Roboto

Page 1



Roboto debuted in 2011 as the typeface for Android, introduced along with OS version 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich


Is there order in chaos? Four lines, CMYK overlap, patterned 8 times 360 degrees, saved as a 24 BMP image, opened and saved in WordPad, and saved in Photoshop as a JPEG.


End result: a happy accident.




Roboto was designed by Christian Robertson. It is a neo-grotesque along the same lines as Arial and Helvetica.


Roboto is available in six weights: Thin Italic Light Italic Regular Italic Medium Italic Bold Italic Black Italic


“Domo Arigatou, Mr. Roboto,” is all I seem to hear when I tell someone my name; It really grinds my gears! On top of that, you know, lots of people tend to scoff me. they’ll change me (the default!) to “Travel,” “Foxrain,” or even “Coffee.” But that’s okay, I guess, I just try to do my part. It’s a little hard, though, with a tender 8-bit heart.




Roboto is derived from one of the first sans-serifs, Akzidenz Grotesque. It is somewhat condensed, and has circular bowls with fairly straight stems. While the typeface is very geometric and mechanical, it is also somewhat soft, making its name appropriate.


GL I TC H 1 a : a usually minor malfunction; also: BUG b : a minor problem that causes a temporary setback: SNAG 2 : a false or spurious electronic signal -- as defined by Merriam Webster


Glitch art is based around using digital or analog errors for the aesthetic. It can be created by corrupting data or by physically altering hardware. A glitch can happen by chance or it can be forced to happen; regardless, the end product is random. This zine extends the meaning of glitch to include distortions, decay, and corruption of media in general. This expansion

includes databending using BMP image formats and WordPad (detailed on page 5), the distortions caused by faulty VHS tapes, static and white noise, and accidental double exposures of photographic film. Glitch art was made popular in the mid-90s alongside experimental, noise, and electronica music; it’s experiencing a revival in the 2010s with the Vaporwave trend.


Zine created by Cheyenne Nolan. Images by Cheyenne Nolan, with the exception of page 12, by Meena Khalili. Body type is Roboto regular, set 8/11. Saddlestitch binding. University of Louisville, 2016.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.