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Acknowledgements I'd like to thank Zac Buser for sharing his technique of teaching the principles of design and Teis Albers for sharing his process and beautiful artwork. Copyright Š 2012 by In A Semester. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher or authorization of the Authors. For more books by In A Semester visit inasemester.com or biljanakroll.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Printed by Lulu Enterprises, Inc. ISBN 978-1-105-62620-3
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TYPOGRAPHY
IN A SEMESTER
Biljana Kroll
Table of Contents
WEEK 1....................................... 7 What is typography? 8 Alphabet Origins 9 - 11 Illuminated Manuscripts 12 The Gutenberg Bible 13 Over the Centuries 14 Masters of Typography 15 - 17 Typography and the Industrial Revolution 18 Typography Styles 19 - 20 Questions 21
WEEK 2......................................22 Anatomy of Type 23 - 24 Type Parts 25 - 26 Type Terminology 27 Numerals and Dingbats 28 Type Measurements 29 Kearning and Tracking 30 Tracking and Leading 31 Questions 32 Exercise 33 Project One 34 Project One Examples 35
WEEK 3......................................36 Type Classifications 37 - 43 Questions 44 Exercise 45
WEEK 4...................................... 46 Manipulating Typefaces 47 - 48 Exercise 49 Project Two 50 Project Two Examples 51
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Table of Contents
WEEK 5.........................................52 Lettering Do's and Don'ts 53 - 55 Forbidden Typefaces 56 - 57 Forbidden Typefaces 57 Project Three 58 Project Three Examples 59
WEEK 6.........................................60 Exercise 61 Symbolic Type Tutorial 62 - 65 Custom Type in Real-Life Application 66
WEEK 7........................................ 67 Film 68 Exercise 69 Expressive Words Tutorial 70 - 71
WEEK 8.........................................72 Film 73 Tutorial 74 Project Four 75 Project Four Examples 76
WEEK 9.........................................77 Exercise 77
WEEK 10.......................................78 Text Type Fundamentals 79 - 83 Questions 84 Exercise 85
WEEK 11.......................................86 Creating Emphasis 87 - 89 Questions 90
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Table of Contents
Exercise 91 Project Five 92 Project Five Examples 93
WEEK 12.......................................94 Designing with Grids 95 - 96 Exercise 97 Exercise 98 Project Six 99 Project Six Examples 100
WEEK 13......................................101 Using Color 102 - 108 Questions 109 Exercise 110
WEEK 14......................................111 Project Seven 112 Project Seven Example 113 - 114
Learning from the Pros................115 Interview with Jared Mirabile 115-119
Online Resources.........................120
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WEEK 1 This week we are going to look at the origin of the alphabet as well as cover a brief history of type development through the centuries by highlighting important events and people.
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Week
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What is typography?
“Typography is the art of designing with type...It is a living thing that continues to grow...Type can be ‘invisible,’ expressive, entertaining, challenging, outrageous or simply fine art. “ — James Craig & Irene Korol Scala, authors of “Designing with Type.”1 “Typographical design should perform optically what the speaker creates through voice and gesture of his thoughts.” — El Lizzitsky, a Russian artist, designer, photographer, typographer, polemicist and architect. “We know from experience that what we have to say is much easier for others to understand if we put it in the right voice; type is that voice, the visible language linking writer and reader.” — Erik Spiekermann & E.M.Ginger, authors of “Stop stealing Sheep And Find Out How Type Works.” 2 “ Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form, and thus with an independent existence. Its heartwood is calligraphy - the dance, on a tiny stage, of the living, speaking hand - and its roots reach into living soil, though its branches may be hung each year with new machines. So long as the root lives, typography remains a source of true delight, true knowledge, true surprise.” — Robert Bringhurst, author or “The Elements of Typographic Style.” 3 “ Design is solving problems. Graphic design is solving problems by making marks. Type is uniquely rich set of marks because it makes language visible. Working successfully with type is essential for effective graphic design.” — John Kane, author of “A Type Primer.” 4 “Typography is two-dimensional architecture, based on experience and imagination, and guided by rules and readability. And this is the purpose of typography: The arrangement of design elements within a given structure should allow the reader to easily focus on the message, without slowing down the speed of his reading.” — Hermann Zapf, a German typeface designer
DID YOU KNOW? The terms “typogrpaher”, “typefave designer” and “font designer” are synonyms for the same thing.
