Introduction to
Meta
-Erik Spiekermann6
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I’m obviously a typeomaniac, which is an incurable if not mortal disease. I can’t explain it. I just love, I just like looking at type. I just get a total kick out of it: they are my friends.
Erik Spiekermann, born in 1947, calls himself an information architect.
The designer himself.11
He is equally comfortable and prolific as a writer, graphic and typeface designer, but type is always at the epicenter of this communication dynamo. Even as a child, Spiekermann was drawn to the typographic arts. “I had a little printing press and taught myself to set type when I was twelve,” he recalls. “Years later, when I went to university to study art history, I made a living as a letterpress printer and hot metal typesetter.” In 1988, Spiekermann started FontShop, a digital typeface foundry and distributor of fonts. Spiekermann currently holds a professorship at the Academy of Arts in Bremen, is vice president of the German Design Council, president of the International Institute of Information Design, president of the International Society of Typographic Designers and a board member of ATypI.
Erik
His book, Stop Stealing Sheep, first published in 1993, has sold over 150,000 copies and is currently in its second edition. He withdrew from the management of MetaDesign in 2000 to work on a new project: The United Designers Network, a collaboration of many designers he has worked with over the years. When it comes to the design of typefaces, Spiekermann sees himself as more of a problem solver than an artist. His process for beginning a new typeface is simple and straightforward. “Identify a problem – like space saving, bad paper, low resolution, on-screen use – then find typefaces that almost work but could be improved,” he explains. “Study them. Note the approaches and failings. Sleep on it, then start sketching without looking at anything else.”5
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An original manual sketch of FF Meta, with hand written corrections.10
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In 1984, the German State Post Office, the Bundespost, was persuaded by Erik Spiekermann of MetaDesign to commission a new, exclusive font for use on all of the Bundespost’s printed material. The aim of the project, which began in 1985, was to develop a face that was easy to read in small sizes, available in several weights, unmistakable as an identity, and technologically up-to-date. Although the font was digitized, tested, and approved in the summer of 1985, the project was canceled. The Bundespost returned to using one of its many previous typefaces, Helvetica, assuming that digital type would not catch on.
In 1989, after design software made creating new fonts more efficient, MetaDesign refined the Bundespost typeface for its own exclusive use, renaming it Meta. Initially, Meta was just used for in-house projects, but soon MetaDesign began to use it in mail-order catalogs for FontShop, a digital type foundry, cofounded by Erik Spiekermann. FontShop encouraged the parent company to license the face. Released as FF Meta, it has become one of the most successful typefaces available from FontFont, a subsidiary of FontShop.7
The original sketches for FF Meta by Spiekermann in 1985. The earliest version of Meta, meant for the Bundespost, was rejected by the client.11
A sample of the Bundespost typeface, relaunched under the name FF Meta, which became the “Helvetica of the 90s�.3
A handmade sketch for FF Meta Serif, which was developed and to be released in 2007.5
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Bowl
Crossbar
Ascender
The anatomical parts of the letterforms are labeled in theabove diagrams.
X-height Baseline Descender Line
Descender Bowl
QifRg Tail
Mean Line
Ear
Shoulder
Tittle
Stem
Spur
Aperture
Crossbar Juncture
Leg
Anatomy
Cap Line
Ascender Height
As for the construction of the letterforms, Meta has capitals with flat apices, similar to those of Helvetica. It has a wider opening in the C, which also has ang-led finials. Angled finials also occur in the top strokes of the E, F, G, and on both ends of the S. The E has an extended base, while the base of the G has no spur and the J, no loop. The K has one junction, and the junction of the M rests on the baseline, like Helvetica, except that Meta stems are oblique. The tail of the Q is wavy and the leg of the R is slightly curved. The junction and base of the W are both flat. The Z has angled finials on both ends, unlike the lowercase z, which has an upright finial at the top and an angled one at the bottom.
Wide Opening
Single Junction
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G No Spur
No Loop
Baseline Junction
MK
Distinguishing features, like the baseline junction in the M and the J with no loop, are identifying characteristics of Meta.
J
Curved Leg
This diagram is meant to help identify the names for each part of the letterform “anatomy�. These terms may appear later in the book, so always feel free to refer back here.
Angled Finial
CHARACT
Angled Finial
Extended Base Angled Finial
ERISTIC Curved Spur
Rounded Dot Distinguishing elements of lowercase Meta j, g and l are pointed out.
Double Storied Open Bowl
jgl
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Here are some more characteristics of the Meta lowercase and uppercase letterforms. As for the lowercase, the dots over the i and j are rounded. The ends of the letter s are almost horizontal while the bottom of the l is curved, distinguishing it from an upper case i or 1. Meta has a double storied a with a particularly open aperture, and the double storied g has an open bowl. The y is unique, because the two strokes aren’t fully joined. For the uppercase letters, M is angled, appearing more like a Futura or upsidedown W than Helvetica or Gill Sans, and E and T are both asymmetrical letterforms.3 A general feature of Meta is “relatively open apertures, in contrast to the more folded-up appearance of Helvetica. This is believed to promote legibility and make the letterforms more clearly different from one another.”3
u The ascenders of letters like b are a bit bent at the top, an aesthetic theme that follows through to the stem of letters like m.
