FONTFACE A Critical Anaylsis of Typefaces and their Graphic Syles
by Amber Norenberg
The What & Why | Mission Statment
what's your type Let’s talk type. Whoever said picking a typeface for your brand is easy must be nuts. When looking at an establishment or advertisement, your first impression comes from the way the “brand” is represented. Image is everything: It can make or break a sale. Businesses are kidding themselves when saying, “Image doesn’t matter and that it is all about the quality and the service.” However, all of us type nerds know the truth—the dirty truth—type is everything. Criticism is not always something that one should brush off; Fontface will take you to places you never would have wanted to go before, explaining the good the bad and the ugly truth about the way type can potentially mislead a viewer. This grouping of short critical reviews may be a very small sampling of the way type is represented as the face of a industry, but we must keep in mind that times and styles are always changing. When striving for success, you must keep up with the times in order for your image to flourish. If you are allowing your style or brand to become out dated by not keeping up with the trends, this could highly affect your establishment. The “ugly” is not the group you want to be in. Join us as we celebrate the successes and learn from the failures. We will do this by taking a look at—not what the owner thinks it means—but what the viewer sees from a critical standpoint.
Aax
Serif
Aax Sans Serif
Anatomy of Type | Characters
Abcdefgn stem
ascender
terminal
shoulder
cap-height
x-height
baseline
bar
bowl
counter
bracket
descender
Before we dive into critical reviews, taking a look at the anatomy of typography is crucial for your understanding. Let’s start from the basic typographic element. An element is what is called a character; this can be any individual letter, numerical or punctuation mark, and capital letters which are referred to as caps, or uppercase. The small letters are called lowercase characters. Numbers are called numerals or figures. Type is then grouped into three sections based upon their characteristics: Serif, Sans Serif and Script. Script, being the oldest form of typography mimicking hand-rendered cursive script, where each character flows together by curvaceous ligaments. Serif was formed during the time of typewriters and letterpress. These letterforms have a small line attached to the ends of a stroke in a letter or symbol. These were used to separate each character into their own distinct unit for typesetting and typewriters. Typefaces without these attached units are then called Sans Serif. Sans Serif is derived from the French word sans meaning without. Exactly like its translated meaning, it is without the added line to make a more blocky face with less line width variation. Serifs are normally used for body copy because the serifs help guide the eye along; where as, the Sans Serif is used for headlines and graphic elements.
Now, lets dive in.
National Museum: Blasieholmen, Sweden
BASKERVILLE
O
ne of the most recognizable typefaces used throughout print—Baskerville is everywhere. The contrasting thick and thin stroke lengths paired elegantly with finely tapered and sharp serifs make this face a very legible and usable classic. This face allows for more curved strokes that are circular in shape allowing characters to have a greater consistency in size and form. Consisting of regular, italic, bold and light; Baskerville becomes even more versatile. Designed in 1757 by John Baskerville, this font represented a milestone in typographic development that took advantage of the latest printing innovations. John Baskerville, a master of writing, was looking to create a more legible face that was easy on the eye. By his self-named creation, he developed what he knew to be a perfected typeface through its simplicity and refinement, in comparison to what had previously existed. With Baskerville claiming his typeface to be perfect for his eye, we all must agree. While typefaces going in and out of style, Baskerville is here to stay. Constantly being seen throughout print such as magazine and books; it is also to be used as a way to represent business though its elegant, historical beauty. It is a face that represents the past and is at ease to the eye. No one should even second-guess what this typeface’s representation might be, besides the easy assumption of professionalism. Baskerville is something that is meant to live for many years, knowing due to it being an established typeface that ages well with time.