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Alphabet Origins
Pictographs
These are basic images that show a symbol of an object. The earliest writings on cave walls were exact representations of the world around the people that created them. With time these images became more and more simplified ultimately representing symbols of the real thing.
Reproductions of pictographs
Ideographs
These are symbols that represent ideas instead of objects. They communicate abstract thoughts rather than actual objects. Pictographs became ideographs, for example, the symbol for sun began representing the idea of “day” and “light.”
Modern examples of ideographs Disadvantage of both systems is that their numbers can run into thousands which makes learning more difficult and slow.
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Alphabet Origins
An alphabet is a set of visual symbols or characters used to represent the elementary sounds of a spoken language. 5 The Phoenicians were a nation of traders and merchants, so the need to communicate efficiently gave birth to their simplified writing system, or alphabet. 6 This evolution consisted of using symbols to represent the sounds of speech rather than ideas or objects. For example, the letter “A” originated from the first sound in the word “aleph” which means ox. Instead of creating a new symbol, they used the symbol for ox and used it for the letter “A.” The letter “B” was created from the symbol that represented a house, or “beth.” 7 This process continued until they had a symbol for each sound, most which came from symbols for body parts, nature, animals etc. 8 The Greek alphabet gradually adopted the Phoenician alphabet, and Romans eventually adopted and altered the Greek alphabet.9
Year: 1200 b.c. Distinction: A letter for each sound rather than each object or idea. No vowels, only consonants. Phoenician: Aleph and Beth
Year: 800 b.c. Distinction: First to add vowels. Only had capital letters. Becomes an official alphabet in 403 b.c
AB AB AB Greek: Alpha and Beta
1. Inscription on the base of Trajan’s Column, Rome. 114 A.D. This is perhaps the most famous example of Roman square capitals, a script often used for stone monuments, and less often for manuscript writing.
Roman: A and B
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Year: 700 b.c. Distinction: 13 letters unchanged, 8 revised, 2 added. U and V added 1000 years ago J added 500 years later.
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Alphabet Origins
The evolution of the alphabet happened over thousands of years. From history of typography we learn that the through the development of the alphabet people improved communication, helped spread knowledge information and religion. Through the evolution of type humanity has received this powerful tool which can inspire and amaze. As a designer, you have the responsibility to continue to carry out that mission to firstly inform but secondly inspire through your use of type.
Black Letter Script
AB B
B
Gutenberg’s Printed Black Letter
DID YOU KNOW? By 1500 there were 35,000 books in distribution which is more than all the books that were hand copied in the previous one and a half millennia.
Year: 1100-1700’s Distinction: It is also known as Gothic script. It was popular in Germany and Northern Europe. It was called “blackletter due to the fact it was such a bold handwriting that gave the page a dark texture. It is also known as “Textura” or “Old English”. Year: 1450’s Disctinction: Modeled to resemble Black Letter which was standard at that time. There were 50,000 single pieces of type which he developed from a unique metal blend which was at the same time easy to bold and hard enough to withstand thousands of impressions.
