by Aylin-Sibel Reckermann
Typography is insignificant. Why do people talk about typography as if it was the most important thing in this world? Why do designers spend weeks, not to say months, on finding the perfect curve for the letter “g”. Why are there philosophies and thousands of discussions about a single typeface? Why does “great” typography have to reflect perfection, when all type really is, is invisible?
Typography is like air: Only when it’s bad, you will notice it. • Erik Spiekermann
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To those who spend their lives providing us with fresh air.
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
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of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
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4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
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An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
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Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A personal design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
1
of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
35 - 71
4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
7 - 19
An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
21 - 33
Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A personal design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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Clay in a Potter’s Hand. PERFECT typography is more a science than an art. Mastery of the trade is indispensable, but it isn’t everything. Unerring taste, the hallmark of perfection, rests also upon a clear understanding of the laws of harmonious design. As a rule impeccable taste springs partly from inborn sensitivity: from feeling. But feelings remain rather unproductive unless they can inspire a secure judgement. Feelings have to mature into knowledge about the consequences of formal decisions. For this reason, there are no born masters of typography, but self-education may lead in time to mastery. It is wrong to say that there is no arguing about taste when it is good taste that is in question. We are not born with good taste, nor do we come into this world equipped with a real understanding of art. Merely to recognize who or what is represente d in a picture has little to do with a real understanding of art. Neither has a uniformed opinion about the proportions of Roman letters. In any case, arguing is senseless. He who wants to convince has to do a better job than others. Good taste and perfect typography are supra-personal. Today, good taste is often erroneously rejected as old fashioned because the ordinary man, seeking approval of his so-called personality, prefers to follow the dic-
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tates of his own peculiar style rather than submit to any objective criterion of taste. In a masterpiece of typography, the artist’s signature has been eliminated. What some may praise as personal styles are in reality small and empty peculiarities, frequently damaging, that masquerade as innovations. Examples are the use of a single typeface - perhaps a sans serif font or a bizarre nineteenth-century script - a fondness for mixing unrelated fonts; or the application of seemingly courageous limitations, such as using a single size of type for an entire work, no matter how complex. Personal typography is defective typography. Only beginners and fools will insist on using it. Perfect typography depends on perfect harmony between all of its elements. We must learn, and teach, what this means. Harmony is determined by relationships or proportions. Proportions are hidden everywhere: in the capaciousness of the margins, in the reciprocal relationships to each other of all four margins on the page of a book, in the relationship between leading of the type area and dimensions of the margins, in the placement of the page number relative to the type area, in the extent to which capital letters are spaced differently from the text, and not at least, in the spacing of the words themselves. In short, affinities are hidden in any and all parts. Only through constant practice and strictest self-criticism may we develop a sense for a
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perfect piece of work. Unfortunately, most seem content with a middling performance. Careful spacing of words and the correct spacing of capital letters appear to be unknown or unimportant to some typesetters, yet for him who investigates, the correct rules are not difficult to discover. Since typography appertains to each and all, it leaves no room for revolutionary changes. We cannot alter the essential shape of a single letter without at the same time destroying the familiar printed face of our language, and thereby rendering it useless. Comfortable legibility is the absolute benchmark for all typography - yet only an accomplished reader can properly judge legibility. To be able to read a primer, or indeed a newspaper, does not make anyone a judge; as a rule, both are readable, though barely. They are DECIPHERABLE. Decipherability and ideal legibility are opposites. Good legibility is a matter of combining a suitable script and an appropriate typesetting method. For perfect typography, an exhaustive knowledge of the historical development of letters used in printing books is absolutely necessary. More valuable yet is a working knowledge of calligraphy. The typography of most newspapers is decidedly backward. Lack of form destroys even the first signs of good taste and forestalls its development. Too lazy to think,
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many people read more newspapers than books. Small wonder, then, that typography as a whole is not evolving, and book typography is no exception. If a typesetter reads more newspapers than anything else, where would he acquire a knowledge of good taste in typography? Just as a person gets used to poor cuisine when nothing better is available and means of comparisons are lacking, so many of today’s readers have grown used to poor typography because they read more newspapers than books and thus KILL TIME, as it is so succinctly termed. Since they aren’t acquainted with better typography, they can’t ask for it. And not knowing how to make things better, the rest lack voice. Beginners and amateurs alike overestimate the importance of the so-called brain wave, the sudden brilliant idea. Perfect typography is largely a matter of choice among different already existing possibilities: a choice based on vast experience. The correct choice is a question of tact. Good typography can never be humorous. It is precisely the opposite of an adventure. The brilliant idea counts for little or nothing at all. It counts the less, since it can only apply to a single job. It is a condition of good typographic work that each single part be formally dependent upon every other part. These relationships are developed slowly while the work is in progress. Today, the art of typography is eminently logical. It differs from all other art forms in that a substantial portion of the inherent logic is accessible for verification by
