JOURNAL. ART 338/ TYPE 2
JEFF JENSEN
INTRO… Hello, and welcome back to the hella detailed world of typography. If you’re back here, reading this, then you must be doing a project requiring at least some rudimentary typographic skills and to be honest unless it’s somehow still 2016, you have forgotten how to move words around on a page and are now frantically looking between your macbook and this guide. Well have no fear, your 20 year old self in college decided it was kinda smart to listen and make this journal thing and now you’ve got yourself some handy little notes to look back on. So, yeah your Type 3 project might be due in an hour, but at least you won’t fail it completely. READ THIS. FINISH THE PROJECT. GET IT IN. GET HOME. DONE.
DRINK.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Typography in Review 5
THE BASICS.
6
THE KEY RULES.
8
REFINEMENT.
10
WHAT FONT DO I EVEN CHOOSE?
12
FONT FACTOIDS.
14 STYLES.
Projects 17
EXERCISE ONE.
19
PROJECT ONE.
21
PROJECT TWO.
23
PROJECT THREE.
25
PROJECT FOUR.
THE BASICS. The overall quality of your project, typographically speaking, will be determined in most part by the body text. The body text makes up the biggest portion of type in your document, so all together it can make a big difference just changing rags, leading and more. Generally speaking the size of the body text is based on the publishing intentions of your project. For print documents the point size you want is around 10-12, and for web or digital publishing it’s around 15-25. Every font is not the exact same size so these are only guidelines and just be prepared to double check and adjust if necessary. LEADING: The amount of space between lines of text, or line spacing. The default leading for fonts is usually to tight, so loosen it up to allow room for dangling and rising letters. A leading of around 120-145% is ideal for most projects, so keep that in mind when initially setting text. LINE LENGTH: Is important because it allows the reader to follow along and read the body text continuously. In order to avoid awkward pauses while trying to find the next line or reading three words per line, adjust the line length to around 4590 characters. FONT CHOICE: Is super important! It’s actually the first thing you should do as your leading, tracking, point size and more will all be determined based on which font you pick. Start your type project by making type studies and print, testing different fonts at various sizes, leading, etc.
5 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
THE KEY RULES. • Pay attention to the four main rules; POINT SIZE, LEADING, LINE LENGTH, and FONT CHOICE these are the biggest factors in your body text.
• Point size for print publishing should be about 10-12
POINTS, and web publishing should be around 15-25 PIXELS.
• Leading should be around 120-145% OF THE POINT SIZE of your typeface.
• The average line length is usually around 45-90 CHARACTERS long.
• Pick a fitting font, avoid goofy, quirky, mono spaced, and system fonts. Especially Arial and Times New Roman.
• Use the curled quotes instead of the straight quotes. • There should only be a SINGLE space after periods. • Don’t space your typography using excess word spaces or white-space characters.
• Only use underlining when setting a hyperlink. • Use centered text only on occasion. • Try to use bold or oblique typefaces as little as possible. • All caps should only be used for less than a single line of text or titles.
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 6
• If there is no small caps, then there is NO SMALL CAPS! • ADD AN EXTRA 5-12% of tracking between caps and small caps type.
• KERNING is essential. • Use 1-4 times the point size of space when indenting the first line of a paragraph OR separate paragraphs with 4-10 POINTS of space between but NEVER BOTH.
• If you choose to JUSTIFY your body text, hyphenation must be turned on.
• Don’t mix up your hyphens and dashes, and please don’t use multiple hyphens as a dash.
• Use ampersands sparingly unless used in a proper name. • There should be like 1 exclamation mark for every 3 pages. • Use the proper trademark and copyright symbols and don’t just use an alphabetic substitution.
• Use a non-breaking space after paragraphs and section marks. • Make ellipses with the right character, not multiple periods. • Make sure the apostrophes all point downward. • Use the STRAIGHT QUOTE marks for feet and inches measurements.
7 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
REFINEMENT. Point size was a system originally for measuring the handset metal type invented by Johann Gutenberg, and allowed for the extremely fine sizing adjustment needed for typography with the printing press. The modern American measuring system for type includes 2 basic units; points and picas. There are 12 points to each 1 pica, and 6 picas to an inch. A measurement of 2 picas and 7 points would be written as 2p7.
