Anatomy of Type
Gara mon d Edit ion
1
2 !
Bb a A Cc
“Typography is two-dimensional architecture, based on experience and imagination, and guided by rules and readability.” -Hermann Zapf
Case Study:
GARAMOND ga ra m on d Claude Garamond is credited with the first version of Garamond, designed c 1532. There is dispute over the actual provenance, as some claim present day Garamond is based on the work of Jean Jannon’s designs 60 years after Garamond’s forms. The evolution of the typeface was based more on economic issues than aesthetic: the thinner strokes and larger counters using less ink and drying faster during the printing process. Garamond is a classic typeface that communicates authority and academia. Employed historically as a book typeface, Garamond reads as “literature” without appearing overly decorative. As a common typeface, Garamond is unobtrusive. It doesn’t call attention to itself, allowing the images or written content to be most prominent.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Designer: Claude Garamond (c. 1480 - 1561) c. 1532: Paris, France Type Classification: Old Style Serif Modern Versions: Adobe Garamond, 1989 Garamont, 1925 ITC Garamond, 1975 Monotype Garamond, 1923 Applications: Harry Potter book series, US Apple Computer Identity and Advertising
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 !?&@”/ *%*$+}]`
In the following pages, we will explore typographic terms in the font, Garamond. The list below highlights some common typographic terms that will be defined throughout this booklet.
Apex Bowl Aperture X-Height Arm Serif Ear Link Foot Tittle Descender Line Leg Stem Cap Height Shoulder Counter Axis Loop Tail Terminal Spine Cross Stroke Bracket Hairline Vertex Uppercase Lowercase Ascender Line Baseline
apex
bowl spur Garamond Characteristics for Identification: - ‘a’ - sharp hook updwards at top left - Oblique apexes
Apex - Point at the top of a letterform where two strokes meet Bowl - Fully closed rounded part of a letter
aperture
Dd Garamond Characteristics for Identification: - Apertures are smaller than average, closed off earlier at the stem - Low x-height, making capitals look relatively large
x-height
Aperture - The opening of a partially enclosed counter shape X-Height - Height of the lowercase ‘x’ which is used as a guideline for the height of unextended lowercase letters
arm
serif Garamond Characteristics for Identification: - ‘e’ - small eye, popularized idea that cross-stroke should be level - Top serifs on ascenders of letter have a downward slope and ride above the cap height - Serifs have slightly cupped bases, serifs on the top of a character are sloped downward
Arm - A stroke that doesn’t connect to another stroke or stem on one or both ends Serif - Small stroke at the beginning or end of main srokes of a letter
ear link
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: Evokes elegance, airiness
foot
Ear - Small stroke extending from the bowl of a lowercase ‘g’ or ‘r’ Link - The link connecting the top and bottom bowls of a lowercase ‘g’ Foot - The part of a stem that rests on the baseline
tittle
Jj Garamond Characteristics for Identification: Contains low line contrast
descender line
Tittle - The dot on the ‘i’ and the ‘j’ Descender Line - Invisible line marking the lowest part of the descenders
leg
stem
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: First to deviate from handwritten-style to make letters readable for printing
Leg - Downward sloping stoke on a ‘k’ and ‘R’ Stem - A vertical stroke in a character
cap height
shoulder
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: The capital letter “M” is splayed with outward serifs at the top
Cap Height - Height of a capital letter measured from the baseline Shoulder - Curved part in a lowercase ‘h,’ ‘m’ and ‘n’
counter
axis
loop
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: - Axis of some letters is diagonal - Counters are smaller than average, closed off earlier at the stem
Counter - An area partially or entirely enclosed in a letterform or symbol like an ‘o,’ ‘p’ or ‘c’ Axis - Invisible line dissecting the glyph from top to bottom at its thinnest point Loop - A rounded enclosed or partially-enclosed projecting stroke
tail
terminal
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: The leg of the capital letter “R” extends away from the letter.
Tail - The descending stroke of the letter ‘Q’ Terminal - The end of any stroke that doesn’t have a serif
spine
cross stroke
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: First to deviate from handwritten-style to make letters readable for printing
Spine - The main curve in ‘S’ and ‘s’ Cross Stroke - The horizontal stroke across a lowercase ‘t’ or ‘f ’
vertex
Xx uppercase
lowercase
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: The lower-case letters are much smaller than upper-case letters when compared to other fonts
Vertex - The point where two strokes meet at the bottom of a character Uppercase - The capitals in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the capitals were kept in the upper part of the type case. Lowercase - The small letters in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the small letters were kept in the lower part of the type case
bracket
hairline
Garamond Characteristics for Identification: Thinner and more delicate letterforms, which allowed ink to bleed on the page without distorting the words (uses less ink)
Bracket - Curved or wedge-like connection between the stem and serif of some fonts Hairline - The lightest font family weight name; can refer to thinnest stroke of a letter
ascender line
baseline Garamond Characteristics for Identification: As one of the oldest typefaces, Garamond conveys a sense of solid tradition, yet still soft and attractive thanks to its elegantly rounded serifs and its diagonally emphasised strokes.
Ascender Line - Invisible line marking the height of all ascenders in a font Baseline - Invisible line on which the letters in a font rest
Sources: The Designer’s Dictionary of Type by Sean Adams https://www.fontsmith.com/blog/2016/06/29/the-a-z-of-typographic-terms https://www.monotype.com/resources/studio/typography-terms#U https://www.designprintdigital.com/blog/typography/typography-series-005-garamond/ https://medium.com/@thelittlereina/typeface-garamond-be1b8b01add8