bowl cross bar
Meta* shoulders
terminal spur
x-height *designed by erik spiekermann
“A real typeface needs rhythm needs contrast it comes from handwriting and that’s why I can read your handwriting you can read mine and I’m sure our handwriting is miles away from Helvetica or anything that would be considered legible but we can read it because there’s a rhythm to it there’s a contrast to it Helvetica hasn’t got any of that” * *meta was designed as the antithesis of helvetica
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 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 cur-
rently 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.”
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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. 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.
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Example of Spiekermann’s hand drawn type designs.
ascender counter
baseline
bowl
Characteristics of Typeface* terminal
descender
x-height
spur
*meta is designed to be read at any scale
Characteristics As for the construction of the letterforms, Meta has capitals with flat apices, similar to those of Helvetica. It has a wider opening in the C, which also has angled finials. Angled finials also occur in the top strokes of the E, F, G, and on both ends of the S. The E has an extended base, while the base of the G has no spur and the J, no loop. The K has one junction, and the junction of the M rests on the baseline, like Helvetica, except that Meta stems are oblique. The tail of the Q is wavy and the leg of the R is slightly curved. The junction and base of the W are both flat. The Z has angled finials on both ends, unlike the lowercase z, which has an upright finial at the top and an angled one at the bottom. Several of Meta lowercase have particular traits that distinguish the face from other sans serifs. The ascenders of the b, k, h, and l are slightly bent at the top, a feature that is carried through the stems of the m, n, p, q, and the spur of the u. The finials of the v, w, and y are slightly angles, unlike the Meta family capital letters.
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Mm The top of the ascender of the m is slight bent
The junction of the M rests on the baseline, like Helvetica, except that Meta stems are oblique
EeTtAa Slanted upper terminal on the top right of E, T, F, E and T are not symmetrical
Double-story a with a very open aperture at the top
The E has angled finials in the top strokes and an extended base
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G Qq Zz Angled finials occur in the top strokes of the E, F, G, and on both ends of the S. The base of the G has no spur
The Z has angled finials on both ends
The stems of m, n, p, q and spur of u are slightly bent at top
The tail of the Q is wavy
The g does not have a fully closed bottom loop
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In contrast, the z has an upright finial at the top and an angled one at the bottom
Comparisons: Meta, Futura & Univers* *futura was designed by paul renner and univers was designed by adrian frutiger
Comparisons 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 l has a slight curved tail and the y has an offset junction. Overall, Meta is a more condensed face than Helvetica, and it has only a slightly lower x-height. Both Meta and Helvetica have thin shoulders. While the dots of Meta letterforms and punctuation are rounded, Helvetica has square dots. The nuanced construction of the Meta typefaces sets it apart from Helvetica’s regularized structure, creating the face’s appealing personality.
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C
Meta Univers Futura
Angled Flush Horizontal Flush Vertical
Typeface Typeface Typeface meta
univers
Meta, like Futura, has round dots on the i and j. In comparison, Univers has a square dot. This characteristic carries over to punctuation like the glyphs on the ! and ?
futura
univers
When set in the same point size, both Univers and Futura extend farther than the same word set in Meta as Meta is a condensed typeface. Unlike in Univers and Futura, the change from Book to Bold in Meta does not increase the tracking or leading.
meta
futura
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Meta Univers Futura
yyy g
In contrast with Univers and Futura, the y of Meta is very distinctive as the two strokes do not join smoothly.
Meta
The K of the Meta only has one junction rather than connecting in two places like Univers and Futura.
Univers
Distinguishing features of Meta include the double-storied g. Only a few other sans-serif typefaces, such as Kabel have this feature. Even more uncommon is the open bowl featured in Meta. Neither Univers nor Futura have a bowl.
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gg Univers
Futura
Futura
y
The o of Meta is thinner and more condensed than those of Univers and Futura while the counter is larger. The u of Meta is also more condensed and has an angled spur unlike the straight spurs of Univers and Futura.
u o u o u o
Meta
Univers
Meta Univers Futura
M
The junction of the Meta M rests on the baseline and the Meta stems are oblique, which means that they are slanted rather than upright. The Univers M also rests on the baseline but has upright stems. The Futura M is pointed at the junction but like Meta has oblique stems.
Futura
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Q
Meta Univers Futura
Bibliography Annand, Carolyn, Philip B. Meggs, Roy McKelvey, and Ben Day. Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces. New York: RC Publications, 2000. Print. FontFont. Monotype, 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <www.fontfont.com>. Fonts by Hoefler & Co. Hoefler & Co., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <www.typography.com>. “Fonts.com.” Fonts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <www.fonts.com>. Hemley, Debbie. “Interview with Designer and Typographer, Erik Spiekermann.” Webdesigner Depot. N.p., 14 July 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <www. webdesignerdepot.com/2011/07/interview-with-designer-and-typographer-erik-spiekermann/>. “Linotype: Fonts for Desktop, Web & More.” Linotype: Fonts for Desktop, Web & More. N.p., 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <www.linotype.com>. “Spiekerblog.” Spiekerblog. Erik Spikermann, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://spiekermann.com/en/>. Spiekermann, Erik, and E.M Ginger. Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works. Mountain View, CA: Adobe, 1993. Print. Sweet, Fay. MetaDesign: Design from the Word Up. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1999. Print.
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The Q of Meta has a wavy tail. This feature lends itself to a more hand-drawn style than Univers and Futura.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been suffering from Typomania all my life, a sickness that is incurablebut not lethal.â&#x20AC;?
This book was designed and constructed by Rachel Fleischer for Typgoraphy I at Washington University in St. Louis in Spring 2015. It was designed in Adobe InDesign featuring the typefaces Meta Roman, Meta Bold, Univers 55 Roman and Futura Book. It was printed with Xerox inks on Mohawk linen bright white 70 lb. text weight paper.