In our first session, Simon did an introduction on 'Anatomy of Type & Typographic Terminology. Here we get a general overview of some Typefaces, Fonts and Lettering.
TYPEFACE
Is an artistic interpretation, or a design of a collection of alphanumeric symbols. A typeface my include letters, numerals, punctuation and various symbols, these are all known as glyphs.
A typeface is usually grouped together in a family containing individual fonts for italic, bold and other variations of the primary deign.
FONT
A collection of letters, numbers, punctuation and other symbols used to set text (or related) matter.
Although font and typeface are often used interchangeably, font refers to the physical embodiment (whether it's a case of metal pieces or a computer file). Whereas typeface refers to the design (the way it looks).
"A font is what you use, a typeface is what you see."
LETTERING AND JESSICA HISCHE (What's the difference between Lettering and Fonts?)
Lettering is essentially illustrations of letters, words, and phrases. If a letterer has got given a task or got hired to draw the word "holiday" they do not draw the entire alphabet in the style they wish, then position the letters to spell out the word. They draw the word out as a unique image. This means that in a lot of lettering, if you arrange the letters it would look pretty unsatisfactory. It's meant to be seen and used in that configuration and that configuration only.
Typeface designers work very differently. They have to create a system of letters that can be endlessly rearranged and work together. Display typefaces are usually less elaborate than text typefaces (though they look more elaborate, by and large text typefaces are much more difficult to make). Type designers have to make typefaces that even the least design-savvy person can work with and set beautifully. They create a software that you can essentially own forever without updating. Try to advocate for typeface designers as much a you can because most designers don't stop to think about the work that goes into making fonts.
ANATOMY OF TYPE
CAP-HEIGHT - The height from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters (not including diacritics).
X-HEIGHT - The height of the lowercase letters, disregarding ascenders or descenders, typically exemplified by the letter x. The relationship of the x-height to the body defines the perceived type size. A typeface with a large x-height looks much bigger than a typeface with a small x-height at the same size.
BASELINE - The imaginary line upon which the letters in the font appear to rest.
SERIF - A serif is the little extra stroke found at the end of the main vertical and horizontal stroke of some letterforms.
BRACKET - The bracket is the curved or wedge - like connection between the stem and serif of some fonts. Brackets are usually found on old-style or transitional serifs. Not all serifs are bracketed serifd for example, Didot is not.
SANS-SERIF - The term comes from the French word 'Sans', meaning "without". Sans-serif typefaces are without serifs are the end of strokes.
TERMINAL - The end (straight or curved) of any stroke that doesn't include a serif.
ITALIC - A (mostly) slanted type style which takes its basic shapes from a stylised form of handwriting, and is usually narrower than its roman counterpart. Italics are commonly used for emphasis in text. Italics are primarily found in serif designs.
OBLIQUE - A (mostly) slanted type style which takes its basic shape from a stylised form of handwriting, and is usually narrower than its roman counterpart. Italics are commonly used for emphasis in text. Italics are primarily found in serif designs.
DESCENDER - Any part in a lowercase letter that extends below the baseline, found for example in: g, j, p, q, y etc. Some types of descenders have specific names.
ASCENDER - Any part in a lowercase letter that extends above the x-height, found for example in: b, d, f, h, k, etc. Some types of ascenders have specific names.
DIACRITIC - A diacritic is an ancillary mark or sign added to a letter. In the Latin alphabet their function is to change the sound value of the letters to which they are added; in other alphabetical systems like Arabic or Hebrew they may indicate sounds (vowels and tones) which are not conveyed by the basic alphabet.
UPPERCASE - The capitals in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the capitals were kept in the upper part of the type case.
SUPERSCRIPT - A letter, figure or symbol that is placed or printed above the normal line of type.
SUBSCRIPT - Letter, figure or symbol that is placed or printed below the normal line of type.
UNDERLINE - Also know as underscore, is an usually horizontal line immediately below a portion of writing.