PAPYRUS
W
hy we hate it, we aren’t really sure but what we do know is we don’t use it. Papyrus is the most controversial typefaces in graphic design. One exception that I will make for this typeface is its use in Avatar, Papyrus is otherwisie a highly overused typeface used for print media design. Designed by Chris Costello in 1982, it is a hand drawn face which gained texture through his use of a calligraphy pen over textured paper. His goal was to mimic font, which would have looked like it was written on papyrus over 2000 years ago. Its characteristics are not to be mistaken by others with its very distinct rough edges, irregular curves and elongated capitals. The face has a very Egyptian like quality about it. Over its lifetime, this typeface has gotten a bad reputation do to its over use, and use within greeting cards. A typeface that was once fun, playful and unique can now make a designer cringe when they see it. For Chris Costello we can call it a success, but for all you designers out there who are still using it, the time to start exploring other options has come.
FUTURA F
utura, one of the times most enduring fonts, is a geometric sans serif typeface used so much that you see it on a daily basis without even recognizing it. The tough industrial style design is characterized by the stylization of the constructivist moment from which it emerged in 1927 from the Bauhaus. Paul Renner, who designed Futura, has been almost defied by his achievement in making this typeface, as he didn’t create many other fonts. Casted in light, medium, bold, oblique, medium, Demibold, and extra bold this face has a wide range of usage. All letterforms consisting of the same line length while maintaining standard in width and height, form very geometric forms; such as, near perfect circles, triangles and squares. This face functions in both print and digital form, always allowing for easy legibility. It is most commonly known for its use in headlines and body copy but most importantly it is seen around town. You see it multiple times a day without even knowing, making its appearance throughout mainstream logos; such as, IKEA, Hulu, Absolut vodka, Domino’s Pizza, and Red Bull. Its lack of ornamentation and clutter allows for this face to create form and function while maintaining easy legibility. It is clean, standardized, legible, and stylish: All of which companies should want as their representation for themselves. In somewhat of a resemblance to its name, this font will always be the font of the future; pairing well with others and aging as a classic. Futura is a safe bet to success.
PALATINO U
sed widely around the world, Palatino has been made compatible with almost every type of printing technology. Being among the serif typeface family, it is one of the top ten most used fonts. Palatino, named after the Italian master calligrapher Giambattista Palatino, features the humanist font of the Italian Renaissance as the base of typeface. Compared to humanist fonts, Palatino is larger and slightly different. The letters are made up of mimicking lines that would be formed by a broad nib pen using small letters with long vertical lines. These letterforms feature a relatively small x-height and a low contrast between thick and thin strokes, meaning there is little variation in stroke width. Also, it’s comprised of descenders on letterforms that drop below the base line, significantly larger than the letterforms themselves. During the late 1950’s, Hermann Zapf designed this well-known old face. A key goal was for it to remain legible even on textured paper, while still featuring the calligraphic undertones. In capturing the essence of calligraphic strokes through his varied line lengths, he shamelessly acts upon playing with serifs all stemming from the end of the strokes and veering to the left; only placing serif where he felt was necessary for allowing for the fluid movement between characters. This typeface has gained the reputation of an elegant face. Seen in Italian bistros to bottles of Wine, when you see Palatino, you know it’s a black tie affair. Its historical beauty can last a lifetime.
TRAJAN
I
f you have seen a movie poster, you have seen Trajan. Among the most overused fonts in print marketing, Trajan is the typeface of the Hollywood marketing campaigns, even more commonly known as the “movie font.� This serif typeface is very clean in character with its line lengths varying between thick and thin, its serifs come to a point almost as a pointed-toe shoe or a fishhook. While being very elegant, its cap-height reaches as tall as most x-height, making this font a very rectangular form and easily stackable, which in case could be why it is commonly used for movie posters.When questioning why Trajan is everywhere, one thing comes to mind: it is one of the defaults in Adobe’s Creative Suite, allowing for its common use among everyone and widely available to both the designer and the printer to have on hand. While this font is elegant and can take on the characteristics of whatever it is paired with, it can be a distraction or easily gain negative connotations once your viewer finally catches on to its overpowering repetition.