The finials of the letter u are a slightly angled, while the spur of the u is slightly bent as illustrated left.
Several of the Meta family lowercase letters have particular traits that distinguish the face from other sans serifs. The ascenders of the b, k, h, and l are slightly bent at the top, a feature that is carried through the stems of the m, n,p, q, and the spur of the u. The finials of the v, w, and y are slightly angles, unlike the Meta family capital letters.8
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A comparison of a Meta, Baskerville and Helvetica lowercase g. The difference being the shape of the bowl.
Baskerville
Single-storied Open Bowl
Meta Bold
Double-storied Open Bowl
Double-storied Open Bowl
ggg Other distinguishing features include the double-storied g that has a highly unusual open bowl. This is a feature shared by the transitional typefaces Baskerville and Cheltenham; only a few other sans-serif typefaces, such as Kabel, have this feature. The l has a slight curved tail and the y has an offset junction.3
Helvetica Neue
—Erik Spiekermann, Helvetica the film1
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g
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Most people who use Helvetica, use it because it’s ubiquitous. It’s like going to McDonald’s instead of thinking about food. Because it’s there, it’s on every street corner, so let’s eat crap because it’s on the corner.
i;
A comparison of Meta and Helvetica regarding letterform and punctuation dots in the letter i and semicolon.
Meta
;
Meta
Squared Punctuation Dots
Rounded Punctuation Dots
Squared Letterform Dots
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Helvetica
Rounded Letterform Dots
i
Helvetica
Overall, Meta is a more condensed face than Helvetica, and it has only a slightly lower x-height. Both Meta and Helvetica have thin shoulders. While the dots of Meta letterforms and punctuation are rounded, Helvetica has square dots. The nuanced construction of the Meta typeface sets it apart from Helvetica’s regularized structure, creating the face’s appealing personality.9
Meta
R R Meta
Wide Width
Condensed Width
Helvetica
Flat Stem
Angled Stem
Curved Stem
Sans Serif
A comparison of the width of Helvetica Neue and Meta uppercase R’s.
qqq Sans Serif
A comparison of Meta and Helvetica regarding width and x height in lowercase v’s.
Serif
Higher x-height
Lower x-height
vv
Helvetica
A comparison of Baskerville, Helvetica Neue and Meta lowercase q’s. Serif and stem differences are noted.
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Compact Bowl
Q
Very Wide Bowl
Wide Bowl
A comparison of Baskerville, Helvetica Neue and Meta Q in terms of bowl and tail.
Curved Tail
Helvetica
Straight Tail
QQ Baskerville
Curved Tail
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Meta
References 1 Abrams, Rachel. “Ready for Its Close-Up.” Eye Magazine. N.p., 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.<http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/ ready-for-its-close-up>.
Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces/essays by Carolyn Annand ... [et al.]; edited by Philip B. Meggs and Roy McKelvey, New York: RC Publications, c2000. (A&A: Z250 .R45 2000)
2Brownlee, John. “What’s the Difference Between A Font And A Typeface?” Fast Company. N.p., 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www. fastcodesign.com/3028971/ whats-the-difference-between-a-font-anda-typeface>.
Spiekermann, Erik and Ginger, E.M. Stop Stealing Sheep & Find out how Type Works. USA: Hayden, 1993. (Vault)
3“FF Meta.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 4 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. \<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FF_Meta>.
Sweet, Fay. MetaDesign: Design from the Word up. New York: Watson-Guptil Publications, 1999. (A&A: VNC999.6.G4 M48 1999 and Vault)
4Fonts.com, Available at http://www.fonts.com/AboutFonts/DesignerProfiles/ErikSpiekermann.htm Accessed November 1, 2005 5FontFont. “FF Meta.” MyFonts. My Fonts, 4 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/fontfont/ff-meta/>. 6 Helvetica. Prod. Gary Hustwit. 2007. Film.
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7Leland M. Hill. Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces (New York: RC Publications), 142-143. 8Ibid., 143, 144. 9Ibid., 145. 10Spiekermann, Erik. FF Meta Process Drawing. N.d. Interior Design Trends. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http://interior-design-trends.de/berlin-bauhaus-archiv/>. 11———. FF Meta Serif Sketches. N.d. I Love Typography. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http://ilovetypography.com/2008/09/04/ff-meta-serif-microsite/>. 12———. “Original Sketches 1985 (Erik Spiekermann).” Typographie.info. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.typografie.info/3/page/ Schriften/ fonts.html/_/ ff-meta-r1>.
Bibliography Planet Typography. “Font or Typeface?” The Font Feed. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://fontfeed.com/archives/font-or-typeface/>.
Colophon This book was created by Francesca Maida at Washington University in St. Louis for Typography 1 in Spring 2015. This book stands as the final project for Typography 1. Typeset in Scala OT and Meta, with the occasional example of Helvetica and Baskerville.
M