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lay persons. Circumstances exist, however, where a perfectly logical but too complex graduation of type sizes may be sacrificed to achieve a simpler image. The more significant the content of a book, the longer it has to be preserved, and the more balanced, indeed, the more perfect its typography has to be. Leading, letterspacing, and word spacing must be faultless. The relationships of the margins to each other, the relationships of all type sizes used, the placement of running heads: everything must exhibit noble proportions and yield an unalterable effect. The decisions made in HIGHER typography - about the design of a book title, for example - are, like a highly refined taste, related to creative art. Here, forms and shapes may be invented which in their perfection are the equal of anything good sculpture and painting have to offer. The connoisseur is compelled to admire these creations all the more since the typographer is chained more than any other artist by the unalterable word, and only a master can awaken to their true life the rigid and formal letters used in the printing of books. Immaculate typography is certainly the most brittle of all the arts. To create a whole from many petrified, disconnected and given parts, to make this whole appear alive and of a piece - only sculpture in stone approaches the unyielding stiffness of perfect typography. For most people, even impeccable typography does not
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hold any particular aesthetic appeal. In its inaccessibility, it resembles great music. Under the best of circumstances, it is gratefully accepted. To remain nameless and without specific appreciation, yet to have been of service to a valuable work and to the small number of visually sensitive readers - this, as a rule, is the only compensation for the long, and indeed never-ending, indenture of the typographer.
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
1
of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
35 - 71
4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
7 - 19
An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
21 - 33
Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A personal design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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Finality is death. Perfection is finality. Nothing is perfect. • Philosopher James Stephens
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Perfect Typography is dead. For me great Typography needs to have a soul. It has to be alive and present to fullfill its purpose in conveying a message. In a world that is as fastmoving as ours nowadays, where no one has much time for anything anymore, typography needs to be exciting. It needs to lure the reader into its content in a short moment of time. An exciting typeface or a fascinating typesetting are the first things that catch a reader’s attention when looking at a book cover or an advertisement. He does not know the content yet. All he sees is the title, the headline or simply a full body of text. If the typeface is presented in the most boring way, it is guaranteed that nobody will take interest in it, even if it has the most insightful content. A stiff and formal arrangement of type in symmetrical balance doesn’t sell by the visual. Thus, I believe that typography must not be perfect and strictly arranged. Exciting imperfections and asymmetrical, informal arrangements are the things that start to make typography interesting and visible. I once drove past a store of a well-known german hardware chain, called Hornbach. It had the huge, about 15 metres, three dimensional logo infront of it. Those that
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light up in the dark. But you couldn’t read it that well, because three letters had partially fallen off. Therefore, you could simply read H rnb h. Due to the fact, the logo was so well-known and present in my mind, I recognised it immediately, just like everbody else in Germany would have. I started wondering why they hadn’t repaired it earlier, since all of those letters couldn’t have fallen off on the same day. And Hornbach is a huge hardware store chain, they had enough money to quickly repair it. But then I recognised that I for sure wouldn’t have looked at the damaged logo for that long, if it wasn’t for its imperfections. And I believe many people that saw this damaged font up in the air, have thought about Hornbach for a longer time, than they usually spent thinking about perfect logos sitting up in the air on a store’s frontside. Usually they simply take a glance at the fonts they come across. People don’t waste time thinking about it. For them the font is invisible. But as soon as you add a tiny imperfection, it becomes interesting and visible to the human eye. We are so used to the way the world looks, that a slight change m g t ca ch o r co plete a teni n. Jan Tschischold, on the other hand, has a completely different and very traditional view of typography. After
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reading the essay “Clay in a Potter’s Hand“, I noticed that there are several points mentioned which I don’t agree with. Tschischold believes that “good typography can never be humorous. It is precisely the opposite of an adventure“. I, on the other hand, very much believe that typography can be if not should be adventurous! It should be full of life and it should lure the reader into its content. He also states that “in a masterpiece of typography, the artist’s signature has been eliminated”. This means that Jan Tschischold leaves no space for personality or originality, which are two aspects that I believe should be definitely present in modern day typography. Based on “Clay in a Potter’s Hand“ I somehow feel, that the so called “perfect typography” leaves out any space for typography being an art, since art has to be adventurous. Without adventure it is dead. I don’t blame or judge Tschischold for his opinion, I simply believe that it is past its time and that the view and the purpose of typography has changed over the years. I am not a particular fan of traditional typography and typesetting, such as Jan Tschischold stands for. I am excited to see modern trends in typography, for which the growth of advertising is as well partly responsible