Choosing Point Size and Typeface: • Typeface proportions and weight • Length of text • Format for viewing (screen or print) • Target audience of text • Content of the text SCREEN VS PRINT Body text should be set larger when it will be viewed on screen. Text size for printing body text is usually around 9-12 points. The minimum size for text on screen should be at a minimum of 14 points or larger.
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 8
A WORKHORSE TYPEFACE
• A regular and mostly even weight • Robust proportions • At least one bold weight to create hierarchy • An italic or oblique option • Legible and discernible numeral characters • Economic towards space, narrow enough to fit the most text
Type on Screen. TYPEFACE CONTRAST
Avoid fonts with super contrasting strokes for small body text. X-HEIGHT Look for a typeface whose x-height is high enough to be open and legible without losing distinctions. DISTINCTION There are apparent differences between characters essential to on screen legibility. OPTICAL SIZES Some typefaces have weights specific to size ranges, called optical sizes.
9 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
WHAT FONT DO I EVEN CHOOSE? Design Factors: CONTENT
• How long is the text? • What is it about? • What is the tone of the text? AUDIENCE
• What is the age of the target audience? • Consider the demographics involved FORMAT
• What size is the final product? • How far will it be viewed from? • Is the format set or variable? TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 10
Technical Factors: • Does the font contain all the necessary glyphs and punctuation? • Are there foreign characters needed? • Are there multiple weights and styles? • Does the font have small caps? • Does the font have lining and old style numerals? • Is there a web version of the font? • Is the font OpenType compatible?
Pairing Typefaces:
• Look for distinction between typefaces • Match up display and body text type • Find harmony in the visual elements of characters •
11 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
FONT FACTOIDS. Fonts are COMPLICATED to create. Fonts are incredibly time intensive projects, which usually requires large teams working over several years to produce. If the typeface is to include multiple languages then the process is even more complex, not to mention typefaces must be functional pieces of technology as well. Typefaces must be able to be adaptable to many platforms as well as include ligatures and swashes. LICENSING License grants the owner rights to use the font in certain ways laid out in the license. DESIGNERS SHOULD KEEP IN MIND:
• Is this font licensed for commercial use? • What is the cost of the license? • What are the usage rights of the font’s license?
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 12
Where do my fonts live? Fonts can be located in many places on your computer and their location determines who can access and use them. USER: ~/LIBRARY/FONTS/
• Only the individual account has access to fonts stored here. LOCAL: /LIBRARY/FONTS/
• Any account on the computer can access these fonts. NETWORK: /NETWORK/LIBRARY/FONTS/
• Users in the local area have access to fonts here. SYSTEM: /SYSTEM/LIBRARY/FONTS/
• These fonts are system and display fonts, and should never be touched.
13 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
STYLES. Styles are great ways to utilize the tools available in InDesign, allowing you to set large amounts of text and make quick edits across the whole text.
Paragraph styles: • Leading • Tabs • Indents • Hyphenation and Justification • Paragraph rules. MOST STYLES USED WILL BE PARAGRAPH STYLES!
Character styles: • Bold text • Italic or Oblique text • Run-in subheadings • Customized bullets/numbers TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 14
Table styles: • Outside borders • Dividing lines • Space above and below table • Table field fills
Cell Styles: • Borders around cells • Text positioning • Style of text inside • Fill colors • Marking out cells
15 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
PROJECTS.
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 16
EXERCISE ONE.
Legibility and Readability Study EXERCISE DESCRIPTION In this exercise, you will investigate and analyze text set in paragraph form (“body text” or “text blocks”). Using serif and sans serif text typefaces, you will create different versions of those settings by altering the leading and point size.
OBJECTIVES
• Examine how changes in point
size, leading, and typeface selection impact legibility.
• To use tools in InDesign to refine your text.
