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1
ABOUT
TYPE
Amanda Johnson Typography for Graphic Design 21-3340-03 Professor Ron Kovach
2
Columbia College Chicago Fall Semester September 2016-December 2016
introduction This typography book is a peek into a semesters worth of the class Typography for Graphic Design with Ron Kovach. Each exercise was solely created to exhibit elements of typography. This book touches base on some important technical elements such as: timelines in typographic history, how typography and color coexist, the anatomy of type, alignment, layout and readability, how a modular grid can be used, the execution of typing on a path, and using the pen tool. Some creative exercises that the book includes are: creating words as images and designing genre posters. This book also includes an index section. A list of 50 fonts, weekly journals, and a colophon can be found here. Although it is not always stated, this book emphasizes how certain fonts, leading, weight, color, texture, and so on can impact a design tremendously.
technical
reative ndex
contents table of
Timelines • Vox System • Genres Anatomy Alignment Typography and Color Modular Grid Layout and Readability Type on Path & Pen tool
50 Fonts Journals Colophon
Words as Images Genre Posters • Oldstyle • De Stijl • Art Deco • Bauhaus • Swiss
technical
vox-a typl classification
genres
15th century
oldstyle
1450-1490s
1450-1790s 1690s
humanist garalde
- centuar/jensen
- baskerville/times new roman
18th century
mechanistic
1740s
- bodoni/walbaum
1840s
- rockwell/scala
lineal (grotesque) - news gothic/trade gothic
1840s
20th century 1900s
1930s-1950s 1920s 107AD
Purpose?
The Vox System was devised by Maximilien Vox in 1954 and was adopted in 1962 by the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) and in 1967 as a British Standard Classification of Typefaces, which is a very basic interpretation of the earlier Vox-ATypI classification. The nine Genres on the right-hand side are very important when looking back into the history of type.
12 technical
neo grotesque geometric
- helvetica/universe
glyphic
n.d.
n.d.
1917-1930s
1920s-1930s
graphic
- benguiat/stencil
bauhaus 1919-1933
international
- gill sans/optima
- mistral/shelly
art nouveau
art deco
- albertus/trajan
script
1914s-1930s
1890s-T.O.C.
- eurostyle/futura
humanist sans
constructivism
de stijl
- bembo/garmond
transitional
didone
1455-1600s
1950s
urban
postmodern 1980s
1990s
timeline 13
g s u p ear
spine
terminology
body height
A a B f apex
serif
ball
bar
loop
A f g
cap height
m baseline
side bearing
houlder
side bearing
Purpose?
Body Height shows how type sits on a line. Terminology gives us an understanding of the letter-form. This allows us to describe its characteristics in detail.
14 technical
side bearing
side side bearing bearing
side bearing
link
body clearance x-height body height
body clearance
ascender
terminal
finial
N g s u p stroke
ear
spine
loop
link
b k
spur
e bar
descender
bracket
link
Q m shoulder
ascender
counter
bowl
bar
tall
b k
spur
bowl
stem
terminal
descender
arm leg foot
arm O O
inclined stress
vertical stress
monoline stroke width
contrasting stroke width
Charlemagne Std Bold
Bodoni 72 Oldstyle
American Typewriter
Big Caslon Medium
O O
leg foot
stem body height / terminology 15
DDI G IG OORREE W E T WET
alignment
Purpose?
The Alignment Diagram shows how text can bleed outside of a certain area, but still has the ability to be aligned. In this case, the type is aligned on the left, top, and bottom. Joe Duffy is an example of type aligned visually, not mechanically, and is adjusted line by line.
16 technical
alignment 17
JOO OE E E alignment
J
J
DOG-AND-PONY
DOG-AND-PONY
DUFFY IS GIVING A BIG DUFFY IS GIVING A BIG
SHOW TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LISTEN. HE’S OUT ON THE STREETS TRYING TO MAKE REVOLUTION ON A DAILY BASIS. HE WONDERS
WHY ARE WE TRYING TO REPLACE PERFECTLY REAL-LIFE ACTIVITIES WITH TWO-DIMENSIONAL, LOWER BANDWIDTH ACTIVITIES?
