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book book 1
Tautology b
Art Direction: Zoran Belic Design & Illustration: Casey Cole Copywriting (based on Professor Zoran Belic’s Lectures and Robert Bringhurst’s book: “The Elements of Typographic Style”): Casey Cole Typefaces: OCRB Alternate, Orator STD, Blackoak STD, Helvetica, Century Gothic, Futura, Arial, Franklin Gothic, Bookman Old Style Print and Production: Blurb.com Copyrights: All copyrights reserved
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I understand that the content of Professor Belic’s lectures is copyrighted material and that I cannot publish (in print, via Internet, or in/by any other media) or otherwise disseminate my notes based on these lectures. I can only use this material to meet the course requirements, i.e. include it in the course design projects, and/or partially in my portfolio design examples. Should I ever intend to publish any design project containing all or any part of Professor Belic’s lectures, I declare herein that I will strictly adhere to copyright regulations and laws, i.e. I MUST acquire an explicit written permission from either Zoran Belic or his heirs in order to publish and disseminate in any media, form or format the above said materials.
4 Tautology
Simulacra Anatomy
Phonetics
Metaphor
book
re
view
This assignment called to set the organization of lines in a simple frame with choice of type & position. Decisions made should reflect the time of when this sentence was written (Ancient Greek).
6
Tautology
NIHIL EST IN
INTELLETU
QUAD NON FUERIT
IN SENSU,
NISI INTELLECTU IPSE.
tau tol ogy
T
autology is defined as being true by virtue of its logical form alone. A tautological statement is simply clear without the need of repetition – it is true in itself. For example, the
statement “The political candidate will win or not win” is tautological statement because all instances and propositions are true. In pertaining to typography, more specifically in semiotics, each letterform in its purest form is a visual code for a phonetic value. The typeface that best represents an individual letter and its phonetic value is a sans-serif typeface, which was created to do just that. Serif typefaces have ornamentation and added forms on the ends of the letters that can lead the viewer to seeing something other than solely the letterform by itself.
Semiotics is the study of signification and communication of signs and symbols. It is typically divided into three parts: Semantics, Syntactics and Pragmatics. Signs or sign systems are classified by how they are transmitted. Meaning is given to these signs by using codes that may be sounds or, for example, letters we use to put together words.
Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist who approached all languages from identifying their universal factors, and later developed technical terms for his reasoning. He said that each language is composed of Phoneme(s), which is a single sound unit, and Morpheme(s) was a term to describe more than one sound. He proposed the idea that signs are composed of two parts: the signifier (letters or sound) and the 8
b Tautology
signified (the concept we develop in our brain when we read or hear the signifier). Lastly, the referent is the actual thing in the real world that the signifier points to. Our five senses (sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste) greatly limit our contact with reality but are constantly involved in interpretation by connecting to one another. Our vision has both physical and perceptual limitations of the outside world. It can be divided up by physical reception from the outside world and the interpretation of it.
Syntax is the arrangement of elements in a language by principles and rules for constructing sentences. This is how specific individual languages are explained in their relationship with logic. In broader terms, it is the rules for connecting words to create a finite number of sentences, all meaningful to a person who knows the syntax of a given language. Syntax is simultaneously understood by both the speaker and listener. In order for this to work, rules have to be consistently followed and unchanged. These rules cover things like the way words are constructed, the way endings of words are changed according to context and the classification of words into speech (nouns, verbs, etc.) – The way parts of speech are put together.
If we understand semiotics and the syntax of words, we will have a better understanding of the power of typography and increase our visual proficiency. It’s imperative that we remember the primary function of letters – to communicate. Tautology b 9
By placing the letter “A” in the center of the page allows the viewer to readily find the letterform and pronounce its corresponding sound and declare its phonetic sound. A large sans serif typeface is the quickest way for the eye to recognize the letterform with fewer lines than a serif typeface.