Process: Create a tall, skinny text box in your InDesign document. The width of the text box = 20p. Import the required text for this project: legibility_text.docx. Set the text in a serif typeface at 9/13, flush left, rag right. Above the text, create a 24pt. subhead which says: “Serif”. Set your Space After the “Serif” subhead to 2p. LABEL On the next line, label the paragraph as follows: name of typeface, point size/leading. Use this same style to label each paragraph. MAKE VARIATIONS Copy and paste the text block and label five times directly underneath the original paragraph, so you have six paragraphs in the box. Set each paragraph as follows: REFINE RAGS As you change point sizes, your line breaks will change. Take the time to customize your rags by using tracking or discretionary line breaks (“soft returns”: hold down the shift key as you press return). Avoid widows. Aim for attractive rags, without big gaps. REPEAT. 17 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
Serif Serif
Sans Serif Sans Serif
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ROCKWELL, ROCKWELL, 9/13 9/13
FUTURA, FUTURA, 9/13 9/13
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ROCKWELL, ROCKWELL, 9/12 9/12
FUTURA, FUTURA, 9/12 9/12
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than simply display heap of alphanumeric data, some than simply display a heapa of alphanumeric data, some consideration be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s consideration wouldwould be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first first of communication —“one not communicate” axiomaxiom of communication —“one cannotcannot not communicate” —itputs very succinctly. you to consider the effect — puts veryitsuccinctly. If you If fail to fail consider the effect ofmessage your message the recipient, youinadvertently may inadvertently of your on theon recipient, you may communicate thatdoyou nothow careyour howmessage your message communicate that you notdo care may be received. may be received.
than simply display a of heap of alphanumeric than simply display a heap alphanumeric data, data, some some consideration be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s consideration wouldwould be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first first
of communication not communicate” axiomaxiom of communication —“one—“one cannotcannot not communicate” very succinctly. you to consider the effect — puts—itputs veryitsuccinctly. If you Iffail to fail consider the effect ofmessage your message the recipient, youinadvertently may inadvertently of your on theon recipient, you may communicate thatdo you nothow careyour how message your message communicate that you notdo care may be received. may be received.
ROCKWELL, ROCKWELL, 9/14 9/14
FUTURA, FUTURA, 9/14 9/14
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than simply display heap of alphanumeric data, some than simply display a heapa of alphanumeric data, some consideration be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s consideration wouldwould be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first first of communication —“one not communicate” axiomaxiom of communication —“one cannotcannot not communicate” —itputs very succinctly. you to consider the effect — puts veryitsuccinctly. If you If fail to fail consider the effect ofmessage your message the recipient, youinadvertently may inadvertently of your on theon recipient, you may communicate thatdoyou nothow careyour howmessage your message communicate that you notdo care may be received. may be received.
than simply display a of heap of alphanumeric than simply display a heap alphanumeric data, data, some some consideration be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s consideration wouldwould be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first first
of communication not communicate” axiomaxiom of communication —“one—“one cannotcannot not communicate” very succinctly. you to consider the effect — puts—itputs veryitsuccinctly. If you Iffail to fail consider the effect ofmessage your message the recipient, youinadvertently may inadvertently of your on theon recipient, you may communicate thatdo you nothow careyour how message your message communicate that you notdo care may be received. may be received.
ROCKWELL, ROCKWELL, 9/15 9/15
FUTURA, FUTURA, 9/15 9/15
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ROCKWELL, ROCKWELL, 8/13 8/13
FUTURA, FUTURA, 8/13 8/13
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/ 18
PROJECT ONE.
Typesetting: Rules of Typography PROJECT DESCRIPTION For this project, you will research and document as many rules, ideas, or principles about typography as possible. Your findings must be typeset on one side of an 8.5” × 11” piece of paper. A minimum of five examples must be presented on the page. Each entry must come from a different source, and each student must do their best to have unique entries. You must credit the author as well as the source, including the page number on which it appeared and the year it was published. Books and scholarly articles must be used as your primary reference, not the Internet. Consideration should be given to the typesetting and design of the page. OBJECTIVES
• Research scholarly articles and books about typography • Compile a list of research findings • Establish information hierarchy in the design and layout of at least five quotes about typography
• Consider legibility and readability when selecting typefaces
Specifications:
• Size: 8.5” x 11”, portrait or landscape • Colors: B/W + 1 accent color • Typeface Restriction: you may use no more than two typeface families. • Imagery: text and typographic elements only.
