.
meta
Erik Spiekermann “I had a little printing press and taught myself to set type when I was twelve,” he recalls. “Years later, when I went to university to study art history, I made a living as a letterpress printer and hot metal typesetter.”
Erik Spiekermann, born in 1947, calls himself an information architect. He is equally comfortable and prolific as a writer, graphic and typeface designer, but type is always at the epicenter of this communication dynamo.
1947
1988
His book, Stop Stealing Sheep, first published in 1993, has sold over 150,000 copies and is currently in its second edition. FontShop, a digital typeface foundry and distributor of fonts.
1993
In 1988, Spiekermann started FontShop, a digital typeface foundry and distributor of fonts.
2000
Spiekermann currently holds a professorship at the Academy of Arts in Bremen, is vice president of the German Design council, president of the International Institute of Information Design, president of the International Society of Typographic Designers and a board member of ATypI.
now
He withdrew from the management of MetaDesign in 2000 to work on a new project: The United Designers Network, a collaboration of many designers he has worked with over the years.
1
Origins of the Typeface “When it comes to the design of typefaces, Spiekermann sees himself as more of a problem solver than an artist. His process for beginning a new typeface is simple and straightforward. “Identify a problem – like space saving, bad paper, low resolution, on-screen use – then find typefaces that almost work but could be improved,” he explains. “Study them. Note the approaches and failings. Sleep on it, then start sketching without looking at anything else.”
2
1984
In 1984, the German State Post Office, the Budespost, was persuaded by Erik Spiekermann of MetaDesign to commission a new, exclusive font for use on all of the Budespost’s printed material.
1985
The aim of the project, which began in 1985, was to develop a face that was easy to read in small sizes, available in several weights, unmistakable as an identity, and technologically up-to-date. Although the font was digitized, tested, and approved in the summer of 1985, the project was canceled. The Bundespost returned to using one of its many previous typefaces, Helvetica, assuming that digital type would not catch on.
1989
In 1989, after design software made creating new fonts more efficient, MetaDesign refined the Bundespost typeface for its own exclusive use, renaming it Meta. Initially, Meta was just used for in-house projects, but soon MetaDesign began to use it in mail-order catalogs for FontShop, a digital type foundry, confounded by Erik Spiekermann. FontShop encouraged the parent company to license the face. Released as FF Meta, it has become one of the most successful typefaces available from FonFont, a subsidiary of FontShop.
3
Characteristics of the Typeface The aim of the project, which began in 1985, was to develop a face that was easy to read in small sizes, available in several weights, unmistakable as an identity, and technologically up-to-date.
4
meta book italic
meta book
meta .
.
.
meta bold
.
meta bold italic
5
uppercase angled finals occur in the tops of the strokes of the C, E, F, G, and S
the base of the G has no spur
the K has one junction
Meta has capitals with flat apices
the stems of M and W are oblique
the tail of the Q is wavy
CEGJKMQR .
.
.
the C has a wide opening
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the E has an extended base
the base of the J has no loop
the junction on the M rests on the baseline
the Q and O have oval shaped counters
the leg of the R is slightly curved
lowercase the ascendors of the b, k, h, and l are slightly bent at the top
the finals of the v, w, and y are slightly angles
the z has an upright final at the top
bgilpwyz .
double-storied g that has a highly unusual open bowl
the dots of Meta are rounded
the l has a slight curveed tail
the junction the y has an and base of offset junction the w are both flat
ascender height cap height x-height
baseline descender height
the z has an angled final at the bottom
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5
Comparison The nuanced construction of the meta typefaces sets it apart from helvetica’s regularized structure, creating the face’s appealing personality.
8
meta has only a slightly lower x-height than helvetica
x abc meta is a more condensed face than helvetica
9
Meta has a double story g that has a a opened bowl that is not seen in fonts such as helvetica
meta vs. helvetica neue
meta vs. gill sans
g C
The C not only has a wider opening than gill sans and but also has angled finals
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The ascender of the meta l is slightly bent at the top and the bottom has a slight curved tale while the l of helvetica is stright with flat apices
l F
The F of meta has middle crossbar is shorter than the top (which has an angled final). The F of gill sans has equal legnth crossbars that have striaght finals
While the dots of meta letterforms and punctuation are rounded, helvetica’s are squares
Meta and helvetica both have thing shoulders
j r M O The Junction of the M in meta lies on the baseline and has oblique stems unlike gill sans where the stems are straight and the junction rests in the middle of the letter
While the counter of the O in meta is an oval, the counter of gill sans is a circle
The y of meta has an offset junction not seen in Helvetica
y Z
The Z has angled finals on both ends while gill sans has are upright
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Bibliography Sweet, Fay. MetaDesign: Design from the Word up. New York: Watson-Guptil Publications, 1999. (A&A: VNC999.6.G4 M48 1999 and Vault)
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Spiekermann, Erik and Ginger, E.M. Stop Stealing Sheep & Find out how Type Works. USA: Hayden, 1993. (Vault)
Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces/essays by Carolyn Annand ... [et al.]; edited by Philip B. Meggs and Roy McKelvey, New York: RC Publications, c2000. (A&A: Z250 .R45 2000)
http://www.linotype.com http://www.fonts.com http://www.fontfont.com http://www.typography.com
This book was designed by Amy Sara Novak in typography studio durring the fall of 2012 at the Washingotn University in St. Louis. It was produced on 28lb Hammermill paper in greyscale
atem