10 b Tautology
A
Tautology b
T
he Golden Ratio is found many places in nature and its living organisms, as well as in man-made design. The artists of ancient Greece and of the Renaissance used the Golden
Rectangle in designing many works of art and architecture. It’s a very pleasing geometric shape with specific proportions, which is why it is used in many aspects of design such as graphic design, web design, and environmental design. Every letterform has its own unique numerical value with consideration to angle, width, height, stroke, etc. Understanding the basic principals and concepts of typography is the first step to becoming successful in the field of graphic design. The most basic element of typography is the letterform, which is distinguished by its unique shape. Typographers refer to elements of a letterform using a variety of terms that align naturally to architecture or the human body, otherwise known as its anatomy.
To begin with, let’s go over the basics starting with the baseline. The baseline is the imaginary line on which the letters sit. Although baseline’s differ from typeface to typeface, they remain consistent throughout it’s own family. Next, is the meanline which falls at the top of many lowercase letters such as “a” and “o”. The x-height is the distance between the meanline and the baseline. It is called the x-height because it is as tall as the letter “x” and varies between typefaces. The cap-height
12 b Anatomy
Anatomy ar m
cap heig ht
s h o ul d er
b ow l
meanline
c r o s s ba r
x-height
sp u r
cou n ter
Type
ter m i n a l
tail
ser i f
b a sel i n e
e ye
de s c e n de r
refers to the measurement from the baseline of an upper-case letter to the top such as with letters “T” and “P”. The ascender is the part of the letterform that extends above the meanline, or the x-height. The descender, as you may presume, is the part of a character that extends below the baseline, such as the letter “y”.
Anatomy b 13
Letterforms are divided into two main groups: Serif and Sans Serif (from the French word sans, meaning “without”). The Serif forms can be distinguished by having extra strokes or structural details at the ends of the character. In traditional printing, serif fonts are used for body text because it thought to have a greater readability rather than sans-serif fonts. While this is true, sans-serif fonts are considered more legible on computer screens.
The dominant vertical line of a letterform such as “B” and the main primary diagonal line of “V” is called the stem. The horizontal lines of the letter “E” and also the diagonal lines of a letter are called bars, or arms, always open at one end. A bowl is referred to as the part of the letterform that is an open or closed circular line creating an interior space within, referred to as the counter, such as with letters “a” and “g”. The last two terms might ring a bell for you. The bottom stroke of a letter like in “L”, or the diagonal stroke as in “K” is known as the leg and the curve at the beginning of a letter, like “m” is called the shoulder. These are very easy to memorize because of its relation to the human form.
14 b Anatomy
i have serifs. big whoop. Anatomy b 15
This 3-D model is based on the golden ratio - more specifically reflecting measurements of the Futura letter “K”. Each letter of the color name varies in depth and distance on each surface with that color, but all optically seen as the same size when looking straight on.
16 b Anatomy
17
o oo
o ean Baudrillard states that today’s society had replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that the human experience is just a simulation of reality. The simulacra that he refers to is the symbolism of culture and media that build our conceived reality. He believed that our lives became too enveloped in this simulacra and society that all meaning became meaningless. He called this phenomenon the “precession of simulacra”. The sign order is broken down into four stages as follows: The first stage is an image or a copy that we believe is a reflection of reality. The second stage is perversion of reality where we believe the sign to be an unrealistic copy or mask of what is real, but can suggest the existence of something real which the sign itself is incapable of doing. The third stage masks the absence of reality, where the simulacrum pretends to be a real copy, but is a copy with no original. Signs and images claim to represent something real, but there’s no representation and random images are compared to things they have no relationship to. The fourth and final stage is pure simulation where simulacrum has no connection to reality at all, and the image is clearly an artificial substitution for the real thing.
