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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