clifstone Normal Inline Engraved
lifstone is comprised of small capitals and capital letters in three display weights, normal, inline & engraved. The typeface is inspired by carved letters on 19th century headstones in the Birdcage Walk, Clifton. The context of the font lies on a search for meanings of craftsmanship, workmanship, and the relationship between craftspeople and their precedent. This is of special importance, although a work of craftsmanship is infused by the individuality of the craftsman, the tools and techniques root in tradition, a tradition that the craftsman lives in their work.
• con t e n t s •
i • n om encl atur e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 i i • p r eceden t ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 i i i • w al k ................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 i v • sp eci ficati on s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2
Typeface design by Francisco Marrero & Joseph Pettitt.
Display: Clifstone Engraved 724 pt | Chapter: Clifstone Normal 10.5 pt (+100) | Clifstone Normal 21/26.25 pt | Byline: Clifstone Inline 10.5 pt (+50)
i • nom encl atu r e
“ Masonry, carving, letters... People think that is all done by masons. People that work in the monumental trade probably call themselves masons, but actually they are all quite different disciplines, you can study masonry, become a mason, and still learn very little about stone carving, equally a sculpturer might not have much experience carving letterforms, in a way all they share in common is the material on which they work, it is the family of stonecrafts ”
• 5 •
Iain Cotton
Display: Clifstone Engraved 174 pt | Clifstone Normal 10.5/15.75pt (+180/1000 em)
• 7 •
H a s • b e e n • i n • p r ac t i c e • s i n c e • t h e • homo-fabler/maker•of•tools. Is•the•craft•of•shaping•r ough• p i e c e s • o f • r o c k • i n t o • a c c u r at e • g e o m e t r i c a l • s h a p e s , at • t i m e s • simple, but•s ome•of•considerable• complexity, and•then•arranging• t h e • r e s u lt i n g • s t on e s , o f t e n • t o g e t h e r • w i t h • m o r ta r , t o • form•structures.
• 9 •
A n c i e n t • ac t i v i t y • w h e r e • p i e c e s • o f • r o u g h • n at u r a l • s t o n e • a r e • s h a p e d • b y • t h e • c o n t r o l l e d • r e m o va l • o f • m at e r i a l . T r a d i t i o n a l ly • u s e d • t o • ta l k • a b o u t • s c u l p t i n g • a n d • w o r k s • r e f e r r i n g • t o • c o n s e r vat i o n .
• 11 •
The•craft•of•carving•letters•on• stone. The•stone•can•be•r ough, o r • p r e v i o u s ly • c u t • b y • a • m a s o n . Sometimes•refereed•to•as• t h e • ‘ ta i - c h i ’ • o f • c r a f t s • d u e • t o • t h e • physical•movements•of•hands• and•body•whilst•carving•the• d e l i c at e • s h a p e s • o f • l e t t e r f o r m s • a n d • o r n a m e n tat i o n . B e c a u s e • o f • i t ’ s • l o n g e v i t y — i n • m o d e r n - d ay — t h e • process•is•often•used•to•mark, c o m m e m o r at e • a n d • r e m e m b e r • events•and•people.
Display: Clifstone Engraved 724 pt | Chapter: Clifstone Normal 10.5 pt | Clifstone Normal 21/26.25 pt
i i • p r ecedent • 13 •
Based in Timsbury, near Bath, Iain Cotton is a letter cutter producing fine memorials, headstones, cremation tables, house signs, gift and garden sculptures to commission. Having realised work in private collections in America, Japan and the UK, Iain has been working with the material since his first conservation commission in 1990, later specialising in letter cutting.
How did you decide to become a letter cutter?
I studied fine art, and after that even when it was not really the plan I became partner in a conservation project, and became an assistant of the master stonemason. At this point my interest was in sculpture. We worked on historic conservation projects, sculptures, buildings, objects, and this informal apprenticeship arrangement gave me enough experience to ‘blag my way’.