IT MAKES YOU NERVOUS!
18 technical
DUFFY IS GIVING A BIG
SHOW TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LISTEN. HE’S OUT ON THE STREETS TRYING TO MAKE REVOLUTION ON A DAILY BASIS. HE WONDERS
WHY ARE WE TRYING TO REPLACE PERFECTLY REAL-LIFE ACTIVITIES WITH TWO-DIMENSIONAL, LOWER BANDWIDTH ACTIVITIES?
IT MAKES YOU NERVOUS!
alignment 19
type & color
AA
AA
AAAA
AAAA
AA
AA
AAAA
AA
Purpose?
Color can make a big impact on how typography is perceived. White letters on a black or dark background appear larger than black letters on white or a light background. Readability is made easier when there is a big contrast between the color of the letter forms and the background. A light, bright background, like yellow and a white or light letter form is difficult to read.
20 technical
type / color 21
modular grid From left to right: 8 over 10 (flush left), 8 over 12 (centered), 8 over 14 (flush right).
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand- in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
From left to right: 8 over 10 (flush left), 8 over 12 (centered), 8 over 14 (flush right).
The left-hand page
illustrates column width and
leading go hand-in-hand. In
general the wider the column
more leading is preferred.
Layout—flush right or left or
centered impacts readability.
The right-hand page shows size
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand- in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
more leading is preferred.
Layout—flush right or left or
centered impacts readability.
The right-hand page shows size
examples.
examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
leading go hand-in-hand. In
general the wider the column
and weight, serif and sans serif
and weight, serif and sans serif
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page
illustrates column width and
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column
shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page
22 technical
more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page
From bottom to top: 8 over 10,
From bottom to top: 8 over 10,
8 over 12, 8 over 14.
8 over 12, 8 over 14.
modular grid 23
From left to right: 8 over 10 (flush left), 8 over 12 (centered), 8 over 14 (flush right).
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand- in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page
illustrates column width and
leading go hand-in-hand. In
general the wider the column
more leading is preferred.
Layout—flush right or left or
centered impacts readability.
The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif
examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
technical layout & readability From left to right: 8 over 10 (flush left), 8 over 12 (centered), 8 over 14 (flush right).
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand- in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page
illustrates column width and
leading go hand-in-hand. In
general the wider the column
more leading is preferred.
Layout—flush right or left or
centered impacts readability.
The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif
examples.
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-inhand. In general, the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The righthand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column
more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
Purpose?
Technical Layout and Readability is important when interacting with the viewer. Incorrect use of spacing/line height, size, measure/length, letter spacing, contrast, and hierarchy are at odds with aesthetic considerations and impede the reading process. The Modular Grid is a tool used when organizing visual elements as well as offering opportunities to carve out brand messaging.
24 technical
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples. The left-hand page illustrates column width and leading go hand-in-hand. In general the wider the column
more leading is preferred. Layout—flush right or left or centered impacts readability. The right-hand page shows size and weight, serif and sans serif examples.
From bottom to top: 8 over 10, 8 over 12, 8 over 14.
technical layout / readability 25
pen tool
T H E C L A S S I C C A S K CON D
ESTD
E D D R AU
GH
T
TRADE
MARK
TRADITIONAL C ASK
1778
T H E C L A S S I C C A S K CON D
ESTD
E D D R AU
GH
T
TRADE
MARK
TRADITIONAL C ASK
1778
T A R K E
ON
ER FROM THE NORTH
BITTER
I IT
BE
BOD
S T R A N G E WAY S B R E W E R Y
GT N I D
ONS
26 technical
ON
ER FROM THE NORTH
Boddington and Tradewell are two exercises that demonstrate the use of different tools in Adobe programs. Although these exercises might be difficult and frustrating to some, it is important to learn how to correctly execute these tools since they are most likely going to be needed for future proects.
M
I IT
BE
Purpose?
MARKET
BOD
WELL
TRADE W ELL RADE
GT N I D
ONS
T
type on a path
S T R A N G E WAY S B R E W E R Y
BITTER pen tool / type on a path 27
creative
words as images
su rise Avenir
u
Purpose?
