Professional Documents
Culture Documents
gra
phy.
Copyright 2015, The Interactive Design Institute.
Written by Tim Bones.
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Contents.
Covering everything from the basics, to all things complex.
Typeface design.
Types of Typefaces.
Technical Options.
Typeface
Design.
A typeface is the collection of thousands of years of
collective human social, technological and economic
history, combined with the passion, skill, experience
and personal history of its lone creator. (Earls, 2002)
Getting Started
Terminology &
Anatomy.
There are typefaces which havent been made yet and
which we need. Type that reacts to our present reality
rather than being constrained by past conventions....
It is time to think about why we design type, not just
how we design it. (Peter Biak)
Where to Start?
A good place to start might be with what is
known as a display face. Display faces are those
used for headings and tend to be used at a larger
size than body type. However, before proceeding,
you should familiarise yourself with some of the
fundamental concepts of typography along with
its associated terminology.
Letterform Anatomy
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Types of
Typefaces.
No other design discipline requires so much learning
and training as fontography, and by no other aspect
can amateurs be so easily distinguished from
professionals. To be font literate, a designer has to
study the history and the principles of font design.
(Dmitry Kirsanov)
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Classifications
1. Classicals
Modern or Didone
Humanist
Garalde
Transitional
2. Moderns
Egyptian
2.1 Didone
2.2 Mechanistic
2.3 Lineal
2.3.1 Grotesque
2.3.2 Neo-grotesque
2.3.3 Geometric
2.3.4 Humanist
3. Calligraphics
3.1 Glyphic
3.2 Script
3.3 Graphic
3.4 Blackletter
3.5 Gaelic
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Technical
Options.
I do not think of type as something that should be
readable. It should be beautiful. (Ed Benguiat)
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Understanding
Typeface Design.
Since typography is a communicaton method
that utilizes a gathering of related subjects and
methodologies that includes sociology, linguistics,
psychology, aesthetics, and so much more we aim
to educate that there is no single approach within
typography that applies to everything.
(Shelley Gruendler)
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Glossary.
The following are some of the key terms that
pertain to typeface design and typography.
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Aperture
Ascender
Baseline
Body Type
Counter
Cursive
Descender
Diacritics
Display Type
Glyph
Hinting
A symbol or character
Italic
Kerning
Legibility
Ligatures
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Majuscules
Minuscules
Lowercase letters
Multiple Mastering
Opentype
Pica (Py)
Point (Pt)
Readability
Serif
Sans Serif
Sidebearings
Swash
Tracking
Typeface
Tail
Terminal
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Weight
X-Height
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Further
Reading.
BOOKS
WEB
- Type Anatomy
FORUMS
http://typedrawers.com/ Typedrawers is a
forum where fellow typophiles can gather to
discuss typography.
GAMES
Kerntype - http://type.method.ac/
Shapetype - http://shape.method.ac/
MAGAZINES
Font is a free - online magazine produced by
Fontshop
Baseline Magazine
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References.
PAGE 6
PAGE 20
PAGE 7
Smith, P., (1932) Lettering at Southampton Civic
Centre, Hampshire. Available from: https://www.
flickr.com/photos/36844288@N00/4039704901/
in/photostream
PAGE 25
TRIBORO, Portfolio. Available from: http://www.
triborodesign.com/work/new-york-observerredesign
PAGE 10
Cundall, W. Portfolio. Available from: https://www.
behance.net/gallery/4253699/Type-Anatomy-2
[June 17, 2012].
PAGE 27
Banks, R., F37 Bella Typeface. Available from:
http://www.creativejournal.com/posts/452-f37bella-typeface-by-rick-banks
PAGE 11
Estudio Javier Jaen, Barcelovers. Available from:
http://www.javierjaen.com/1-7-2014-Barcelovers
[January 7, 2014].
PAGE 17
Prototypo, Images. Available from: <http://www.
prototypo.io/images/6ea8f3b7.tweaking.jpg>.
Bara Dudova, Fontshop Fontstruct: Creating
Your Own Typoghraphy. Available from: http://
baradudova.com/blog/fontstruct-create-yourown-typoghraphy/ [June 15, 2011].
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