Modern Dance and the Anatomy of Type: An Organic Analysis of Bodoni and Helvetica
Contents
I. Intro: Typefaces II. Dance and Type Anatomy III. Glossary
Bodoni ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQRST U V WXY Z a c b d e f g h i j k l mn o pq r s t u v w x y z 123456789&!?.
Giambattista Bodoni 1798
The basic characteristics of Bodoni is its extreme contrast in line weight, hairline serifs, and a short x-height. Bodoni is a Modern serif typeface that was influenced by another typeface of the same classification, called Didot. Bodoni is usually not used for editorial and used more for captions or titles because, though it is beautiful, the small x-height and contrasting line weights make it hard to read.
I.
Helvetica ABCDEFGHIJ KL MNOPQRST U V WXYZ a c b d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 &!?.
Max Miedinger 1957
The basic characteristics of Helvetica
is its minimal difference in line weight, high x-height, and closed apertures. Helvetica is a Sans-Serif Neo-
Grotesque typeface that was heavily
influenced by a Sans-Serif Grotesque typeface called Akzidenz-Grotesk.
Helvetica is used very diversely due
to it being very clean and unimposing. It is often used for both easy reading
and even simple branding design. It is very neutral and has a high x-height, making it easy to read.
II.
Bras The shoulder of the letterform is just like the curve of the dancer’s back from the nape. past her arms and all the way to the end of her spine.
nn
Shoulder
Bodoni
Helvetica
The part of a curved stroke connected to the stem of a letterform, but not the hairline, connecting two vertical strokes or stems.
The shoulder of Bodoni starts with the hairline stroke and tapers out into strong stroke. This applies to the lowercase letters n, h, and m.
Alternatively, the shoulder of Helvetica starts with a stroke that is only slightly thinner than the thick stroke.
1
Cabriole Much like the arc of an F, the curve of the dancer’s back from her thigh to her delicate fingertips create an arc.
Arc
ff
A curved stroke that extends from a straight stem of a letterform but does not form a bowl; such as the top or bottom of a lowercase f.
Bodoni
Helvetica
The arc of Bodoni tapered into a hairline stroke and ends with a ball terminal.
Alternatively, the arc of Helvetica just barely tapers and ends with a sheared terminal.
3
Release The feet of this dancer supports the balance of the rest of her body much like the foot of a letterform.
xx
Foot
Bodoni
Helvetica
The base of a letter form, which normally sits on the baseline.
The base of Bodoni is wide and well supported due to its serif. Its stroke is the slightly thicker as its hairline.
Alternatively, the foot of Helvetica’s x is the same width as the rest of the letterform because it is a sans-serif font with no thick and thins.
5
FF 6
Arm
Bodoni
Helvetica
A projecting horizontal or upward diagonal stroke of a letterform not inclosed within a character, as in an E, K,F, or L.
The arm of Bodoni’s F starts off with the hairline stroke and expands to end with a serif terminal.
Alternatively, the arm of Helvetica’s F is the same bold stroke as the rest of the letter form, not changing in weight.
En Arrière The extended arm of this dancer is a perfect example of what the arm of an F looks like.
7
RR 8
Leg
Bodoni
Helvetica
A projecting diagonal stroke of a letterform that extends downward, as in an R and K. Also referred to as a tail.
The leg of Bodoni’s R extends downwards with an elegant curve and a that expands and tapers in thickness, ending in a flicked terminal.
Alternatively, the the leg of Helvetica’s R is a stiffer curve with barely any difference in line weight and ends with a clean, short extended terminal.
Tendu The extended leg of this dancer represents the leg of a letterform in which it supports the dancer’s body upright and keep her balanced.
9
Spine
ss
The diagonal portion or main curve stroke of the uppercase and/or lowercase of S.
10
Bodoni
Helvetica
The spine of Bodoni starts from the end of the hairline an expands into the thickest srtoke of the letterform and tapers back into the beginning of another hairline stroke.
Alternatively, the spine of Helvetica is one whole, unchanging stroke that makes the main curve of the letterform S.