19 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
..Typography is no longer one of many elements that make up graphic design, but the single most important element of design H. NAMDEV, FUNCTION, RESTRAINT, AND SUBVERSION IN TYPOGRAPHY, PG. 2, 2010
The goal in typography has always been to control and regularize the use of space between letters, words, and lines R. POYNOR, NO MORE RULES, PG. 56, 2003
RULES CAN Art• BE BRO KEN,
I was motivated to provoke this stodgy profession and to stretch the typeshop’s capabilities to the breaking point, and finally, to prove once again that typography is an R. POYNOR, NO MORE RULES, PG. 20, 2003
Once students gain confidence in their typographic skills, the venture beyond the guidelines, hopefully knowing why they challenge the norm and ‘break the rules.’ I hope that students gain a respect for letterforms and typographic history, mixed with a healthy skepticism for the rules T. SAMARA, TYPOGRAPHY WORKBOOK, PG. 183, 2004
BUT NEVER IGNORED. D. JURY, ABOUT FACE, 2002
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 20
PROJECT TWO. A Dialogue PROJECT DESCRIPTION Using the dialogue provided, you will design a diptych that utilizes all of the text and emphasizes the fact there is more than one voice. Please consider all your choices and decisions carefully. Everything matters. Think about and utilize the various typographic families,and typographic hierarchies. You can use color, and images to help support your design, but care must be taken to make sure your typography is flawless. Think about how all of the typographic elements influence our interpretation of the text and how you, as a designer, can influence the viewer’s reading of the text. OBJECTIVES
• Use typography to create a distinction between two different voices • Consider content when make decisions about typeface selection and imagery • Demonstrate an understanding of good typographic practice when setting text
Specifications:
• Size: 11” x 15” two page diptych (each page is 11” x 15”, portrait or landscape)
EVALUATION Willingness to experiment with type and layout, as evidenced by sketches and digital variations Effectiveness of using typography to communicate the content of the text Typographic refinement and attention to detail, such as: spacing, line length, spelling, kerning, hyphenation, punctuation, etc. Clear stylistic connection between to the two panels in the diptych. Overall visual impact of the final layout. 21 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
HEROES INTERVIEW WITH M: Why are there so many MOYERS AND stories of the hero in mythology? CAMPBEL L
C
: Because that’s what’s worth writing
about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
M: So in all of these cultures, whatever the local costume the hero might be wearing, what is the deed? Well, there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message.
M: Does your study of mythology lead you to conclude that a single human quest, a standard pattern of human aspiration and thought, constitutes for all mankind something that we have in common, whether we lived a million years ago or will live a thousand years from now?
M: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”?
There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision quest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again.
M: Is it my work or my life?
My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it.
If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.”
If you have someone who can help you, that’s fine, too. But, ultimately, the last deed has to be done by oneself. Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego. We’re captured in our own dragon cage. The problem of the psychiatrist is to disintegrate that dragon, break him up, so that you may expand to a larger field of relationships. The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down.
M: I like what you say about the old myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Theseus says to Ariadne, “I’ll love you forever if you can show me a way to come out of the labyrinth.” So she gives him a ball of string, which he unwinds as he goes into the labyrinth, and then follows to find the way out. You say, “All he had was the string. That’s all you need.”
That’s all you need—an Ariadne thread.
M: Sometimes we look for great wealth to save us, a great power to save us, or great ideas to save us, when all we need is that piece of string. That’s not always easy to find. But it’s nice to have someone who can give you a clue. That’s the teacher’s job, to help you find your Ariadne thread.
M: Like all heroes, the Buddha doesn’t show you the truth itself, he shows you the way to truth. But it’s got to be your way, not his. The Buddha can’t tell you exactly how to get rid of your particular fears, for example. Different teachers may suggest exercises, but they may not be the ones to work for you. All a teacher can do is suggest. He is like a lighthouse that says, “There are rocks over here, steer clear. There is a channel, however, out there”.
M: In all of these journeys of mythology, there’s a place everyone wishes to find. The Buddhists talk of Nirvana, and Jesus talks of peace, of the mansion with many rooms. Is that typical of the hero’s journey - that there’s a place to find?
The place to find is within yourself. I learned a little about this in athletics. The athlete who is in top form has a quiet place within himself, and it’s around this, somehow, that his action occurs…. There’s a center of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that center, you are in tension and begin to fall apart.
When I take that journey and go down there and slay those dragons, do I have to go alone?
HEROE EROES INTERVIEW WITH M: Why are there so many MOYERS AND stories of the hero in mythology? CAMPBEL L
C
: Because that’s what’s worth writing about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
M: So in all of these cultures, whatever the local costume the hero might be wearing, what is the deed? Well, there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message.
M: Does your study of mythology lead you to conclude that a single human quest, a standard pattern of human aspiration and thought, constitutes for all mankind something that we have in common, whether we lived a million years ago or will live a thousand years from now?