• 14 •
I didn’t really get into lettering through a formal education, I attended a workshop, thereafter some of the initial methods and techniques I employed were not ideal, but it was a start, which got me to become enthusiastic about the craft, and with my prior experience working with stone I saw it as an opportunity to make some money.
the•world• of•art•is• kind•of• suspicious• of•craft. Clifstone Normal 15.75/21 pt | DP: Clifstone Inline 78.5 pt | Question: Clifstone Normal 10.5 pt | Display: Clifstone Normal 84 pt
tradition• is•a• continuing• story.
What is your definition of craftsmanship? • 17 •
Most craft disciplines involve making things by hand following traditions. It involves skill and developing a relationship with the material you work with over time. Craftsmanship is about more than respecting tradition, you are in the tradition, you live in it, you swim in it.
What are the most important tools of the craft?
Specifically about cutting letters, most of what I do is with a carver’s dummy, and a chisel. The dummy gives you the flexibility to hit the chisel from any angle, and depending on the way is held, you can control the power. I’ve heard cutting letters described as the thaichi of crafts, and that is because there is quite a lot of physical demands, is a matter following the chisel around.
• 18 •
Most modern letter-carvers would use a short tugsten tipped chisel. When it sits in your hand, there is not much coming out of either side, increasing your control over it. The chisel is sharpened every so often with a diamond stone.
hands eyes
lettering• is• obsessive, it•really• gets•into• you.
Not that I don’t like making headstones, I do like it, you’re making something of a powerful importance to someone. I spent 20 years working in conservation but I just got bored of it. Not that it’s not interesting, I did work on some very complex things but at the end of the day it’s just copying someone else’s work. Whereas if I’m making a headstone, even if it’s straight forward like this, with roman letters at least they’re my roman letters.
What works have you been doing recently & how long did it take you?
It took me bout 7 weeks, when I finished that it just seems to be headstones at the moment. I’m trying to get something else, easter is he so hope fully people are thinking about their gardens/garden sculptures.
• 21 •
I seemed to have been working on a lot of head stones at the moment, I spent most of last summer working on the Bath marker stone companion piece.
it’s•a• rocess•of• refinement• all•the•way• through.
Is the advertising industry associated to industrial processes hijacking the language of craft?
There is a tension between the hand rendered and the perfect, what ever that may be, it’s never going to be perfect but it’s the approach and the aspiration that I think gives a tension to it, quite a lot of work.
• 23 •
Nearly every product everybody buys is manufactured. Designed by somebody and made in china. Consequently people are into the prices of that those products are able to sell at. Every now and then I will get an e-mail from somebody asking how much a house sign would be, and i’ll get back to them and say around £300, and they say oh no that’s far to expensive, because they’re comparing you two to people who might make a computer font sandblasted into stand and he can do it for 80. So some people don’t really understand the value of crafts. Making things by hand is human. Which I feel is the main idea.
Birdcage Walk Display: Clifstone E 624 pt | Head: Clifstone N 42 pt (+50) | Chapter: Clifstone N 10.5 pt (+100) | Clifstone N 21/26.25 pt | Byline: Clifstone I 10.5 pt (+50)
i i i • w al k
“ Birdcage walk, as it is known today, is the graveyard of the former St Andrews church. Blitzed during the Second World War, all that remains is a stone platform outlining the foundations. From the days when Clifton was a small hilltop village, St Andrews was the original parish church, its existence first recorded in 1154. The graveyard is wild, gated and sunken, but rich with decaying ornate tombstones”
• 25 •
Daniel Kimberley
In a clearing stands a marooned palm tree, harking back to Clifton’s dark colonial past.
Birdcage walk is rich in crafted stone works, from the stonemansonry of the War Memorial, to sculptural carvings and fine lettercuttings.