Spiral The spine of a letterform is much like the curve of her waist from her underarm to the middle of her gluteus muscle.
11
Crawl The peak of this dancer’s gluteus represents the apex of a letterform.
AA Apex
Bodoni
Helvetica
The outer point of a letterform where two diagonal strokes meet. apex points can be either pointed, rounded, flat or extended.
The apex of Bodoni is flat. Though it is a very small detail, the top of the apex is flattened slightly thinner than the hairline to give it a softer feeling.
Similarly, the apex of Helvetica is flat. However, its apex is the same width as its main, broad stroke.
13
pp
14
Bowl
Bodoni
Helvetica
A curved stem or stroke of a letterform tha encloses a counter. For instance, a lowercase b, p, or O.
The bowl of the Bodoni letterform p starts with a hairline stroke and expands into the thickest stroke, and then tapersback into the hairline stroke to make an enclosed space.
Similarly, the bowl of the Helvetica letterform p has a slightly thinner stroke at the start of the bowl and thickens into it’s usual thick stroke, tapering back to the thinner stroke.
En Pointe The bowl of a letterform is much like this dancer left leg that is elegantly folded in, with her toes en pointe towards her knee to create an enclosed space, or counter.
15
Arabesque The space created by the curve of the dancer’s waist and the connection of hand to calf makes an eclosed area much like the counter of a letterform.
16
pp
Counter
Bodoni
Helvetica
An area that is fully or partially enclosed by a bowl or cross bar of a letterform, as in a, b, p, o, or q
The counter of Bodoni’s p is an irreguar oval because the thick stroke impedes on its space.
Alternatively, the counter of Helvetica’s p its an even oval due to its consistent thick stroke.
17
AllongĂŠ The outstretched or elongated leg of this dancer represents the cross bar of a letterform.
tt
Cross Bar
Bodoni
Helvetica
A horizontal stroke in a letterform that connects two vertical or diagonal strokes as in A or H. It can also be the crossing a vertical stroke as in f or t. Also called a bar or cross stroke.
The cross bar of Bodoni is the same width of its hairline stroke and sits quite high along the main stroke of the t.
Similarly, the cross bar of Helvetica is the same as the slightly thinner stroke that you can see at the bottom end (terminal) of the t.
19
cc
20
Aperture
Bodoni
Helvetica
The rounded, partially enclosed space in a letterform such as an n, c, s, and the lower part of an e.
The aperture of Bodoni is quite spacious because the hairline stroke provide more room for space.
Alternatively, the aperture of Helvetica’s c is more regular, consistent, and enclosed because of its even, thick stroke.
Rond The open, circular shape of this dancer’s arms show what the aperture of a letterform looks like.
21
Balance The delicate hand that rests over the dancer’s head is analogous to the dot resting over the letterform i.
Dot
ii
A punctuation glyph in the form a typographic dot that is either used at the end of a sentence or used to top off the letter i and j. Also referred to as a tittle.
Bodoni
Helvetica
The tittle over Bodoni’s i is a circle and has the same diameter as the broad stroke.
Alternatively, the tittle of Helvetica’s i is a rectangular shape thathas the same stroke width as the rest of the letter.
23
Two Dancers The two dancers are connected by the hands and create a connection much like the tie of a typographic ligature.
Tie
Bodoni
Helvetica
A stroke that connects two or more letters together to create one single, tied letterform called a ligature.
The tie of Bodoni’s ligature is thin but still slightly thicker than the hairline stroke.
Alternatively, the tie of Helvetica is the same thick stroke that the whole letterform is made of.
25
Forced Arch The straight extended arm of the dancer, that is parallel to the floor, is an example of what a flag of the numeral 5 looks like.
55
Flag
Bodoni
Helvetica
The horizontal stroke on the numeral 5.
The flag of Bodoni is slightly thinner than its broad stroke and ends with a little accented end that taper upwards.
Alternatively, the flag of Helvetica is the same thickness as the rest of the numeral and ends with a flat, straight end.