Throughout the entirety of this course we were taught to bring ideas to life. Creating Words as Images is a great example of this. Although we were provided words, we were given the freedom to choose our own as well. The following Words as Images are a combination of words already given and words that I thought of on my own.
30 creative
word as image 31
de
bite Myriad Pro
32 creative
S li
word as image 33
34 creative
word as image 35
Avenir
Avenir
P RTY
Avenir
Avenir
36 creative
word as image 37
genre posters
NOW OPEN
Oldstyle was created in the 1400s and began to die down in the 1600s. It is the oldest, and to some, the most recognizable genre. Oldstyle represents the Middle Ages, when everything was done with pen and paper. Design-wise, this genre can be recognized by its centered-nature, borders, simplicity, texture, serif typeface, and sometimes, capitalization. Most designs relating to this genre are in black and white, again representing the Middle Ages.
38 creative
URBAN WINERY
1220 W. RANDOLPH ST. CHICAGO, IL 60607 312.736.9468 genre poster 39
soho house
wine night july 8, 2017
De Stijl arose in the 1900s and was popular throughout the 1930s. In dutch, De Stijl translates to “The Style�. Some Dutch artists that were early followers of this genre were: Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg, Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud, and A. Kok. Just like most of these artists encompassed into their work, De Stijl is seen as being geometric, abstract, and harmonious. De Stijl heavily encompasses straight lines, plane surfaces, rectangles, and primary colors.
40 creative
genre poster 41
wine & dine Art Deco began in the 1920s and lasted up until around the 1930s. This style was seen in architecture, painting, sculpture, and other forms of design such as graphic arts. Although Art Deco originated in Paris from the Exposition Internationale des Arts DĂŠcoratifs et Industriels Modernes, that did not stop the genre from making its way into other countries. It is known for its bold nature, geometric shapes, strong vertical lines, simplicity, symmetry, and sunbeam patterns.
42 creative
genre poster 43
wine night
july 8, 2017 7 pm
soho house 113 n. green st., chicago il byob or $40 all you can drink ages 21 and up
44 creative
Bauhaus heavily influenced design, architecture, and applied arts from 1919 to 1933. This genre began in Germany and was founded by Walter Gropius. He created the Bauhaus (“house of building�), when he merged two previously existing art schools together. Here they learned about carpentry, metal, pottery, stained glass, wall painting, weaving, graphics, typography, and stage craft. Bauhaus can be recognized by its minimalism, gentle curves, sophistication, and most of the time, sans-serif typefaces.
genre poster 45
Swiss style, also known as International Style, was created in Switzerland, but its roots began in Russia, the Netherlands, and Germany in the 1920s. Once the 1950s came around, Swiss style transformed into its alternative name due to it being used all over the world. International style emphasizes negative space, simplicity, cleanness, asymmetrical layouts, sophistication, sans-serif (mostly), and the grid. Since this genre is by far the most simple, clean-cut of them all, it heavily relies on typography and layout.
46 creative
wine night at soho house 113 n. green st. / chicago
byob or $40 all you can drink ages 21 and up
saturday july 8, 2017 / 7 pm
genre poster 47
i n d e x
50 fonts
a
Akzidenz-Grotesk | Hermann Berthold | 1896 Avante Garde | Herb Lubalin, Tom Carnase | 1970-77
b c
Adobe Caslon | Carol Twombly | 1990 Centaur | Bruce Rogers | 1914
d e g
Fruitiger | Adrian Fruitiger | 1975 Franklin Gothic | Morris Fuller Benton | 1902 Futura | Paul Renner | 1927 Glypha | Adrian Frutiger | 1977 Gotham | Tobias Frere-Jones | 2000
Helvetica | Max Merdinger | 1957 Hoefler Text | Jonathan Hoefler | 1991
Interstate | Tobias Frere-Jones | 1993-1999
j l
Jenson | Robert Slimbach | 1996
Letter Gothic | Roger Roberson | 1956-62
m n p
Matrix | Zuzana Licko | 1986 Meta | Erik Spiekermann | 1985 - 1991
Neutraface | Christian Schwartz | 2002 Nobel | Sjoerd Henrik de Roos | 1929
o
Minion | Robert Slimbach | 1990 Mrs Eaves | Zuzana Licko | 1996 News Gothic | Morris Fuller Benton | 1908 | Grotesque
OCR | American Type Founders 1968 Officina | Erik Spiekermann | 1990
Optima | Hermann Zapf | 1958
Palatino | Hermann Zapf | 1948
q
Quadraat| Fred Smeijers | 1992
Rockwell | Frank Hinman Pierpont | 1934
s t
Didot | Firmin Didot | 1784–1811
Georgia | Matthew Carter | 1993 Gill Sans | Eric Gill | 1928 Garamond | Claude Garamond | 1540s
i
These 50 Fonts are some of the most well-known and used fonts. It is important to learn each of the font’s designer(s) and year that they were created. These fonts are considered cornerstone fonts to building my type library around.
