typo compendium

8/14/2019 Typo Compendium

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T y p e C om

p en d i um

2 0 1 3 F al l


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Anatomy of Type

Individual letter forms have unique

parts which have changed in visual form

over the centuries. A nomenclaturehelps identify major elements of their

construction. The evolution of lettering

styles over time is a result of optical

adjustments to the basic components by

type designers over the ages.

Typography X-height Capline

Meanline

T a i l

S h o u

l d e r

H a i r l i n e

S e r i f

Baseline

L o o p

S t r o k e

D e s c e n d e r

E a r

B o w

l

F i l l e t

S t e m

A r m

A s c e n d e r

C o u n t e r

L i n k


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There is a large range that exists between

historic families of serif and san serif type

and the only two anatomical attributesthat they share is the base line and stroke.

This is why the designer should never

mix type families because the spacing

and height will not coincide. The only

exception to this rule is when the designer

needs to achieve contrast.

Understanding Anatomy


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Understanding Anatomy

With few exceptions, the upper half

of letters will be more legible than the

bottom half. Our eye follows the activeexception of the mean-line. In the hands

of a designer, the careful fragment that

considers the anatomy of the letter forms

can be more useful than a complete form

while working expressively with t ype.

Typography Typography

Typography


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Typographic Kinetics

The form you seek is one that to

be able to read the word. So this

determines the degree of fracture. Itsthepart(letterform) towhole (word).

Both must be juggled to value. You cant

use the same element over and over just

because it worked in one place. Every

example should change somewhat.

Because range is a persistent goal

of design, you want to invent in each

example. Expect some noble necessary

part of any assignment.

Every letter has a personality you

can identify. Fragmentation is not

the goal in and of itself. Every thingis adjustable and its a case-by

case decision of how far to go.


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Counterpart Counterpoint

Fundamental to all typographic design

is

the interplay between letter form and

counter form. Form and counter form

are reciprocal values and completely

interdependent and integral to a letters

completeness as a design. The counter

form is not just whats left over in the

background. The counter form shapes

the void and helps dene rhythmic

intervals to ease reading.

B C

K X

UN

O G

Qy SJ

XY

BO R3

Z6 YK

A9

Typically these counter forms are either

geometric or organic in quality depending

on the structure or style of the letter.An awareness of this interrelationship

of form and counter form is essential in

typographic design.


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Chair name: Plywood Armchair

Designed: 1933

Size: 30.75 x 24 x 34.25 inProvenance: English Private Collection

Manufacture: 1970

Chair information

Designer

name : Gerald Summers

Background :Dispipline/ Profession :

British Modernist Designer,

Furniture designer

Design Philosophy :

This was alien to Summers beliefs,

In pure design we expect each part and

member to pull its full weight in making the

design suitable for its purpose. That is to

say (Taking a hypothetical case) if we use a

brace only to strengthen two menbers the

design bed

Gerald Summers

G e r a ld

S u m m e r s

1935


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new combinationsSize+Weighr+Width+Slant+Value+case+color

G e r a l d S u m m e r s P L Y W O O D

AR M C H AI R

19 3 5

GERALD SUMMERSPLYWOOD ARMCHAI R

1935

Structuring a Typographic Page 2

Using the designers name, the name of

the chair, and the date of its manufacture,

impose the words in a typographic studythat demonstrates relationships to the chair.

You can crop and place the chair or the type

in any position within the rectangle as long

as it never occupies more that 50% of the

overall space.

P l y w

o o d A r m c h a i

r

G e r a l d S u m m e r s 1 9

3 5


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Create a hand lettered composition to

go on a postcard. Good typography is

always meant to be legible and clear.Hand lettering offers possibilities

for some personal expression.

Combining words into abstract and

improvised illustrations forces you to

work letters into strange spaces and

enclosures. Experimentation is the

key to developing our own style The

more you draw the more ways you

discover how to render words and

letterforms.

Hand Letter Workshop


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Hand Letter Workshop Process

1) Select a quote. Overlay tracing paper

on font specimen pages to practice

tracing the words with various typefaces.Practice writing the words in different

lettering styles: serif, san serif, slab,

decorative. Get used to the proper stroke

widths, thicks and thins this will help

you for when you make the letters more

expressive.

2) Create a framework for the quote that

ts the 4 x 6 proportions. Map out the

words into a composition to use as aloose guideline for your illu stration. Its

difcult to judge how much room you

have to t a word or phrase, and this

process will help take out the guesswork.

Theres nothing worse than running out

of space after drawing your perfectly

imperfect letterforms. This process is also

helpful when working on a lettering proj-

ect that needs to t comfortably within a

dened space.

3) trace your best composition onto trac-

ing paper with a black marker and scan

it into the computer. In illustrator, usethe live trace option to create a vector

drawing of your image from there you

can scale, adjust and add color.

4) print the postcard on coverstock : 4

x 6 . print enough that everyone in the

class can share.


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Designed by: Sunyoung Park

Course Title: Typography and Design

Date: November 12 2013Fonts: Univers 55Roman


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