27
TT 28
Overhang
Bodoni
Helvetica
An ascender of letterform that extends into the space of the letters before and/or after as with F, T, and V.
The overhang of Bodoni’s T hangs quite low and tapers out at its ends to the hairline stroke.
Helvetica’s T does not , in fact, have an overhang because it is a sans-serif font.
ElevĂŠ The downwards movement of the dancers fore arms extends into and over the width of her body much like an overhang of a T.
29
OO 30
Stress
Bodoni
Helvetica
The tilt of thin and thick, curved strokes that can be vertical or oblique. This means it can be an vertical or inclined stress. Also referred to as an axis.
Here, Bodoni Italic is used to show you the possible varities of stress’. The stress of Bodoni Italic is inclined as the hairline strokes are oblique.
Similarly, the stress of Helvetica is also vertical but is less noticeable because the strokes are barely different in thickness.
L’aire The tilted space formed by the bend of the dancer’s body shows an inclined stress much like the oblique stress of Bodoni Italic.
31
YY 32
Fork
Bodoni
Helvetica
The intersection point within a letterform where one stroke splits into two strokes as in a Y.
The fork of Bodoni’s Y splits off on the right side to accommodate to the font’s line weight.
Alternatively, the fork of Helvetica’s Y starts in the center as the line wight of the whole font is nearly the same.
Grand Battement The connection where the joint of the dancers thigh and waist meet is the equivalent to the fork of a Y letterform.
33
Attitude The sharp angle of this dancer’s waist meets her arm to her leg much like the joint of a letterform.
KK Joint
Bodoni
Helvetica
The angle formed in a letter where two strokes meet or intersect as in a K or R.
The joint in Bodoni’s K meet at an intersecting point and make a sharp, acute angle, though the strokes have different line weights.
Alternatively, the joint of Helvetica’s K does not meet at a point and instead the leg of the letterform is attached to the side of the arm.
35
Glossary Aperture
Bowl
The rounded, partially enclosed negative space in a letterform such as an n, C, S, and the lower part of an e or the upper stor y of an a.
Counter
Arc
A cur ved stroke that extends from a straight stem of a letterorm but does not form a bowl; such as the top or bottom of a lowercase f.
Arm
A Projecting horozontal or upward diagonal stroke of a letterform not enclosed within a character, as in an E, K, or L.
A cur ved stem or stroke of a letterform that encloses a counter, as like a lowercase b, p, or O.
An area fully or partially enclosed by a bowl or a cross bar of a letterform, as in a b, p, o, or A
Cross Bar A horizontal element of a letterform that connects or crosses two vertical or diagonal stems or strokes. As in an A, H, f, or t. Also called a bar or cross stroke.
Dot
A punctuation glyph in the form a typographic dot that is either used at the end of a sentence or used to top off the letter i and j. Also referred to as a tittle.
Flag
A horizontal stroke on the numeral 5.
Foot The base of a letter form, which normally sits on a baseline.
Fork The intersection point within a letterform where one stroke splits into two strokes as in a Y.
Joint
Shoulder
The angle formed in a letterform where two strokes meet or intersect, as in a K or R.
The portion of a cur ved stroke projecting from a stem of a letterform, but not the hairline, connecting two vertical strokes or stems.
Leg A projecting diagonal stem or stroke of a letterform extending downward, as in an R and K. Also called a tail.
Tie A stroke that joins two letterforms together to create a ligature (or tied letterform).
Overhang An ascender of a letterform that extends into the pace of a previous or subsequent character as with f, F, T, and V.
Spine The diagonal portion or main cur ved stroke of an S or s.
Stem (or Stroke) The principal vertical or oblique element(s) of a letterform, as in an A, B, L, or V; except for a cur ved letterform, where it is called a stroke.
Stress (or Axis) The incination of thin and thick, cur ved stems or strokes (vertical or oblique) in a letterform, which can be an inclined or vertical stress or axis.
Designed by Ha-Won Lee