Century Expanded | Morris Fuller Benton | 1900
Fedra Sans | Peter Bil’ak | 2001 Fenice | Aldo Novarese | 1980 Filosofia | Zuzana Licko | 1996
h
Purpose?
Benguiat | Ed Benguiat | 1977 Bodoni | Giambattista Bodoni | 1798
Eurostile | Aldo Novarese | 1962
f
r
Baskerville | John Baskerville | 1757 Bembo | Francesco Griffo | 1495
Sabon | Jan Tschichold | 1964 Scala | Michael Majoor | 1990
Stencil | R Hunter Middleton Stone Serif | Summer Stone | 1984
Thesis Serif | Lucas de Groot | 1994 Times New Roman | Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent | 1932
u v w
Trade Gothic | Jackson Burke | 1949 Trajan | Carol Twombly | 1989
Univers | Adrian Frutiger | 1957
Verdana | Matthew Carter | 1996
50 index
Walbaum | Justus Erich Walbaum | 1804
50 fonts 51
journals Purpose?
A journal entry for every week helped revisit important topics and reflect on what was discussed. Writing down what was said during a critique, lecture, or an instruction is almost guaranteed to engrave it in your memory.
2 1 The first day of class began by going over some genres that were discussed in a previous history of design class, such as Old Style, Bauhaus, Swiss, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau. Although most of the class was hesitant to answer, or simply just couldn’t remember the answers to some of the refresher questions, going over some of these styles served as an insight of what we have yet to learn. After this, we went over the huge project that we will be putting together. This project is a book that each student will create from assignments given throughout the semester. This book will be full of our own artwork and can serve as a portfolio. I am eager to begin the journey in creating my own book even though I realize a lot of hard work will have to be put in, in order to do this. Throughout the entirety of class one, we were given tips on what makes a successful designer. Someone can have a phenomenal portfolio, but still have a hard time finding a job. A portfolio is only 50% of what it takes to get your foot in the door. Consistency, hard work, time, effort, patience, stage presence, and rejection are just some things that make up the other 50%. It helps to take multiple interviews even if you know that you could never see yourself working there. This helps when interviewing for your top companies so that you become more confident in your answers. Making yourself stand out is crucial since multiple people will be applying for that same job. Overall, I am excited for the semester. I know that sometimes I will struggle and succeed, and other times I will fail. But once I fail, I know what I need to do to succeed.
54 index
week
week
Before I knew it we were already into the second week of the semester. Our second class consisted mostly of going over the genre presentations assigned the week before. Each presentation involved examples of the following nine genres: Old Style, Constructivism, De Stijl, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, International Style, Postmodern, and Urban. As we were going over the genre presentations, it was noticeable that some of us had forgotten what each genre encompasses. But as we went through more of the presentations, we were able to decipher these characteristics more at ease. To give some examples, we noticed: Art Deco is high contrast, Old Style is very textured, De Stijl consists of precisely rendered geometric forms, Bauhaus is minimalist, Postmodern is playful, and Urban usually uses Helvetica as a typeface. A reoccurring theme of this project was that some of the examples had the iconography of a specific genre, but the typography was of a different one. To me, the by far most difficult challenge was finding an example that was undoubtedly that genre and not another one. For the rest of class we went over instructions for our next assignment. We were even given a few tips and tricks from not only the professor, but from our classmates. These suggestions were to help us when creating our assignments due for the next class. Some tips that we learned had to do with using the pen tool, creating a grid, and making a tombstone. Overall, I left class more confident in my understanding of the genres and in my ability to do great at the next exercises.
