1 minute read
Sneak Peek!
from Typography Guide
by Sitin W
Typography&Digital Publishing
Families of Type 3
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Garamond
BaskervilleDidot
Century Egyptian 1894
Helvetica Contemporary 1957
Zapfino Contemporary Display 1998
Old Style 1617
Transitional 1757Modern 1788
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There are six categories that most type fits into. Old Style, Transitional, Modern, Egyptian, San Serif and Display.
Old Style
Old Style type began with designs of the punchcutter Francesco Giffo, who worked for the famous Venetian scholar-printer Aldus Manutius during the 1490s. Giffo’s designs evolved from earlier Italian type designs. His Old Style capitals were influenced by carved Roman capitals; lowercase letters were inspired by fifteenth-century humanistic writings, bases on earlier Carolingian minuscules. Old style letterforms have the weight stress of rounded forms at an angle, as in handwriting. The serifs are bracketed (that is, unified with the stroke by a tapered,
curved line). Also, the top serifs on the lowercase letters are at an angle. Other famous old style fonts are Jenson and Garamond (shown)
Transitional
During the 1700’s, typestyles gradually evolved from Old Style to Modern. Typefaces from the middle of the eighteenth century, including those by John Baskerville, are called Transitional. The contrast between thick and thin strokes is greater than Old Styles faces. Lowercase serifs are more horizontal and the stress within the rounded forms shifts to a less diagonal axis. Transitional characters are usually wider than old style characters.
Designing with Type 20
PrattPratt
Lists 26
After the introduction of computer fonts based on fully scalable outlines, a broader definition evolved. Font is no longer size specific, but still refers to a single style. Bulmer regular, Bulmer italic, Bulmer bold and Bulmer bold italic are four fonts, but one typeface.
Contents 1 Metal type 2 Font characteristics 2.1 Weight 2.2 Slope 2.3 Width 2.4 Optical size 2.5 Metrics 2.6 Serifs 2.7 Proportion 3 Etymology 4 References
After the introduction of computer fonts based on fully scalable outlines, a broader definition evolved. Font is no longer size specific, but still refers to a single style. Bulmer regular, Bulmer italic, Bulmer bold and Bulmer bold italic are four fonts, but one typeface.
Contents ❖ Metal type ❖ Font characteristics Weight Slope Width Optical size Metrics Serifs Proportion ❖ Etymology ❖ References
After the introduction of computer fonts based on fully scalable outlines, a broader definition evolved. Font is no longer size specific, but still refers to a single style. Bulmer regular, Bulmer italic, Bulmer bold and Bulmer bold italic are four fonts, but one typeface.
Contents
❖ Metal type
❖ Font characteristics Weight Slope Width Optical size Metrics Serifs Proportion
❖ Etymology
❖ References