Simulacra and Simulation identifies three types of simulacra and each with a different time period. The first order is associated with the premodern period where the image is a definite artificial placeholder for the
18 b Simulacra
o
o
o
o
oo
Simulacra b 19
real image. The uniqueness of objects make them irreproducible. The second order associated with the Industrial Revolution where the distinction between image and reality blur due to the emergence of mass-productivity and turning them into commodities. The third order deals with post-modernity where the simulacra overtakes reality and in turn reality becomes a meaningless concept.
Baudrillard believes that this phenomenon was caused by contemporary media, including film, print, t.v., etc, exchange in value, capitalism, urbanization, and language and ideology. A specific analogy he uses to describe the evolution of simulacra was of a great Empire creating a map so detailed that it was as large as the Empire itself. The map grew and decayed as the Empire conquered or lost territory. When the Empire fell apart, all that was left was the map. In Baulliard’s interpretation, it’s the map that people live in – the simulation of reality.
20 b Simulacra
t which conceals the “The simulacrum is never tha conceals that there is truth--it is the truth which e.” - Jean Baudrillard none. The simulacrum is tru
Simulacra b 21
ts
c bje
O
al tur
Na
cts
ial
c tifi
Ar
je Ob
These images represent visual the structural qualities of the letter “O”. Choose your own letterform and look into the world to find objects that have similar traits!
nt
l
ia fic
e nm
iro
v En
ti
Ar
nt
al
r atu
N 22 b Simulacra
v En
iro
e nm
23
Simulacra b
Hindi
Korean
Hebrew
Georgian
Arabic
24 b Simulacra
{o EvO
Egyptian hieroglyphic
Proto-Semitic
lution
Phoenician
Etruscan
Greek
25
Phonetics
26 b Tautology
T
ypographic forms have changed and continue to do so through centuries. Each letter in an alphabet is connected to its own phoneme (sound) and the grapheme (symbol for a
letter) adapts to certain cultures over time. Speech came before writing, but no one really can prove or be sure when the first words were said. The idea dates back to 2500 B.C. when it was first studied in ancient India. The Ancient Greeks are credited as the ones being the first to base a writing system on a phonetic alphabet. The study of phonetics grew fast in the late 19th century due mostly to the phonograph, which allowed speech to be recorded. Phoneticians were then able to replay and study the speech several times and apply acoustic filters to it, providing a clearer, more precise understanding of the acoustic properties of speech.
Phonetics can be divided into three key parts: articulatory phonetics (the way we create sound), acoustic phonetics (the physical properties of sound), and auditory phonetics (our perception of sound). Phonemes, which can be seen as the building blocks of speech, are the smallest units of sound of the spoken language. These elements have no meaning individually, but grouped with other phonemes, they are combined to create endless patterns to represent ideas and objects.
Phonetics b 27
The current letters that we use to communicate language are arbitrary, and are due to the process of remodeling these signs. Initially, these were close to nature with the phonetic and linguistic elements relating to a pictorial object. As the pictorial object became more and more symbolic, it resulted in the abstract form of our typographic characters today. Typography is a phenomenon that finds itself between art and technology and between seeing and understanding, evoking conceptual phonetic images depending on the different shapes of each letter. Technology can have a big impact on the evolution and change of typographic marks. When the technology of movable type came about, it changed the European way of life and how they dealt with communication methods pertaining to letterforms.
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5
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ypography exists to honor its content and often must draw attention to itself for its read. But in order to be read, it must drop the attention it has drawn. Therefore, typography refers
to a kind of transparent fascination. The purpose of using type as metaphor is to use the elements of typography (paragraphs, phrases, words, syllables, letters, etc.) in ways that transcend the functional and literal. Type has the ability to represent meanings and articulate nontext or images, as a concept. It is combining the visual message into a total and complete expression.
Metaphor is the depiction between two objects, and transfers figure to ground. The ground then become something else and borrows its format from the figure. An example of a visual metaphor is a light bulb that represents thinking, life, or activation. Metaphors can make very strong social, economic and political statements throughout society. An example of this would be the word “tools”, with the “t” being a wrench, or a recognizable tool itself. Christmas cards are notorious for using typographic metaphors with words relating to Christmas spelled out and shapes into Christmas trees, angels and presents.
