BOLD TYPE ALIGNED WORDS : introducing juxtaposition
BOLD TYPE ALIGNED WORDS : introducing juxtaposition
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4–17 18-39 40-49 50-61
FORM STYLE STRUCTURE DESIGN
FORM
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THE TYPE FAMILY
Different weights of Akzidenz Grotesk
ABCD LIGHT
Families are an important aspect of typography to utilize. They allow content to be expressed differently while using the same typeface. The sans serif Akzidenz Grotesk typeface has many different weights, as seen at right and above. These variations allow the typeface to be used in many different ways.
REGULAR
BOLD
Akzidenz Grotesk Light Condensed Condensed Medium Condensed Medium Condensed Italic Bold Condensed Extra Bold Condensed Extra Bold Condensed Italic Light Light Oldstyle Figure Regular Italic
SUPER
Medium Medium Italic Bold Bold Italic Extra Bold Super Light Extended Extended Medium Extended Bold Extended Bold Extended Italic
Mallory Short Chelsea Rawson
13
1234
LIGHT CONDENSED
REGULAR
Type families are different between serif and sans serif fonts. San serifs often have more possible weights and sizes as seen in the Akzidenz example at left. Condensed and extended are options typically reserved for sans serif typefaces. Traditional roman book faces are generally more limited.
EXTENDED
The “nuclear� group is often limited to roman, italic, and small caps. Occasionally bold and semi bold variations are also available. Take the example of the Serif typeface, Bodoni, at right and compare it to the extensive options of Akzidenz. Note that the comparison varies with the typefaces.
BOLD EXTENDED
Bodoni Poster Compressed Bold Condensed Book Roman Book Italic Italic Bold Bold Italic Poster Poster Italic
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FORM
CONVENTION HEIGHT
Key to Points + Picas: 12 points = 1 pica 6 picas (72 pts) = 1 inch
The process of working towards standard type system did not start until the 18th century. In the years leading up until then, typefaces were named based on their particular size and use. Many typefaces were used for the church and named accordingly. Pica, now
A the unit to measure column widths, was the 12-point size used in the Ordinal of the church. This Latin name stands for pie, which was a table showing the order of the services of the Church. At the beginning of the 1800’s the tradition of naming typefaces
based on their appearance and purpose continued. Most names were made up of two descriptive phrases. Great Primer Antique being an example. The size of the type is indicated by the first part and the style was detonated by the second phrase. In 1866, this changed as
Mallory Short Chelsea Rawson
Abbreviating: 8 picas = 8p 8 points = p8, 8 pts 8 picas, 4 points = 8p4
the American foundries agreed on a point system of standard type body sizes. As a result, no longer were there variations in the size of different typefaces from one foundry to the next. This made the job of a commercial printer’s an easier one. Today, the point
15
A
system remains the standard. The two main terms to keep in mind are point and pica. These are the measurements with a point equaling 1/72 inch and twelve points equaling one pica. Inches, millimeters, and pixels are other forms of measurements that can be
used for typography. Points refer to letters and line spacing, while picas refer to column widths. Points for letters are on a 60 point scale. This measurement is derived from the distance between the top of the letter to the bottom most point, often the descender.
FORM
16
CONVENTION WIDTH
Xx
The width of a Bodoni “x” varies between strokes.
In addition to measuring the height of letter, the width is also taken into consideration as a type convention. A letter’s horizontal measurement is its set width. This term refers to the horizontal body, as well as the small space given to separate the letter from others. Depend-
ing on the typeface, the set width can be narrow or wide. This width determines the proportions and appearance of the typeface. Different typefaces utilize set width differently. Depending on the set width of a font tracking or kerning may be needed. As
seen above, Helvetica Neue is a typeface that handles width between letters tightly. The left X is in the light weight (45), while the right x is Black (95). Pairing fonts is a common practice explored in graphic design. When doing so it is crucial to pay attention to the thicks
Mallory Short Chelsea Rawson
Helvetica Neue allows little space between letters.
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Xx
and thins of typefaces. The combination of two or more typefaces will work best if there is a contrast, but also visual similarities. Often a serif is paired with a sans serif as a result to provide contrast and distinguish hierarchies of information. Sans serifs do not have much
contrast between thick and thin as seen in the example of Helvetica Neue above. There is an even width. However, serifs such Bodoni, above left, have a high level of contrast. Bodoni has a unique width to its letters. One part of the x has a thinner set width than the other. In the
lower case x, tapering is also a form of width variation. Referring back to height, consider this convention as well when pairing fonts. There are many other conventions of type moving forward. Height and width are just the beginning.
COLOPHON
This book was made by synthesizing the work of nine students under the direction of Tania Allen to complete an informative guide to typography. The FORM section was created by Chelsea Rawson and Mallory Short. The typefaces used were Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk, Archer Book, Bodoni, and Helvetica Neue. The book follows a three-column structure. Completed June 2013, this book was printed on 60 lb. laser paper using a laser printer and perfect bound. The cover was designed by Mallory Short and plotted on Bristol Board.
ADN 311 | june 2013
ADN 311 | june 2013