STRIKETHROUGH - A horizontal line through the centre of a word or combination of words. Used to signify a mistake or recently deleted information.
COUNTER - The enclosed or partially enclosed circular or curved negative space (white space) of some letters such as 'd', 'o' and 's'.
EYE - Much like a counter, although the eye refers specifically to the enclosed space in a lowercase 'e'.
BOWL - The curved part of the character that enclosed the circular or curved parts (counters) of some letters such as: 'd, b, o, D and B' is the bowl.
APERTURE - The aperture is the partially enclosed, somewhat rounded negative space in some characters such as: 'n, C, S', the lower part of 'e', or the upper part of a double-storey 'a'.
CROSSBAR - The (usually) horizontal stroke across the middle of the uppercase 'A' and 'H' is a crossbar.
EAR - Typically found on the lower case 'g', an ear is a decorative flourish usually on the upper right side of the bowl.
LINK/NECK - The stroke, often curved, that connects the bowl and loop a double - storey 'g'.
TAIL - The descending, often decorative stroke on the letter 'Q' or the descending, often curved diagonal stroke on 'K' or 'R'.
COLOPHON - Typographic and/or production specifications , usually listed at the end of a publication. The specification usually contains information about the typefaces used, the publisher, place and date of publication.
KERNING - Refers to the process of adding or subtracting space between specific letters or characters.
Kerned
Un-kerned
TRACKING - Refers to the process of loosening or tightening a block of text.
Tracked
Un-tracked
VIGNELLIS SIX BASIC TYPEFACES
"Out of thousands of typefaces,all we need are a few basic ones, and trash the rest." - (Vignellis 2015: 56)
BRAND EQUITY
Brand Equity is phrase used in the marketing industry which describes the value of having a well-known brand name, based on the idea of the owner of a well-known brand name can create more money from products with that brand name than from products with a less well known name, as consumers believe that a product with a well-known name is better than products with less well-known names. This is shown by using the example of 'American Airlines', which demonstrates how the size of the boldness of the typeface is and the amount of kerning and tracking has been done to it.
TYPEFACE
Is an artistic interpretation, or a design of a collection of alphanumeric symbols. A typeface my include letters, numerals, punctuation and various symbols, these are all known as glyphs.
A typeface is usually grouped together in a family containing individual fonts for italic, bold and other variations of the primary deign.
FONT
A collection of letters, numbers, punctuation and other symbols used to set text (or related) matter.
Although font and typeface are often used interchangeably, font refers to the physical embodiment (whether it's a case of metal pieces or a computer file). Whereas typeface refers to the design (the way it looks).
"A font is what you use, a typeface is what you see."
LETTERING AND JESSICA HISCHE (What's the difference between Lettering and Fonts?)
Lettering is essentially illustrations of letters, words, and phrases. If a letterer has got given a task or got hired to draw the word "holiday" they do not draw the entire alphabet in the style they wish, then position the letters to spell out the word. They draw the word out as a unique image. This means that in a lot of lettering, if you arrange the letters it would look pretty unsatisfactory. It's meant to be seen and used in that configuration and that configuration only.
Typeface designers work very differently. They have to create a system of letters that can be endlessly rearranged and work together. Display typefaces are usually less elaborate than text typefaces (though they look more elaborate, by and large text typefaces are much more difficult to make). Type designers have to make typefaces that even the least design-savvy person can work with and set beautifully. They create a software that you can essentially own forever without updating. Try to advocate for typeface designers as much a you can because most designers don't stop to think about the work that goes into making fonts.
ANATOMY OF TYPE
CAP-HEIGHT - The height from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters (not including diacritics).X-HEIGHT - The height of the lowercase letters, disregarding ascenders or descenders, typically exemplified by the letter x. The relationship of the x-height to the body defines the perceived type size. A typeface with a large x-height looks much bigger than a typeface with a small x-height at the same size.