30 b Metaphor
Ro
ck w kn ell ow is n a s u f o ge pe r i om e r v ts f a ise ang tr ic ce d u s f o b lar lab ni r h y F te se n e e ra r m r i ad nk in f d w gr ei line Hi als es ap gh s nm . It ign hi ts, an an w a w c co the d p Pie s d ith an os r m p es R t m un ock ers ont ign unc ic w , a . R ed ha at el nd oc in n l g or ty is kw 19 in . pe a el 33 g f a l s o l i s f o we ig ce le a r f a gib str Mo ht i n m o n i ly l e i n g o t y s t r , n p ok is s ad e e a hor ap and an po t t tab w d w ex l e a s er t f u bl o d i s l p a n c k s l ay . d ve W i t rs h at ile
*Another kick-ass example Experimental Typography Candy designed by Samuel Mensah-Bonsu
*The poster to the left was designed by me using metaphor as inspiration to promote a specific typeface that designers should re-explore in personal designs. The power lines are a metaphor for the typeface Rockwell due to its strength and powerful abilities to communicate.
Metaphor b 31
Weight change, manipulation of the letterform and positioning are all contributing factors to the successful metaphoric message done with type. Another great way to call attention to a piece is the use of analogy, which is reasoning process that finds similar qualities in two dissimilar things or objects. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/ moveable wooden and metal letters in 1436. This new method allowed for the mass production of books, therefore igniting the era of enlightenment allowing for a rapid increase of education. Gutenberg’s printing press, which was also called a hand press, functioned by which ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of moveable handset block letters held within a wooden form. The form was then pressed against a sheet of paper and well, the rest is history.
32 b  Metaphor
1436 1436 1436
f S o e c s t Thmen g r a p h i e o l p E Ty
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n the excellently written and informative book The Elements of Typographic Style, author Robert Bringhurst reveals the mustknow in order to create beautiful typography to communicate
clearly and properly in terms of mechanical and visual components. It’s essential for writers, designers, editors and publishers alike to adsorb and apply these fundamental concepts ranging from history to art, and theory to practice.
Bringhurst begins by explaining the craft or art of setting and designing type includes sharing or communicating text, a lot of times where the design needs to be seen before read, and is often misused. In order for the text to be read, the design that attracted the viewer in the first place needs to dissolve. Therefore, any part of type that is trying to communicate a message takes on a hybrid form. This is where I feel that the famous quote “Don’t mistake legibility for communication”, by David Carson, comes into play. Another strong attribute Bringhurst brings to our attention is how typography promotes is durability, or in keeping up with modern times and style. A main rule to keep in mind relating to durability is the legibility, and its obligation to create visual attraction for the viewer and to the page as a whole. This energy evoked behind the text is not created by the typographer but by the writer. The art of typography lies within the ability to communicate text to the audience, not to construct a visually-pleasing document that serves no other purpose but mere decoration. Book Review b 35
From the author’s point of view, the typographer’s job is to understand, translate and communicate the message and to link the viewer to these things. The proximity of other elements to the type should be a reflection of their overall relationship to each other. Typeface selection is another important aspect, and must be chosen wisely. Text has a tone and its own sort of personality, as does each typeface. If a poor typeface decision is made, then the visual meaning of the type and the words will clash. Shaping the frames and text boxes on a page is similar to choosing the right face and is different for each case, relying on the typographers gut feeling on what looks best.
Bringhurst articulates how all letterforms have an even texture to them but can easily be damaged with poorly spaced letters and lines. How the type is designed, the spacing between letterforms, individual words and lines of type are all contributing factors in achieving evenness of color. Word spacing (the space between words) depends on their justification, typeface, color and size. Spacing between text is necessary for it to be properly read. Kerning is simply changing the space between letters in a word and is better to use modestly or not at all than too much. This can shift the importance of the whole word to each individual letter. It’s also not advised to alter the height, width or shape of a letterform without good reason. Space plays a big part in the overall design of a piece, separating and connecting elements at the same time.