Year:1400’s Distinction: This script was popular in Italy and was inspired by Greek and Roman writings. Humanist Script
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Illuminated Manuscripts The illuminated manuscripts were hand-written and hand-illustrated sacred writings created in Europe in the period from 1200-1400s. They were created by monks in monasteries. They are called “illuminated� because of the gold leaf that was used to embellish the lettering and the page margins. The gold reflected light and gave the sensation of the page being illuminated. The creation of these elaborate pages was time consuming and costly. The velum page had to be created from sheep skin, the ink of various colors had to be made from various mineral, animal and vegetable matter. There would be several people working on one book, each having specific tasks: the letterer would write the copy in a trained lettering style, the illustrator would create the visual support, illustrations in the margins and the drop caps. Last all pages were bound together between wooden boards covered in leather that was covered in gold, precious jewels or ivory carving.
Right: 2.Hand-illustrated and handwritten page from the French Book of Hours, ca.1400. Bottom: 3. Bernhard of Clairvaux Initial B from a 13th century illuminated manuscript
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Why are illuminated manuscripts important for typography? They are an outstanding example of the rise of typography in the early ages of book production as a tool not just for spreading knowledge but also an example of type as an artistic object that is awe-inspiring.
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The Gutenberg Bible
The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible) was the first major book printed with a movable type printing press, giving birth to the age of the printed book.10 These copies of the Bible were printed by Johannes Gutenberg, in Mainz, Germany, in the 1450s. Gutenberg spent twenty years perfecting the craft of printing, before he printed the first typographic book, the 42-line Bible. The Bible consisted of 1,282 pages in two volumes. There were total of 210 copies printed, only couple of dozen survive today.11 After printing the text portions, some of the copies were hand illustrated in the same elegant way as manuscript Bibles from the same period written by scribes. Today, the Gutenberg Bible is considered to be one of the most valuable books in the world.
Who is Gutengerg? Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (c. 1398 – February 3, 1468) was a German goldsmith, printer and publisher who introduced modern book printing. He didn’t invent type casting or printing, but he perfected the type mold, the ink, the printing press and the entire printing process in general.
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6. The spacious margin allowed for illuminated decoration to be added by hand. The amount of decoration depended on how much each buyer could or would pay for. Some copies were never decorated
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Over the Centuries
Phoenician Alphabet (1000 BC)
Greek Alphabet (400 BC)
Greek Alphabet (400 BC)
ABGDEZHQIKLMN OPRSTUFCYW ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTVXYZ
Uncial (600 AD) 7. Half-uncial (800 AD) 7.
Carolingian Miniscule (1200 AD)
7. Fraktur Blackletter (1500 AD) 7.
Humanist Miniscule (1500 AD) Uncial is a majuscule script (written entirely in capital letters) commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. It was written with reed pen. Half-uncial represent the beginning of lowercase letterforms featuring ascenders and descenders. 16
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Carolingian or Caroline minuscule is a script developed as a writing standard in Europe between approximately 800 and 1200. Clear capital letters, punctuation, and spaces between words—norms we take for granted—became standard in Carolingian minuscule. 17
Fraktur, textura, rotunda, and schwabacher were different names for a type in different parts of Europe during Gutenberg's time. Blackletter is also sometimes called Old English, or Gothic letter. Blackletter dominated printing during the 1600s. 18
Humanist minuscule is a type based on the calligraphic handwriting. It became very popular type for print in Italy, at the beginning of the fifteenth century. 19
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Masters of Typography
George Bickham (1684–1758) was an English writing master and engraver. He is best known for his engraving work in The Universal Penman, a collection of writings which helped to popularize the English Round Hand script. Round Hans scripts are scripts that have large, elegant swirls and flourishes. Engraving was very popular during Bickham's time. Engraving is drawing with a graver instead of a pen, on a smooth copper-plate. Bickham added flourishes and swirls typical of the Rococo style in his script.20
Do You Have This Font on Your Computer?
Bickham Script is a font inspired by this master’s work centuries ago. 8.