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for. Over centuries, for example, people didn’t pay much attention to the dynamic possibility of white space around a body of text and now it has a functional use and became a style element. When setting type, one should remember that type should have air to breathe, thus the text should not be squished to the borders of the page. The white space needs to be an active element in composition. Combining commercial art with typography really increased the range and variety of typographic arrangements. Sans serif types are perfectly suited to modern ideas and methods. A wide range of weight, from light to ultra bold, with italic variations, meet the demands of modern times: Printing based on function instead of tradition. Sadly, sans serif is probably more widely used in advertising than in other typography. However, due to modern trends, it is now extending to brochure and book printing. “Because of its simplicity, the even weight of its lines, and its nicely balanced proportions, sans serif forms have pleasing and easily distinguished word patterns - a most important element in legibility and easy reading. A prevalent notion that sans serif is not as readable as old style is based upon its comparative newness and not upon any innate structural de-
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fect.� (Wallace Kibbee, Modern Trends in Typography) I am an admirer of modern typography and type design, because of its exciting and vibrant nature, but also because I think that an immitation of medieval typography doesn’t express the spirit of our time. However until now, advertising has made the widest use of the new methods and concepts in graphic arts, book printers on the other hand have for the most part followed the old traditional ways. Still it is nice to see, that in more recent books, people have acknowledged the principles of visual communication that advertisers have accepted years before.
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
1
of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
35 - 71
4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
7 - 19
An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
21 - 33
Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A personal design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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The fact that a (in the traditional sense) technically deficient photograph can have greater emotional impact than a technically flawless picture, probably comes as a shock to those who are naïve enough to believe that technical perfection reflects the true value of an image. • Andreas Feiniger
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Repet Repet Repet Repet 48
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
1
of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
35 - 71
4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
7 - 19
An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
21 - 33
Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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I decided to create restroom signs with my own personal handwriting. It is no reflection of perfection. On the other hand, it is individual and has a certain flow to it, which I like. Against Jan Tschischold’s principles, the artist’s signature is visible.
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The square is an old symbol for stability and strength. It represents the physical world, by this meaning the four compass directions: North, East, South and West, the four seasons of the year and the Earth’s four elements. Unlike the circle, the square represents the male qualities and force. Due to it’s powerful and edgy shape, I decided it was perfect for my male restroom sign, setting it apart from the shape for my female signage.
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The perfect circle is an ancient and potent symbol, representing the circle of life. It is a universal sign for eternity, unity, completeness and protection. In addition, it represents the female spirit, force and qualities. The circle has as well associations to Mother Earth and the universe, therefore representing power and independence. It is a very strong and also unique symbol., which is why I decided to use it for my female restroom signage.
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The Chapters
Typography is Insignif icant
A short foreword concerning my general perception
1
of typography in the world.
1 Jan Tschischold on Type
2 Aylin Reckermann on Type
3 Ein Koffer voller Hoffnung
35 - 71
4 Men & Women
73 - 79
You can’t design without type.
7 - 19
An extract from “Clay in a Potter‘s Hand” with an older viewpoint on type, written in 1948 in England.
21 - 33
Elaborating my viewpoint on typography and taking a stand on Jan Tschischold’s viewpoint.
A series of typography as it is displayed at the harbour in Hamburg and Düsseldorf.
A design of restroom signage.
81 - 85
A summary of my new drawn observations and a conclusion of the book.
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You can’t design without type. There are two viewpoints of typopgraphy. First, those who believe that type should be invisible and just a means to an end in order for people to concentrate on the content rather than the typography. They believe that creating order is typography and that it should be clear. I understand that this was truly once the only purpose of type. However, the other view on typography belongs more in the direction of design. Using a font creatively and in that making it more appealing by visual means which in the end also helps the understanding of the content. Before I started with ‘Book about Type‘ I watched the well-known Helvetica movie, in which typographers and type designs take two sides. One crowed loves the simple and clear font Helvetica and others dislike it and prefer more individual types. Helvetica in this case creates a conflict between two different visions that people in the industry have about type. Those that adore traditional typography, believe Helvetica to be the ultimate typeface. It is the most neutral typeface, it doesn’t have meaning in itself. You can write
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different messages in Helvetica and be cheeky with it, or you can express yourself in a clean and sober way. Others believe that Helvetica is a default type, it has no individualism and everyone is using it. When you write sunshine in Helvetica it does’nt say sunshine to the reader. On top of that it starts to bore people, since it’s been on the streets for half a century now.. Time for a change.
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