Meta Type Book

An Introduction to the Typeface.

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“

I’m very much a word person, so that’s why for me typography is the obvious extension. It just makes my words visible.

Erik Spiekermann

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Origins In 1984, the German State Post Office, the Budespost, was persuaded by Erik Spiekermann of MetaDesign to commission a new, exclusive font for use on all of the Budespost’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.

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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, confounded 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 FonFont, a subsidiary of FontShop.

Sketch of the development of the typeface, taken from Erik Spiekermann’s original sketches.

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Erik Spiekermann Erik Spiekermann, born in 1947, calls himself an information architect. 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

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Typographic Designers and a board member of ATypI. 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 Meta Design 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, onscreen 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.”

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Characteristics: Capitals

As for the construction of the letterforms, Meta has capitals with flat apices, similar to those of Helvetica.

An apex refers to the point at a top of a letter where two strokes meet, like in the top of a capital A.

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It has a wider opening in the C, which also has angled finials.

The part of a letter known as a finial is the curved end of it, which is usually tapered. In Meta, angled finials occur in the top strokes of the E, F, G, and on both ends of the S.

The E in Meta has an extended base, which means that its bottom line is slightly longer than the top one, rather than being an equal length.

The base of the G has no spur, which means that there are no extra small projecting portions where the lines on it connect.

The J has no loop, which refers to the circular portion on the bottom of a letter, usually in the letter G.

The K has only one

junction,rather

than connecting in two places.

The junction of the M rests on the baseline, like Helvetica, except that Meta stems are oblique, which means that they are slanted rather than upright.

The tail of the Q is wavy, and the leg of the R is slightly curved, both of which are examples of the slightly curved nature of this typeface.

The junction and base of the W are both flat, as opposed to being angled like the finials on the other letters.

The capital Z also has angled finials on both ends.

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Characteristics: Lowercase Several of Meta lowercase have particular traits that distinguish the face from other sans serifs.

The ascenders, which are strokes that extend above the x-height, are slightly bent at the top.

Terms X-height is the height of the main body of a lowercase letter.

Ascenders are up-

ward vertical strokes, found on lowercase letters, that extend above the typeface’s x-height.

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This feature is carried through the stems of the m, n, p, q.

It can also be seen the spur of the u, which is the small projection off of its main stroke.

The finials of the v, w, and y are slightly angled, unlike the Meta family capital letters.

The lowercase z has an upright finial at the top and an angled one at the bottom, unlike the capital Z, which has angled finials on both sides.

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Comparisons Meta, Helvetica Neue, and Gill Sans

Meta

Helvetica Neue

Gill Sans

The y in Meta has an offset junction, which refers to the slightly further out shorter stroke. This feature is unique to Meta, and is not present in either Gill Sans or Helvetica Neue. The y’s in both Meta and Helvetica Neue also have terminals, which refers to the curved end at the bottom of the longer stroke, but this feature is not present in Gill Sans.

Meta

Helvetica Neue

Gill Sans

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 g in Gill Sans has a closed loop, while the g in Helvetica Neue does not have a loop.

Meta over Gill Sans

Meta over Helvetica Neue

Overall, Meta is a more condensed face than Helvetica, which can be seen by looking at the letter m. The m in Meta is visibly thinner than the m in both Helvetica Neue and Gill Sans.

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The nuanced construction of the Meta typefaces sets it apart from Helvetica’s regularized structure, creating the face’s appealing personality.

Gill Sans also has a more condensed and curved quality in comparison to Helvetica Neue, although it is certainly distinct from Meta as well.

Meta

Gill Sans

Helvetica Neue Meta

Helvetica Neue

Gill Sans

While the dots of Meta letterforms and punctuation are rounded, Helvetica has square dots. The punctuation of Gill Sans is round as well.

Meta

Helvetica Neue

Gill Sans

Meta has a very slightly lower x-height than Helvetica. The x-height refers to the height of the letter x, and functions as the height of all lowercase letters, aside from those with ascenders. The x-heights of Meta and Helvetica, as shown here, are very similar, while Gill Sans is visibly lower than the others.

Both Meta and Helvetica have thin shoulders, which refers to the curved stroke aiming downward from a stem, and can been seen in the letter h, shown here. This feature is also present in Helvetica Neue and Gill Sans.

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References 1 Fonts.com, Available at http://www.fonts.com/AboutFonts/DesignerProfiles/ErikSpiekermann.htm Accessed November 1, 2005 2 Leland M. Hill. Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces (New York: RC Publications), 142-143.

3 Ibid., 143, 144.

4 Ibid., 145.

Bibliography Sweet, Fay. MetaDesign: Design from the Word up. New York: Watson-Guptil Publications, 1999. (A&A: VNC999.6.G4 M48 1999 and Vault) Spiekermann, Erik and Ginger, E.M. Stop Stealing Sheep & Find out how Type Works. USA: Hayden, 1993. (Vault) 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) http://www.linotype.com http://www.fonts.com http://www.fontfont.com http://www.typography.com

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This book was made by Leah Strickman at Washington University in St. Louis for Typography I in Spring 2014.

The typefaces used in this book are Meta Roman and Meta Bold. It is printed on Cordenons crystal 81 lb. text weight paper.

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