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Masters of Typography
William Caslon (1692 - 1766), worked in London as an engraver of gunlocks, and later in life set up his own type foundry. Caslon Foundry became the leading English typefoundry of the 18th century. For nearly 60 years, all English printing featured Caslon fonts.22 Caslon cut all characters into a metal punch by hand. It took him over 20 years to design the font. One of the reasons for this is the large variety of characters he created in each size. For example a lowercase "e," looked very different in 12-, 42- and 96-point sizes.22
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Benjamin Franklin introduced Caslon into the American colonies, where it was used extensively, including for the official printing of the Declaration of Independence.
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Masters of Typography
John Baskerville (1706 – 1775) was an English printer and typographer. Baskerville was responsible for significant innovations in printing, paper and ink production. He developed a technique which produced a smoother whiter paper which showcased his strong black type printed in a black ink that he invented. Baskerville also pioneered a completely new style of typography adding wide margins and ample leading(space) between each line. His type represents the transition from heavier Old Style fonts that were popular earlier to type featuring bigger contrast between thin and thick strokes. of the letters.23
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Today, several type foundries (font design companies) have published fonts called “Baskerville” that keep this font fresh and relevant.
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Typography and the Industrial Revolution The Industrial revolution of the 19th century generated changes not only in social and economical spheres but also in typography and printing. With mass-production increasing, the need for fast, easy communication through flyers posters and newspapers arose. Posters became very popular and brought few major changes in typography: Large font sizes became available, sans-serif fonts are created and used the first time as well as slab-serif fonts. Elaborate, what we call today Victorian style fonts, were all the rage.
June15 by MacWare速
Billboard11Wide by MacWare速
Madrone Std by MacWare速
Madrone Std by MacWare速
Want some Victorian-inspired fonts? Go to http://www.fontspace.com Poster design inspired by Victorian posters and flyers
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Typography Styles
If you have taken art history you should know these distinct periods in art history: Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Cubism. The fonts used reflect the general “zeitgeist” of the time. In that sense, fonts created during the Art Nouveau were fluid, elaborate and flowing. The Cubism movement also influenced type and design with it's bold, simplified shapes and large planes of color. Fonts used during the Art Deco period were linear, symetrical and inspired by mathematical geometric shapes.
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What is “zeitgeist”? “the spirit of the times” or “the spirit of the age.” What is in for you? History can offer a plethora of inspiration for young graphic designers. These three major styles have inspired many type designers throughout the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s as well as today.
Argon by MacWare®
Busso by MacWare®
Fatso by MacWare®
Check out dafont.com, 1001fonts.com to familiarize yourself with fonts that were inspired by these periods. Advertisement inspired by Art Nouveau
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Typography Styles
Dadaism and Constructivism The Dada movement, rose after the World War I and expressed a strong negative attitude towards the war and the European society at that period. Artists rejected traditional rules and strived for complete freedom of expression. 24 Artists, poets and musicians led the movement which was meant to shock and protest. They rejected traditional rules in art and design by emphasizing randomness. Single letters, words and imagery were scattered across the page in order to fight the need to create order. Constructivism rose in Russia, after World War I and the Russian Revolution. Graphic design work of this time reflects the philosophy of bringing art and technology together. Experimental typography played an important role in creating dynamic design. Words in various sizes and typefaces create a rhythmic movement across the page. One of the most outspoken supporters of this movement, El Lissitzky, combined his architectural knowledge with painting to create powerful, dynamic poster designs. He gave life to words, by using high contrast in color, diagonal compositions and by engaging the negative space. His designs blur the boundaries between typography and art. His work includes images made entirely from typographic elements.25
Poster design inspired by Constructivism
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1. What is the difference between pictographs and ideographs? 2. When were vowels added for the first time in an alphabet? 3. What are the illuminated manuscripts? 4. Describe the significance of the Gutenberg Bible. 5. Who is George Bickham? 6. What type was used for printing the Declaration of Independence? 7. List the changes that the Industrial revolution brought on in typography. 8. Describe the differences between Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Cubism. 9. Research graphic designers and typographers that were living in the above mentioned periods. 10. Research internet for current designers who are inspired by the above mentioned periods.
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