journal 55
3
Class three began with us uploading our files to the DropBox. This time we finished quicker so we were able to start our presentations earlier. As we went along, everyone seemed to finally understand what each genre encompasses. After we cleared up any confusion and finished the presentations, we moved forth to critique our Boddington, Tradewell, and Black and White and Color exercises. I finished all of the projects, but struggled on some minor parts while completing them. For Boddington, I had trouble with creating a tombstone and having the type run perfectly across the path. For Tradewell, I had some difficulty creating the elaborate design with the pen tool. And, lastly, for the Black and White and Color exercise I struggled with getting the magenta box to touch the other ones when typing in the numbers for X and Y. While critiquing my exercises, I was given tips on how to fix these issues which was very helpful. While going over the rest of the classes’ exercises, I realized that other students seemed to be having some of the same issues. This made me feel better knowing that I was not the odd one out. After we were finished with that, I presented a tip on Photoshop that had to do with the lasso tool. Instead of redoing everything when you mess up, you can simply click the delete button and go back to the point that you want. After Lisa presented her tip, we were given instructions for our next exercises. Helvetica was then put on and we were free to work on these exercises for the rest of class.
56 index
4
week
week
We began class four by going over our presentations. These exercises had to do with alignment and justification. We were given three exercises: Align, Buddha, and Joe Duffy. As stated before, I had trouble with last week’s exercises, but I believe that I did well putting these ones together. I honestly did not ever think that I would enjoy working with these type exercises, but I did. If I were to think of something that I could improve on, I would definitely say that I should pay better attention to my leading— whether it be equal spacing or gradually getting smaller. After we finished going over all of the presentations, we did an in-class exercise that we had never done before. Images of a book were put on the board and we were quizzed on what we saw on each page. Some answers thrown out referred to the binding, leading, justification, and characteristics of the text. This was a good exercise for myself and my classmates to practice what we learned and to show that we actually retained it. When the images ran out, Alyssa and Brigid presented their tips and tricks. Alyssa showed how to change text to a specific color that was previously used. Brigid showed the class that even when you have already created an artboard, you are still able to alter its size and shape. We then went over what we were expected to have completed for the upcoming class: a summary, Six Words as an Image, an example of good/bad type, and to study for the quiz.
journal 57
5
On the fifth day of class we began by presenting our exercise that was assigned the week before. For this exercise we were told to make Six Words as an Image. We could either use the words provided (echo, break, missing, rule, animated, infinite, parallel, and falling) or we could use any words that we thought of on our own. While we were going over each student’s presentation, I was inspired to mess around with new words as well as recreate some of the words that I had already used. The words that I first used were: bite, broken, yolk, wavy, ruler, and weight lifting. After gaining inspiration from my peers, I decided to experiment with words such as: slide, bite, mirror, stamp, wavy, and party. The hardest part of this exercise, which seemed to be shared by all of my peers, was the unification of all six words. Mostly everyone had at least one that did not fit with the others. After hearing that this was the goal for this exercise, I started brainstorming ways on how to unite my new and revised words. After the presentations were finished, we went over examples of good and bad typography that myself and my peers had brought in. When we were all done pointing out characteristics and what we liked and/or did not like, we took a quiz on the Vox System. I studied every chance that I could in order for myself to receive full points the first try. Right after the quiz we went onto creating a Modular Grid and were told to fix our Six Words as an Image, add type and images to the Modular Grid, write a summary, combine all of our exercises and summaries, study for the quiz, and bring in a good or bad example of typography.
