Typographyhttp://www.papress.com/thinkingwithtype/index.htm

What is it?

• The art and techniques of arranging type. It began in the west around 1455 when Johannes Gutenberg began printing from individual pieces of type.

• The artist must select the typeface, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), letter-spacing (tracking) and kerning (individual letter-spacing).

History

• The development of typography dates back to when man started to record information…

– Pictographs- symbols that represent objects– Ideographs- as it became necessary to communicate more abstract ideas, symbols began to take on multiple meanings.

Ex. The symbol for “ox” could stand for the actual ox or it could mean food.– 1200 B.C. The Phoenecians who were merchants and traders needed a simplified way to record transactions- they

developed the idea of these symbols representing sounds– Greeks adopted the Phoenecian alphabet which was made up of only consonants and they added 5 vowels and

formalized the letters– Again, the Romans modified the alphabet adding a few new letters and they dropped the Greek designations of the

letters like Alpha and Beta, for simpler ones.

• Our Alphabet is made up of distinct symbols that represent 1000 years of evolution. As a designer, you can simplify or embellish the letterforms, but if you alter their basic shapes you will reduce their ability to be read and communicate efficiently.

Who creates text?• typesetters

• typographers

• graphic artist

• art directors

• clerical workers

Now with the digital age everyone can be a

typographer

What does it include?

• typesetting and type design• handwriting and calligraphy• graffiti• inscriptional and

architectural lettering• poster design and other

large scale lettering such as billboards

• business communications and promotional collateral

• advertising

• apparel• labels on maps• vehicle instrument panels• kinetic typography in movies

and television• as a component of industrial

design• as a component in modern

poetry• wordmarks and typographic

logos

Letterform Anatomy• Counter• Apex• Ascender• Cap Line• Crossbar• Arm• Juncture• X-Height• Bowl• Mean Line• Point Height

• Ascent Line• Descender• Serif• Base Line• Terminal• Stem• Cap Size• Descent Line• Shoulder• Leg

As readers we see words for the messages they convey, and are rarely conscious of the actual shapes of the letterforms. These letterforms consist of many parts

Letterform Anatomy