HELVETICA
F
amous for its use on the Internet, Helvetica is a shinning star. This widely used sans-serif typeface is the most easily recognizable to the human eye. It is seen in print, web, and even television reels. Designed by Max Miedinger in 1957, this font became the most important font of the postwar period especially with there being fifty-plus variants that exist. The face itself features stokes being exactly of the same weight forming horizontal or vertical lines with tight letter spacing, giving it a dense and compact appearance. With such a crisp and clean aesetic, lots of companies choose this face for their representation. Companies such as American Apparel and Crate&Barrel use Helvetica to represent their stores in a means of their merchandise being the bare essentials or the basics. Both their logos are very basic with the restricted use of Helvetica to mimic their inventory. Though this may sound bad, by all means it is not. Less is more. The lack of over design and a stance for simplicity is what their companies stand for. Helvetica has become the typeface that we all see, know, and love. From twitter to blogs you see Helvetica all over the web due to its easy pairing. You can put this face along side anything and it won’t fight for the attention, but instead support what is being displayed. Whether you are in need of a good sidekick or a strong best friend, Helvetica is your guy, there for whatever you need.
ll caps and screaming for your attention, Flush Butter Fairy Floss is one you cannot help but be drawn to. This—all capital letters only initial font filled with art nouveau spunk—is draped in fairies hovering around fanciful letters. With the fairies having a mind of their own, they pop from various areas of the letters—from the left, right, and middle. Each fairy taking on its own characteristics, they claim the identity of each letterform rather than becoming a dancing fairy. Overlapped by the lightly drawn fairies, while the letters vary in weight, they still hold a very thick stroke. Forming curlicues and inner-wing like patterns, this typeface is rather elegant through its illustrative style. While beautifully illustrated, Fairy Floss is not something that you would use often or if at all, as you may even be judged for it. The pairing of letters can quickly become overpowering and off-putting; through the screaming of all caps and the spacey type feel from the flowing fairies. Being fun and mystical, this typeface is a great pair for a child’s invitation or stationary. While the pairing of characters are awkward due to its large typesetting this font is great for monograms or drop caps. This unique decorative fairy font is great for crafts, as it really sets the mood for the whimsical feel that can be hard to find. However, remember, use sparingly to avoid overkill. This is not a face that is meant to be read in sentence structure.
1978 KFC Logo
AMERICAN TYPEWRITER F
amiliar to the elder eyes, American Typewriter mimics what helped shaped reading habits and the idea of legibility through the invention of the typewriter. But, most commonly, it is known for its use in “I Love NY” souvenirs. This refined interpretation of the traditional typewriter letterforms is one of the most popular typefaces of the twentieth century. Joe Kaden and Tom Stan’s 1974 design is available in light, medium, old, and condensed versions. The forms have been proportionally spaced but retain the immediacy that typewritten text evokes. Even though it looses the organic, grunge look that a typewriter prevails. Used for mainly old-fashioned aesthetics, it is most commonly seen through invitations, gifts and business identities. At one point in time, American Typewriter was the face of Kentucky Fried Chicken while through its many redesigns it only had a short lifespan. While American Typeface may not be as versatile as others, when used correctly it is used well. This typeface has an aesthetic quality that it brings along with its representation: It has a fun, quirky attitude about it that steers towards the more organic, raw quality. Though this face has an almost youthful quality to it, it still has a professional feel to it when used appropriately. With the current trends of the DIY rustic feel, Typewriter is popping up in more places than usual. It is used to give that vintage vibe this is hard to come by while still keeping a very clean, elegant approach aiding to its common use through wedding invitations and stationary. Though it may be familiar to the elder eye, it doesn’t mean we want them to see it everyday. Think twice when choosing this face, does it represent what you represent? If you find yourself questioning it, then the answer is to try something else.