M: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”?
There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision quest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again.
M: Is it my work or my life?
My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it.
If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.”
If you have someone who can help you, that’s fine, too. But, ultimately, the last deed has to be done by oneself. Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego. We’re captured in our own dragon cage. The problem of the psychiatrist is to disintegrate that dragon, break him up, so that you may expand to a larger field of relationships. The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down.
M: I like what you say about the old myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Theseus says to Ariadne, “I’ll love you forever if you can show me a way to come out of the labyrinth.” So she gives him a ball of string, which he unwinds as he goes into the labyrinth, and then follows to find the way out. You say, “All he had was the string. That’s all you need.”
That’s all you need—an Ariadne thread.
M: Sometimes we look for great wealth to save us, a great power to save us, or great ideas to save us, when all we need is that piece of string. That’s not always easy to find. But it’s nice to have someone who can give you a clue. That’s the teacher’s job, to help you find your Ariadne thread.
M: Like all heroes, the Buddha doesn’t show you the truth itself, he shows you the way to truth. But it’s got to be your way, not his. The Buddha can’t tell you exactly how to get rid of your particular fears, for example. Different teachers may suggest exercises, but they may not be the ones to work for you. All a teacher can do is suggest. He is like a lighthouse that says, “There are rocks over here, steer clear. There is a channel, however, out there”.
M: In all of these journeys of mythology, there’s a place everyone wishes to find. The Buddhists talk of Nirvana, and Jesus talks of peace, of the mansion with many rooms. Is that typical of the hero’s journey - that there’s a place to find?
The place to find is within yourself. I learned a little about this in athletics. The athlete who is in top form has a quiet place within himself, and it’s around this, somehow, that his action occurs…. There’s a center of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that center, you are in tension and begin to fall apart.
When I take that journey and go down there and slay those dragons, do I have to go alone?
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 22
PROJECT THREE. Elements of Style Booklet PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Elements of Style is a classic grammatical reference book for students and conscientious writers. The focus of the book is on composition, the effective use of plain English, and the principles of composition most commonly violated. The text is full of examples and comparisons, which necessitates the effective use of indents and shifts in typographic style. The text, written in 1918, is quirky, and, at times, a little archaic. Your job is to develop a design that would appeal to high school and college-aged students. We will be breaking up the text into smaller sections, and each student will be assigned a portion of the text to be used in the creation of a small reference booklet. The second phase of the project will require you to work in teams to create a single related series of booklets. OBJECTIVES
• Develop a grid structure that ensures consistency in a multiple page document • Design for a saddle stitched publication • Properly apply paragraph and character styles • Use typographic techniques to establish hierarchy and clarity in a given text • Evaluate each other’s work and modify one’s design based on the strongest solution
Specifications:
• Pages: 5.5” x 8.5” • Color: interior pages: black / cover: 2 colors, cover weight paper. • Typeface Requirement: use no more than two typefaces for the project.
23 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
ELEMENTS OF STYLE
As the early records of the city have disappeared, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. Although the situation is perilous, there is still one chance of escape. Or the subordinate clauses might be replaced by phrases: Owing to the disappearance of the early records of the city, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. In this perilous situation, there is still one chance of escape. But a writer may err by making his sentences too uniformly compact and periodic, and an occasional loose sentence prevents the style from becoming too formal and gives the reader a certain relief. Consequently, loose sentences of the type first quoted are common in easy, unstudied writing. But a writer should be careful not to construct too many of his sentences after this pattern (see Rule 14). Two-part sentences of which the second member is introduced by as (in the sense of because), for, or, nor, and while (in the sense of and at the same time) likewise require a comma before the conjunction. If a dependent clause, or an introductory phrase requiring to be set off by a comma, precedes the second independent clause, no comma is needed after the conjunction.
The situation is perilous, but if we are prepared to act promptly, there is still one chance of escape. FOR TWO-PART SENTENCES CONNECTED BY AN ADVERB, SEE THE NEXT SECTION.
5. DO NOT JOIN INDEPENDENT CLAUSES BY A COMMA. If two or more clauses, grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction, are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon. Stevenson’s romances are entertaining; they are full of exciting adventures. It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark. It is of course equally correct to write the above as two sentences each, replacing the semicolons by periods. Stevenson’s romances are entertaining. They are full of exciting adventures. It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
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PROJECT FOUR. Type Zine PROJECT DESCRIPTION In this project, you will be creating a digital magazine. The theme of the magazine is: Typography and the Everyday. Students in the class will be responsible for collecting and creating all the assets for the magazine, including: text, illustrations, and photographs. All found images and text (articles, interviews, etc.) must be properly credited.
