type family: A stylistically coherent collection of alphanumeric characters. It can also contain other symbols or consist entirely of them. (typeface is what you see) Font: The delivery mechanism of a typeface: a collection of wooden or lead letters, a film strip or disc, a computer file, … (one single style or weight of a typeface, what you use) Super Family: A type family with a wide variety of weights, widths and styles Type System: A set of related type families that cross type classifications (e.g. serif, sans-serif, slab-serif) Lesson 3 Historical Classification Systems Francis Thibaudeau (1921) Principle: based on serif shapes Le Romain Elzévir: classic triangular serifs Le Romain Didot: very fine serifs L’Égyptienne: slab serifs L’Antique: sans-serif Maximilien Vox (1954) Partition Method: combined serif shapes & contrast Divided typefaces into categories such as Humanist, Garalde, Transitional, Didone, Mechanistic, Linear & others. Problems: typographical history is not linear (can’t be neatly divided per century) minimal differences between categories (e.g. Humanist & Garalde) all sans serif variants are put together without distinction very different styles end up in one big bin (Incises, Manuars, Scripts) Vox-ATypI Refinements: ?? added subcategories separated Gothic styles added Gaelic & Non-Latin scripts Aldo Novarese (1964) Principle: Focused exclusively on serif shapes Jean Alessandrini – Codex 80 (1979) Codex 80: an extension & refinement of the classification systems of Francis Thibaudeau & Maximilien Vox. Codex 80 never caught on. Noordzij-Cube (Gerrit Noordzij) Principle: type of contrast, amount of contrast, weight Parameters: Type of Contrast: type of ‘pen’ o Translation: with a broad nibbed pen (thin & thick lines) o Expansion: with the pointed pen (nibs & strokes) *(historical evolution of the contrast in classical serif letters) Amount of Contrast: difference between thinnest & thickest strokes Weight: thickness of the letters *(Humanist → Transitional → Didone) Contemporary Classification Systems Principle: Letters have four components. (be able to identify!) 1. Skeleton: basic structure & form 2. Flesh: the attributes (contrast & serifs) 3. Skin: further refinement 4. Tags: typeface changes the meaning Skeleton: structure of the letters Dynamic (Humanistic): letters distinguish from each other open handwritten letterforms inspired by the Carolingian minuscule Rational: reasoned & systematic design repeated details in different letters letterforms are more similar openings are more closed Geometric: formed based on geometric figures many letters look very similar repetition of shapes Flesh the attributes (contrast & serifs) Amount of Contrast: high contrast medium contrast low to no contrast no contrast/ sans serif Type of contrast: humanist transitional rational Lesson 4 From Humanistic to Rational Claude Garamond (1540) first independent type cutter, specialized in type design & punchcutting separated type design from the printing industry what was his influence ??? William Caslon I (1725) first British type founder known as a virtuoso (=expert) but not as a trend setter (=innovator) Romain du Roi (1692-1745) French a typographic milestone in the Age of Enlightenment commissioned by Louis XIV, developed by the Académie des Sciences a rational design developed by a committee composed of members of the Académie des Sciences rational, grid-based letterforms, emphasizing verticality & contrast drawn by Louis Simonneau punchcutting by Philippe Grandjean o made some adjustments to soften the sterile geometry of the designs Pierre Simon Fournier invented the typographic measurement, the point Justus Erich Walbaum (1803) known for “the most beautiful German modern typefaces” John Baskerville (1757) Printing innovations: o had fonts cut with a highly detailed & sharp image o had printing inks made a more intense black in his printing studio o printed with better-tuned printing presses o used thinner & smoother paper (made with gauze cloth) Criticism: the increased contrast between the thick & thin parts caused the letters to flicker, he was criticized about damaging the eyes Influence on letterforms: the work of Firmin Didot, among others Firmin Didot (1784) became a punchcutter & developed the first “modern face” Characteristics: strong vertical contrast & extremely thin serifs & horizontal parts that abruptly merge into the vertical sections his types are considered transitional designs indelible mark on French & later European printing The Industrial Revolution Increased demand for print advertising led to innovations in type design. Wood Type: used to print letters larger than 144 points Chromatic Types: use of different colors for shadows, unique fills & other effects Fat Face (from first to last): o serif letters evolved from dynamic to rational forms o the sloped angle became vertical o thin strokes were reduced to a minimum o further developed by making the thick parts much fatter o further: italic, narrow, elongated, wide & decorative variants Italian: fat faces with reversed contrast Slab Serif/Egyptienne: thin parts & the serifs of the same Didones wider French Antique: o developed