• 30 •
Above, lettercuts which inspired the structure of Clifstone
Display: Clifstone Engraved 624 pt | Chapter: Clifstone Normal 10.5 pt (+100) | Clifstone Normal 21/26.25 pt
iv • sp eci ficati ons
Clifstone is a three weight display type family. It’s composed of basic latin caps, small caps, two-sizes of numerals, punctuation and math symbols.
• 33 •
The aesthetic of the forms is inspired by engravings on headstones predating the 18th century. The modular structure creates an even rhythm on the page; the slightly exaggerated overhangs create a sense reminiscent of the character of letter cuts that have been exposed to the elements.
A I Q Y g o w � 7 ; ! = Clifstone Normal 31.5 pt
B J R Z h p x & 8 • ? >
C K S a i q y 1 9 / ) <
D L T b j r z 2 0 \ [ %
E M U c k s fi 3 ( – + ]
F N V d l t fl 4 . — − |
G O W e m u � 5 , “” × £
H P X f n v � 6 : ‘’ ÷ $
Construction & metrics The process began with the constuction of a three-by-three modular grid, dividing the area into six modules consequtely split by a diagonal axis to determine the vertical segments. The system translates from small capitals to capitals bu adding an extrahorizontal and vertical module.
Overhang: 21 µ
Cap height: 888 µ
Overhang: 21 µ
x-height: 666 µ
SC cross-bar centre: 333 µ CAP cross-bar centre: 444 µ
Module: 222 × 222 µ
Overhang: 21µ
Clifstone Normal small caps
• 37 •
Clifstone Normal capitals
Range of resized caps & small caps Capital letterforms differ from their small caps counterparts, optically balancing the weight of the letterforms on the printed page. Whilst the majority of the case is monospaced, some letterforms, like 'w', 'm' & 'l' do not follow this rule and their width was adjusted relationally to the structural grid. Whilst the characters were constructed modularly to a grid system, they do not appear rigid nor like they are trying to conform to the system just for the sake of it, this is evident in the 's' where the upper bowl of of greater height than the lower, or in the overhangs of letterforms with rounded sections.
Capitals
Small caps
Diagonal stroke is derived fom the main stroke skewed 33.7ยบ
Large sharp crossbar centred in the vertical middle
Non-square 'w', the capital form is more ornate than small cap.
Vertical stress, rounded form
• 39 •
Light spine, upper counter is smaller
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 fi fl � � � 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( . , : ; • / \ – — ! ? ) [ + − × ÷ = < > % | # ] & $ £ � � � � � � � � � � � �
High contrast, vertical stress
Quarr flint? vayeol Heavy crossbar
Curved tail
Generous overhang
Sharp flaring terminals are indication of serif
6 Ligatures
• 40 •
Over 70 kerning pairs
Features Three-weight open type font: normal, inline & engraved. Basic latin capitals & small caps, six ligatures. Punctuation & symbols.
&
Alternative cap-height numerals & x-height punctuation.
ies Full set of symbols & punctuation
$3.50
chisel Evenness of counters and spaces. The hour-glass-like stroke creates elegant curved counter shapes which are resonant from character-to-character. This evenness makes the display face also suited for setting paragraphs and bodies of text, in this context, the exagerated overhangs ease the reading experience, guiding the reader as words are quickly recognisable.
minimum minimum This rythym is amost remeniscent of the evenness in roman text faces whilst keeping a slightly more monospaced structure.
Text samples 'Letters & Stone', interview with Fergus Wessel. I Love Typography, March 2012.
Why did you decide to become a letter cutter?
Why did you decide to become a letter cutter?
My introduction to the elegance of letters and typography began at the Whittington Press in Gloucestershire where my mother worked as a typesetter and wood-engraver. An early love of stone carving and an interest in lettering led me to the Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge, where I trained as an apprentice.
My introduction to the elegance of letters and typography began at the Whittington Press in Gloucestershire where my mother worked as a typesetter and wood-engraver. An early love of stone carving and an interest in lettering led me to the Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge, where I trained as an apprentice.
