Typography

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