to meet the demand for bold commercial fonts o unique styles with exaggeratedly wide serifs o still associated with the Wild West  Ionic / Clarendon: o robust features for high-volume printing on low-grade paper o combines Didones' fine serifs & Egyptians' sturdy design o influenced newspaper typography The Birth of Sans-Serif Letters Origin & Evolution “Grotesque”: name for early sans serif typefaces with irregular letter shapes First printed sans serif: featured in William Caslon Junior's catalogue First sans serif with lowercase: Seven Lines Grotesque by William Thorowgood Caslon Doric: first sans serif with balanced, harmonious letterforms Akzidenz-Grotesk: blueprint for neo-grotesques (font category) like Helvetica Sans-Serif Types in the 20th Century Morris Fuller Benton (USA) new, unique sans-serif style (more than 260 typefaces) invented the concept of ‘type family’ (different weights & widths) Humanistic Sans Serifs (England) Edward Johnston: o design a sans-serif typeface for London’s Underground Railways o based capital proportions on the capitalis quadrata of the Trajan column Eric Gill: Designed Gill Sans, inspired by German geometric sans serif types Geometric Sans Serifs (Germany) Jakob Erbar: geometric sans-serifs based on the circle (natural, easy to read) Rudolf Koch: geometric sans serifs, hand lettering & wood carving techniques Staatliches Bauhaus: experiments in letterform simplification Herbert Bayer: geometric unicase alphabet with no serifs & one shape per letter Josef Albers: system with elements based on rectangles & circles Paul Renner: designed Futura, geometric sans-serif Lesson 5 Microtypography Selecting a typeface 1. Is the typeface for text or display purposes (meant to be read or to be seen?) 2. What is the intended audience (knowledgeable or general?) 3. What is the age range of your audience (young, adult, or mature?) 4. What is the tone of voice (informative, friendly, business-like, fun, dynamic)? 5. How does the typographic style relate to the design & imagery? Criteria for text type Anatomy of the letters Technical quality of the fonts Character set o Language support o Figure sets o Small captions o Symbols & icons Cultural &emotional connections Legibility vs. Readability Legibility: the ability to distinguish one letterform from another possible to create readable words with illegible letterforms Readability: How easy is it to read the text? myth: serif fonts are easier to read How We Read fixations: eyes pause to process word shapes saccades: eyes moving from one fixation point to the next ascenders & descenders letters determine the silhouette of words all-caps text is less legible (only for headlines, titles, short text) What makes a typeface legible? 1. Familiarity with the character shapes 2. Skeleton of the character shapes 3. Measurements & proportions of the character shapes 4. Technical adjustments to the character shapes 5. Large counters & open apertures 6. Expressive character shapes Familiarity content (the complexity of its vocabulary & syntax) presentation (font size, line height, character spacing & line length) clear distinction between the letters, predictability of the letterforms (1 vs I) “most popular typefaces are the easiest to read” Skeleton dynamic: letterforms are open & clearly distinguishable ✔ rational: reasoned & systematic, repeated details in different letters X geometric: basic shapes & repetitive pattern of circles X Type anatomy Body: the size of the imaginary area of a letter is expressed in points Uppercase: capital letters Lowercase: small letters Baseline: the imaginary line where the letters rest Cap height: height of the capital letter x-height: height of x Ascender: lowercase letter that extends above the x-height Descender: lowercase letter that extends below the baseline kp-height: distance between the bottom of the descenders & the top of the ascenders Linespacing: distance from one baseline to the next one Leading: the extra space between the lines of text Optical sizes: adjustments made to a typeface to improve readability at different sizes Wider portions: prevent the counters of the letters clogging up in small sizes Loosing spacing: ensures that each letter is easily distinguishable Larger x-height: makes the type look bigger Robust structure & sturdy serifs: ensure that letters remail legible & well-defined in small sizes Less contrast between thick & thin: prevents letter from ‘sparkling’ Technical adjustments Ink traps: cutouts in corners & curved strokes thinning where they connect with straight strokes prevent ink from pooling & creating dark areas Open apertures the more open the apertures, the easier the letters are distinguishable from each other in small sizes even with fonts where the basic letterforms hardly change, the apertures will still increase in variants for smaller sizes Expressiveness M-Formula (William Addison Dwiggins): exaggerating their character shapes & creating tension between the inner & outer forms heavy letterforms required by newspaper printing inspiration from puppets’ faces Legibility character shapes type size contrast with the background => always maintain a balance within this triangle