Erik Spiekermann:
This is a Book About Meta.
An exploration of the history and character of a family by Noah Baker
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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 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 MetaDesign 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, on-screen 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.”
Meta Origins In 1984, the German State Post Office, the Bundespost, was persuaded by Erik Spiekermann of MetaDesign to commission a new, exclusive font for use on all of the Bundespost’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.
I’m very much a word person, so that’s why typography for me is the obvious extension. It just makes my words visible. –Erik Spiekermann
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, co-founded 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 FontFont, a subsidiary of FontShop.
book, 26pt
Aa Bb Cd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz bold, 26pt
Aa Bb Cd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Preliminary artwork for the regular weight, cap height approx. 3.5 inches.
Q. How do you explain the importance of selecting a font to a pig farmer?
E.S. Everything we read, we perceive rationally and emotionally. When we look at a sentence, we react emotionally to its form before we even rationalize its content. That makes it part of the message. Type is full of expression, sound and tone, since it is the form speech takes.
We went to 120 pt
We went to sea 80 pt
We went to sea in a sieve. 40 pt
We went to sea in a sieve.
25 pt
We went to sea in a sieve.
18 pt We went to sea in a sieve. 12 pt We went to sea in a sieve.
10 pt
We went to sea in a sieve.
8 pt
We went to sea in a sieve.
6 pt
Meta was originally conceived as a typeface for use in small point sizes. The digitized version that was put up for sale on FontFont, FF Meta, very quickly became one of the most popular typefaces of the computer era. It is used a lot in magazines, from the Normal weight in small point sizes for captions up to the Black version for large headlines.
References & Bibliography 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. 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) Image Sources: http://www.zvv.ch. https://hamlethamster.files.wordpress.com License: All Rights Reserved.
This book was designed by Noah Baker for Typography I, Spring 2015, Washington University in St. Louis. The typefaces used in this book were from the Meta Family, including Meta Bold and Meta Book. Helvetica and Univers were also used. This book was originally printed on 70 weight Pop Tone paper, French Paper Co.