Specifications:
OBJECTIVES
• Collaborate on the planning and creation of a magazine
• Develop typography that is informed by content
• Increase understanding of page layout, the importance of a grid use, hierarchy and pacing in a multiple page document
• Create an InDesign file using para-
• Page Size: iPad (768 px × 1024 px) • Colors: RGB • Typefaces: No more than three type families • Required Text: all student contributions
graph and character styles that can be easily modified and refined
EVALUATION
• Willingness to experiment with type and layout, as evidenced by sketches and digital variations
• Typographic refinement and attention to detail • Legibility and readability via typeface choices, type size, leading, and contrast • Clear and effective information hierarchy • Cohesiveness of the visual style and page layout throughout the magazine • Overall visual impact and creativity, or, that hard to define special something 25 / REFERENCE JOURNAL
2015’s best
HAND-LETTERING
Feature Articles
Jon Contino Louise Fili. 14 | march 2016
HAND-LETTERING
culture
GRAFFITI
GRAFFITI. Any passerby in an urban cityscape has observed the colorful, provocative, illegal “eyesore” that is graffiti. Although many consider the spray-painted pieces a nuisance, graffiti has been gaining recognition from the art world more and more as a legitimate form of art. When most people think of graffiti, they imagine “tags,” or a stylized writing of a person’s name. While tags are probably the most popular forms, graffiti art is much more than that. It can mean a colorful mural with a message of diversity or a black and white stencil piece protesting police brutality. In each case, graffiti art makes a statement.
25 | march 2016
HAND-LETTERING
George C. Stowers wrote that based on aesthetic criteria, graffiti has to be considered an art form. He makes a distinction between simple tags and more complicated pieces, stating that tags have little aesthetic appeal and probably should not be considered art. However, larger pieces require planning and imagination and contain artistic elements like color and composition. Stowers provides the example of wildstyle, or the calligraphic writing style of interlocking letters typical of graffiti, to show the extent of artistic elements that are present in these works. “Wildstyle changes with each artist’s interpretation of the alphabet, but it also relies on the use of primary colors, fading, foreground and background, and the like to create these letters,” he writes. The artist’s intention is to produce a work of art, and that must be taken into account when considering street art’s legitimacy. Stowers explains that graffiti cannot be disregarded because of its location and illegality. The manner in which graffiti art is executed is the only obstacle it faces in being considered an art form.
*Faust hand-lettering F*ING LETTERs | 15
Letter from the Editor.
Why is Typography Important to our everyday life?
*DESIGNED BY JEFF JENSEN.
Most people know nothing about typography, even though they interact with it all day, everyday. How can something so prevalent in our everyday life, be so invisible to so many people? And, if it seemingly doesn’t matter to them, then why should it matter to designers? Design is a means to communicate content and the most straightforward and unambiguous way to communicate is through words and text. As a result, typography is the most powerful tool that designers have at their fingertips. Typography determines legibility, creates hierarchy, and communicates meaning. For most design, it is essential that the viewer be able to read text easily. The use of great typography is how designers can maximize readability, and as result communicate literal content. Text that is too small, too big, too tight, too loose, and so on, creates a barrier between the viewer and the information. Bad typography can severely hinder a viewer from understanding content. Good typography creates hierarchy, which makes clear to the viewer the differing levels of importance each bit of information in the design holds. In a design problem with a lot of information, typography can make the information less intimidating and more easily digested. Typography can also convey meaning that transcends the literal content of the design. Different typefaces and ways that type is combined can have very specific connotations. As a result, designers can use typography in very clever ways to provide the type with additional meaning. However, this also means that typography can be misused and create an effect that clashes heavily with content (think Comic Sans for everyday usage.) While not every viewer may consciously realize that they are being influenced by typography, they absolutely are. And because of this, typography matters.
14 | march 2016
editor’s letter F*ING LETTERs | 2
TYPOGRAPHY TWO / 26
DESIGNED BY: JEFF JENSEN FUTURA STD LEAGUE GOTHIC
ALL PROJECTS FROM WINTER/ART 338