58 index
6
week
week
In class six we began by critiquing our new and improved Words as Images. Although, some of my classmates decided to stick with their originals, feeling as if their words did not need any revision. On the other hand, I decided to play around with my chosen words in attempt to unify them. Even though we were given an extra week to improve our words, I felt as if my words still needed further improvement and that they were not yet at their final stage. I was only given feedback to fade the word stamp and soften the edges, but I still did not feel that my words were quite unified as they could be. With that being said, after we were informed that we would have another week to finalize our words, I decided to experiment with words that represented different holidays such as: Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Halloween, Flag Day, and Birthday. When we finished critiquing each individual’s words we went over our modular grids. Those that had not already added some content to two pages, did. And then, as a group, we printed them. After all of our modular grids were printed, we went on to critiqued these and discussed some important characteristics of what makes up a good designer’s book. Characteristics such as font size, color, and emphasis on product were mentioned. After this, two book examples were brought up on the monitor and we did a practice exercise like we had done in the past where we were asked what we saw. It was clear that myself and my classmates were improving at speaking like a designer and recognizing what makes up a good design.
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7
To begin class seven, we started by going over our Word as Image final. Given that we had a few weeks to finalize our words, it was clear that our class’ exercises improved significantly with the help of feedback and revision. Since I revised my words, as well as created six completely new words, I presented twelve Words as Images. Although I created a new set of words, I was not given much feedback on which words to choose for my book or what I could do to improve these new set of words. With that being said, I was given almost too much freedom on what next steps will be. After we went over all of the presentations we went on to discuss our modular grids, good/bad examples of typography, and some of the students’ tips and tricks. After this, the instructor provided some tips of his own on what to expect when printing out our books. He mentioned that greens and blues change a lot with print. And that we should be weary of choosing colors that have the chance to not come out the way that we wanted. But if we do want to experiment with colors, it is best to always print out a test page for each page of our book— just to make sure. Along with providing us some insight on what to expect when printing, he went on to provide us some more information that would help us when designing our book. We were informed that holding shift+w on InDesign would provide a preview of what the book will look like when it is printed. And, lastly, he reminded us that a colophon shows all of the different programs that were used.
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8
week
week
Class eight began with tips and tricks since we had missed out on some of these the past few classes due to our lack of time. One tip that I found helpful was when Kate presented how to create a text wrap around an image. She did this by putting a second object around that image in order to create her desired gutter. Something that was also different about this class was that instead of starting from the top of the presentation list, we started from the bottom. This meant that I presented second to last, because of alphabetical order. In this class we turned in two different spreads of a modular grid, two or more genre posters, an example of good or bad typography, and a summary. Although we were assigned to design two or more genre posters, I noticed that the majority of my peers did not turn any in. But those that did turn the posters in clearly had a good idea of what they needed to do in order to emphasize their chosen genres. For myself, I designed four posters: one for bauhaus, two for oldstyle, and one for swiss. I did not receive much feedback on these, except to make each one have more of a classic feel. I also turned in two spreads. For these I was given feedback to spread out my exercises on different pages in order to meet the 60 page book requirement. After we were finished with all of the presentations, we ended class by working on two spreads of the modular grids. When time was up to stop working, we then printed them out and critiqued them. After the critique, we were told what we were to complete before class nine: a storyboard, modular grid, genre posters, a summary, and to bring in a good or bad example of typography.
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9
To start off week nine we began by dropping our work into the DropBox. After taking around 45 minutes to do so, we went over some tips and tricks. Since my two peers who were assigned to present were absent, Madeline volunteered to show us one that she learned while working at a PR firm. She emphasized how tedious it can be to change the same word on a multi-page document on InDesign. But, when holding command+f, you are able to find and change a single word on all of the pages that it occurs on. This overall makes the editing process go faster and you are less likely to make mistakes. After Madeline was finished with her tip, we then went on to discuss our presentations. These consisted of: storyboards, genre posters, modular grid spreads, and examples of typography. When we were going through my storyboard, it was brought to my attention that the biography section should always be at the back, because your work is always more important than yourself when you are a designer. Other than that, everything else looked good. As we continued, I came to realize that just like last week, some were a little behind on turning their work in. Presentations went much quicker and were able to discuss more than we usually would. When we came back from taking a break, those that had not received a perfect score on the Vox Quiz were given a blank quiz in order to retake it. I was able to sit back and relax during this time. After all quizzes were turned in, we discussed our game plan for the remaining weeks.