Since 2003 I’ve had my own workshop where I have so enjoyed meeting people, working with them, and understanding their needs. My work tends to be quite traditional and my conviction is that finely carved lettering and pleasing spacing are fundamental; simplicity is the key.
Since 2003 I’ve had my own workshop where I have so enjoyed meeting people, working with them, and understanding their needs. My work tends to be quite traditional and my conviction is that finely carved lettering and pleasing spacing are fundamental; simplicity is the key.
12/14 pt Clifstone Normal (+10/1000 em)
• 43 •
12/14 pt Clifstone Normal (+10/1000 em)
Why a particular interest in good typography? An inscription on paper or stone can be a beautiful thing to look at, a work of art. It is not the content which interests me most, but the shape and rhythm of the lettering. An inscription must be pleasing and well balanced to the eye. This requires an in-depth knowledge of sound typographic principles.
8/11.813 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Is typography more relevant and important in hand-carved lettering than in sandblasted lettering? It does have more relevance in hand-carved lettering, though it shouldn’t. There is no reason why sandblasted lettering can’t be well spaced and laid out. Sadly, there is a general lack of care anda love with machine-cut lettering. Those who produce hand-carved lettering tend to take more time and give their work more love and attention. It’s not the technique that’s the problem, but the layout. This is more important than the way a letter is cut; finely carved lettering with poor spacing and layout will still look awful.
Clifstone Engraved
10/13.125 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Do the principles of good typography on paper translate well to, say, headstones? How do you adapt a typeface for use in stone? In order to achieve a good design on stone, the lettering needs to be adapted to the type of stone. For example, if one is carving in slate, there is little difference in the lettering one might use on paper. However, in limestone the letter needs to be chunkier and more deeply cut, as we rely on the shadow of the v-cut and not colour to see the letters.
• 44 •
12/15.75 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Do the principles of good typography on paper translate well to, say, headstones? How do you adapt a typeface for use in stone? In order to achieve a good design on stone, the lettering needs to be adapted to the type of stone. For example, if one is carving in slate, there is little difference in the lettering one might use on paper. However, in limestone the letter needs to be chunkier and more deeply cut, as we rely on the shadow of the v-cut and not colour to see the letters. 16/19.688 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline (+10/1000em)
What are the limitations of lettering in stone? When cut by hand, lettering in stone has few limitations, unlike sandblasted lettering, which is restricted by the technology that produces it (although this is improving all the time). In many ways, with lettering in stone there is more flexibility than in type, where one is restricted by the piece of type. Again it depends on the material; a coarse and open limestone only really lends itself to big, bold lettering. Slate, on the other hand, is very fine to cut and one has complete control over the material— one’s chisel being like an extension of the hand. 18/21 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Are there any typefaces you particularly like using in stone? I don’t really use typefaces in their pure form; they are mainly designed for paper, so, as a letter cutter, one has to adapt them or design one’s own based loosely on a typeface. For example, one of my favorites is the lowercase alphabet from Caslon; but I would only ever adapt this to slate, as the forms are quite delicate. As the letterform is carved by hand, each will be slightly different, and thus an interpretation. 21/24.938 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Do you have a favorite letter? It would probably be the “S”. I like the challenge involved in getting the balance between the top and bottom spaces just right. 26/28.863 pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
What do you think of Eric Gillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lettering? Eric Gill is my hero! His lettering, in my opinion, remains unsurpassed, partly because of its honesty. We are all striving for perfection, but there really is no such thing of course. If we try to control it and attempt to be too artistic, we are in danger of losing that honesty. 36.36.75â&#x20AC;&#x2030;pt Clifstone Normal & Inline
Š Francisco Marrero & Joseph Pettitt
Inkjet print on Fabriano Academia120â&#x20AC;&#x2030;gsm Secondary typeface: Frutiger