36 b Book Review
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This space can be destroyed by large areas between elements stopping the natural flow of the viewer’s eye. Leading refers to the vertical space between two lines of text, which can be positive or negative. With negative leading, you need to be careful that the ascenders and descenders don’t overlap. Bringhurst recommends us to keep in mind that dark, large, and serif typefaces need more leading for clarity. It’s important not to suffocate a page with words. This can be avoided by creating multiple columns and pages. Size is another critical issue he states when dealing with type. A designer should never compose without a sense of scale so things like rhythm and inflection can be defined. In early Renaissance, type was set using one face and one size, showing even texture and a variety of rhythm. Now, a designer can choose a different scale for each work. From script, to letterpress, to typewriter to keyboard, text figures, which are numerals typeset in varying heights, have become a normal part of type design and have been added to newer fonts that didn’t supply them before. Small caps are used for abbreviations, geographical acronyms and personal names. Type is a visual speech and everything it represents should be treated alike. I really appreciated the metaphor Bringhurst used to describe good type: “Good typography is like bread: ready to be admired, appraised and dissected before it is consumed.”
38 b Book Review
Bringhurst gives great history lessons throughout the book, including the one about ligatures and how most European fonts were designed primarily for setting Latin in which overlaps of ligatures occur. With more recent design and the addition of words in the English language, typesetters have found a way to avoid such collisions. Each text, manuscript, language and alphabet comes with its own rules and regulations. Italics were separate from upper and lower case letters at first but then joined forces with roman small cap. Sloped caps developed only in the sixteenth century, and Roman, italic and small caps came together at that time and are typically included in all font families today. Bold and condensed faces developed in the early nineteenth century and should be sparingly used. Through the collaborative efforts of calligraphers, typographers and engineers, software design and editing of typographic letterforms continues to improve.
An issue Bringhurst strongly acknowledges are title pages and how they should be a symbol of dignity and respect for a new beginning, but also for the text that lies ahead. He says the typographer’s job is to enter a blank space and transform it. White space is a must to let the eye relax. Unsuccessful titling is due to throwing its weight around on an unbalanced page. This problem has been solved by using a larger font without excessive weight. Printing at different opacity or color levels is another option. There are many ways to flag the beginning of text, such Book Review b 39
as with boldface, fleurons, large cap, etc. Headings can be symmetrical (centered) or asymmetrical (left or right justified). Notes should be smaller in size than the main text because of their relevance. Footnotes, endnotes and sidenotes can all move about the margins to give life to the page but need be limited to avoid visual congestion overload. Tables are a very time-consuming element to set in type. It needs to follow strict basic format to be clear and accessible. Typographic gestures should reflect speaking gestures, and this can be done by using bullets, dashes or numerals to create a list format. Adequate space should be left at the beginning and end of ever publication. Some books can begin with a title page with blank pages being left at the beginning and end to let the text rest in its binding. Text-consumed pages with incomplete communication displays disregard for the reader. It’s up to the typographer to balance the matter in the front and back.
The author also hits on the essential symbols typographers must deal with such as the comma, period, parenthesis, etc., all of which are symbols of pause in speech. The dot, midpoint or small bullet remains the simplest most effective form of typographic punctuation useful in letterheads, lists and the like. Brackets and parenthesis must be carefully selected and spaced accordingly, and the use of quotation marks should be omitted or kept to a minimum when using Renaissance typefaces. There are many challenges when mixing and
40 b  Book Review
“it’s not you, it’s me. i just need..
..space.”