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week
week
10 10 10
While my classmates were uploading their presentations to the DropBox, I went ahead and presented my tip and trick of the week. Since I learned how to make a 3D objects this semester, I decided to present to the class how to use the center alignment and pathfinder tools to divide objects directly in half. This way your cut is more precise rather than just eyeballing it. After everyone was finished uploading their presentations, we went on to critique them. It seemed as if my professor was creating a pattern. As of recently we have begun to alternate which part of the presentation list we start at— either top or bottom. My exercises were the first to go over last week, while this week, I was at the end of the presentation list. This weeks presentations consisted of: genre posters, storyboard layouts, and modular grids. As we critiqued each of my peers’ exercises, I was able to gain inspiration and learn from their mistakes— as well as mine. But, what I found myself thinking about as I saw other genre posters or storyboards, were ideas of how I could better my own. After our critique we hopped onto the computers to edit our books, as well as tighten up two spreads in order to print them out and go over them before class ended. After this, we took a look over these and went over some important tips when designing our books. For example, elements should always be brought out to the bleed to ensure printing (such as a background color). To end class we were given our next assignments: a summary, genre posters, modular grids, the layout and readability section, timelines, and more than one cover concept.
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11 11 11
Class eleven began with a guest speaker, Kat, from the printing center. She gave us some helpful tips in order to ensure that our books will be printed out correctly. Some things that she touched base on were: creating two different documents for the book cover and guts, the presets for printing, what to save the files as, and what material to ask for at the print shop (matte text and a matte cover). When Kat was finished speaking, we were given some extra time to put all of our files into the DropBox since we were unable to do so at the beginning of class. Then, we went over our presentations. Presentations this week consisted mainly of storyboard layouts and cover concepts. This went fairly quickly due to some of my classmates having missing work. I did not receive much critique other than being told to fix my flat Boddingtons and switch the order of the modular grid and technical layout and readability. Since I have been able to keep up on all of my work, as well as do some extra to get ahead, I only have a few more things to do in order for my book to be finalized and print ready. Knowing that I have my cover figured out and all of my exercises finished, all I really need to focus on is creating a design and layout that unifies my entire book. Although I have a pretty good idea of how I want both the design and layout to look, I feel as if it is necessary to experiment in order to achieve the look that I want.
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week
week
12 12 12
With Thanksgiving being Thursday, the day after Wednesday’s class, not many people showed up. This made presentations go awfully quick. Week twelve’s presentations consisted of further progression that we made with our books as well as our finalized five genre posters. Since most of the presentations were individual based discussions between the designer and the instructor, we were free to work on our books as well as be apart of the critique. But by the time my presentation came around, I was ready to devote my attention to Ron and my classmates’ advice. Some advice that I was given was to: get rid of the distracting white stroke on my Technical Layout and Readability Spread, delete the accidental black rule popping up at the bottom of one of my Words as Image’s page, and to make the font size the same for all of the titles. After all of the presentations had been critiqued, we were then given time to work on our books. This meant that we could ask any questions to Ron as well as our peers as we went along. For me, the next couple of hours consisted of fixing any areas that were not well received during the critique as well as making as much progression as I could on my book. Although I was definitely eager to get home to my family and friends, I am very thankful that I chose to go to class twelve for many reasons. I was able to get feedback and make great progression on my book in order to get it ready for printing. This meant that I could spend more time with my loved ones and less time trying to catch up.
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This book was conceived and created for my Fall 2016 Intermediate Typography class.
Designer: Amanda Johnson Professor: Ron Kovach
colophon
Paperstock cover: 100# premium matte cover Paperstock text: 60# premium matte text Binding: perfect Software:
Adobe Acrobat DC / Adobe Illustrator CC 2015.3 / Adobe InDesign CC 2015 / Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5
Typography:
Adobe Garamond Pro / Avenir / Baskerville / Bodoni 72 / Geneva / Grandier / Impact / Knucle Down / Marion / Microsoft Sans Serif / Minion Pro / Myriad Pro / PT Sans Caption / Sabado / Roboto
Research:
99designs.com / britannica.com / designmodo.com / lynda.com / theartstory.org / webdesignplus.tutsplus.com
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colophon 67
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©2016 Amanda Johnson. All Rights Reserved.
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