CURLZ
C
urlz exploded onto the advertising display stage in the mid 1990’s. Its flamboyant hand cut curlicues give text an irrepressible sense of fun and an unmistakable look. This font was commonly used in headline and display work (keeping in mind this was during the 90’s). Struggling to be a mixed attempt at both hand rendered scrip and a curled serif, Curlz is classified as a decorative font. Mimicking its name, it is formed of spiral curls that ends of the strokes made up of varied weights. No letter forms, form from the same angle, giving you question of whether or not this is an attempt of copying 7-year-old girls handwriting. The reputation of an overly whimsical face, this font attempts at being fun, and festive but mostly comes across as over kill. While this type may be okay for a little girl’s birthday invitation, for store reputation you may want to think twice. At a glance, this face gives off the impression of cheap and gaudy. While made in the 90’s, it should stay in the 90’s. If you are going to use it; use it large and with courage.
rab your cowboy boots and lasso, Figaro is riding on in. This typeface has taken over the representation of the Wild West. While not commonly seen on a day to day basis, when walking into a stationary store, ice cream shop or tourist town you will have your run in with Figaro. The Monotype Design Studio released Figaro in 1940. It is a modernized version of a nineteenth-century slab serif with heavy emphasis being placed on the serifs. This typeface mimics Egyptian font and is most commonly used for entertainment events and posters. Being considered a slab serif means that there is greater emphasis on the serifs forms which are made up of thick rectangular forms with thin strokes conjoining the characters. The letter spacing is very tight to where only a sliver could fit between slabs. Like the Wanted Dead or Alive posters from the Wild West, Figaro is sure to grab your attention though its density from the slabs. This font is fun and playful, but lacks sophistication. When choosing this face, think fun and exciting because it’s considered the face of the cowboys’ lifestyle.
LOBSTER S
preading like wildflowers in the past 4 years, Lobster has taken over the stationary scene. Its hand rendered quality is the ideal aesthetic for invitations and notecards. While commonly seen on paper, it isn’t afraid to make its way through the advertising world from billboards to mailers and even packaging: Lobster is everywhere. While mimicking the hand-rendered script calligraphic style, it still seems very graphic through its thick line lengths and hints of old style with its rounded edges on the z and r. The lines are made up of a varying stroke that mimics an upright flat brush adhered closely to a roman form, while still allowing for the irregularities within the brushstrokes suggesting an element of spontaneity. With how popular Lobster has become in the past year due to the trending DIY movement, be sure to use with caution. While today you may not be judged for its use, due to its popularity for packaging, publicity, and stationary; Lobster is becoming more recognizable to the mainstream eye. Lets remember, too much of a good thing is never a good thing.
tanding tall and proud: Algerian is sure to make an impact. With its easy legibility, from a distance, this face makes great for posters and packaging through its use in headlines. Designed by Phillip Kelly in 1988, this type is classified as decorative with triangular serifs of a ¬Latin style font. Algerian, created for Letraset’s dry transfer library, is a reworking of Stephenson Blake Foundry 1911 display type from nineteenth-century wood cut type face, but with the replacement of alternate characters. Forming a tall stand structure with a white drop-shadow aligned from the left side, this face uses very sharp edges pared with a variant line length. While being very curvaceous, it still flaunts it with its triangular hooks and crossings. Breaking the rules with the over extending arms from the v, w and y; this face isn’t afraid to stand out in a crowd. Coming both in regular and condensed, this typeface is only in all caps which makes its use somewhat limited. Being very unique in characteristic, this is a great typeface when paired correctly. While its uppercase and old face characteristics may make pairing this font hard, this is not a face you should pass over. It’s quick and easy to grab the attention of the eye: This font is an oldie but a goodie.
Whats your face say about you?
Works Cited “Anatomy of Type - Typography Deconstructed.” Typography Deconstructed LLC. N.p., n.d. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2014. Boardley, John. “I Love Typography.” Web log post. I Love Typography RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. “Fonts In Use – Type at Work in the Real World.” Fonts In Use – Type at Work in the Real World. N.p., 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. Collabrative collection of found typefaces throughout print and web. Gendelman, Vladimir. “Worst Fonts Ever! 11 Examples of Bad Typography in Print.” Company Folders. N.p., 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. Lupton, Ellen. Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2004. Print.