42 b Book Review
matching different typefaces on the same page. Typographers should consider the particular fonts technical, practical, historical and cultural aspects. Bringhurst tells us all of the typefaces designed before 1950 are best used with the letterpress, most requiring handsetting. With today’s digital technology a smooth rendering of old typefaces can be achieved. Choice of paper is a factor when adapting these kinds of typefaces due to its historical context. For example, a Renaissance typeface would not look right on glossy white paper. On the other hand, modernist typefaces such as Futura and Helvetica can go either way due to their even stroked width. In short, the best typeface for the job is the one that represents the theme and it true to its context. Size, line length and companion type are elements that should be reviewed for choosing a face. Bringhurst suggests that people choose type based on their culture or heritage and makes for more interest. Flow and slope are other factors to consider. The key in successful typography is to choose the typefaces you’re most comfortable working with and make the most out of them instead of jumping from one to another.
Another historical checkpoint he touches on is how printing from movable type was first invented in China in the mid 1940’s - not Europe - as many people believe to be true. The earliest letterforms that survived are the Greek capital letterforms that were scratched into stone. Early Greek letters were thinly drawn freehand symbols without serifs, a rule and compass. As time progressed, the lines grew thicker Book Review b 43
and serifs appeared. Bringhurst declares that good typography demands to know not just about itself and the letterforms but also about its surroundings and the relationship between them. Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic and Geometric Modernist typefaces all have special attributes only they contain. Modern typography is essentially the reinstated form of the Renaissance. Modern type stems from the study of history, human anatomy, and calligraphy. Each alphabet is a culture, and every culture has its own version of history and its own tradition.
Bringhurst compares designing a page to building a room. It can be of any size and proportion but some are just more visually pleasing than others. He describes how the page and text form an “antiphonal geometry” which can bond the reader to the book. He then goes onto explain the golden section, which is, a symmetrical relation built from asymmetrical parts. 44 b Book Review
Lots can be achieved in a layout using the Fibonacci Series to put it together. It’s good to choose satisfying page proportions that work well with the content, size and ambition of the publication. The proportions used to shape the page are just as useful in shaping the text boxes. Modular scales serve the same purpose as grids, but are more flexible. The way to design a page is the same way to write one – by starting at the upper left corner and moving your way down and across. Careful measurement and calculation are important in typography but approximation is inevitable and Bringhurst believes that you can adjust your elements freely. Typography is an ancient craft and has been around for thousands of years. With today’s high literacy rates, learned alphabets are practically built-in our DNA, meaning we are trusting conventional elements and don’t think about what we’re doing considering the big picture. Things like printing haven’t changed much since the 1400’s, but we can change that by questions things we know and have learned.
In the latter portion of Bringhurst’s book, he expounds on editing fonts just like we edit text - some needing to be re-edited just as text does. He brings to our attention the legal, ethical and aesthetic points we must keep in mind when editing fonts, enlightening us on how one must check the license before making any changes to digital font. Its recommended to take the plunge in designing your own font because
Book Review b 45
there’s always going to be need for tweaks and changes with no such thing as a “perfect font”. Bringhurst also talks about “grooming” the digital font, what to look out for an keep in mind when making these modifications to the font, but missed the mark on enlightening readers as to how to go about editing or creating your own typeface, or what steps need to be taken to do it.
This text contains useful and revealing information that will help the serious designer firmly root themselves in this frequently overlooked craft. Bringhurst shares insightful facts with enthusiasm about the history and purpose of each element of typography, getting at the heart of typography as an expressive medium. The work does not focus right or wrong, but suggests reasons why one might make one choice over another. It’s a great reference book I will be keeping with me and no doubt referring back to during my career as a graphic designer.
46 b Book Review
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Tautology b
by
48 b  Tautology
m and my Mo the o t d n te dedica e to draw o r ook is fo m This bor allowing g up, and to my Dad f while growinlways. Also girlfriend walls ing in me a derstanding the believ rful and un e being in 6 hours wonde ealt with m the past 5 who d ter lab for his book. compudesigning t while