BASELINE - The imaginary line upon which the letters in the font appear to rest.
SERIF - A serif is the little extra stroke found at the end of the main vertical and horizontal stroke of some letterforms.
BRACKET - The bracket is the curved or wedge - like connection between the stem and serif of some fonts. Brackets are usually found on old-style or transitional serifs. Not all serifs are bracketed serifd for example, Didot is not.
SANS-SERIF - The term comes from the French word 'Sans', meaning "without". Sans-serif typefaces are without serifs are the end of strokes.
TERMINAL - The end (straight or curved) of any stroke that doesn't include a serif.
ITALIC - A (mostly) slanted type style which takes its basic shapes from a stylised form of handwriting, and is usually narrower than its roman counterpart. Italics are commonly used for emphasis in text. Italics are primarily found in serif designs.
OBLIQUE - A (mostly) slanted type style which takes its basic shape from a stylised form of handwriting, and is usually narrower than its roman counterpart. Italics are commonly used for emphasis in text. Italics are primarily found in serif designs.
DESCENDER - Any part in a lowercase letter that extends below the baseline, found for example in: g, j, p, q, y etc. Some types of descenders have specific names.
ASCENDER - Any part in a lowercase letter that extends above the x-height, found for example in: b, d, f, h, k, etc. Some types of ascenders have specific names.
DIACRITIC - A diacritic is an ancillary mark or sign added to a letter. In the Latin alphabet their function is to change the sound value of the letters to which they are added; in other alphabetical systems like Arabic or Hebrew they may indicate sounds (vowels and tones) which are not conveyed by the basic alphabet.
UPPERCASE - The capitals in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the capitals were kept in the upper part of the type case.
SUPERSCRIPT - A letter, figure or symbol that is placed or printed above the normal line of type.
SUBSCRIPT - Letter, figure or symbol that is placed or printed below the normal line of type.
UNDERLINE - Also know as underscore, is an usually horizontal line immediately below a portion of writing.
STRIKETHROUGH - A horizontal line through the centre of a word or combination of words. Used to signify a mistake or recently deleted information.
COUNTER - The enclosed or partially enclosed circular or curved negative space (white space) of some letters such as 'd', 'o' and 's'.
EYE - Much like a counter, although the eye refers specifically to the enclosed space in a lowercase 'e'.
BOWL - The curved part of the character that enclosed the circular or curved parts (counters) of some letters such as: 'd, b, o, D and B' is the bowl.
APERTURE - The aperture is the partially enclosed, somewhat rounded negative space in some characters such as: 'n, C, S', the lower part of 'e', or the upper part of a double-storey 'a'.
CROSSBAR - The (usually) horizontal stroke across the middle of the uppercase 'A' and 'H' is a crossbar.
EAR - Typically found on the lower case 'g', an ear is a decorative flourish usually on the upper right side of the bowl.
LINK/NECK - The stroke, often curved, that connects the bowl and loop a double - storey 'g'.
TAIL - The descending, often decorative stroke on the letter 'Q' or the descending, often curved diagonal stroke on 'K' or 'R'.
COLOPHON - Typographic and/or production specifications , usually listed at the end of a publication. The specification usually contains information about the typefaces used, the publisher, place and date of publication.
KERNING - Refers to the process of adding or subtracting space between specific letters or characters.
Kerned
Un-kerned
TRACKING - Refers to the process of loosening or tightening a block of text.
Tracked
Un-tracked
VIGNELLIS SIX BASIC TYPEFACES
"Out of thousands of typefaces,all we need are a few basic ones, and trash the rest." - (Vignellis 2015: 56)
- Garamond
- Bodoni
- Century Expanded
- Futura
- Times Roman
- Helvetica
BRAND EQUITY
Brand Equity is phrase used in the marketing industry which describes the value of having a well-known brand name, based on the idea of the owner of a well-known brand name can create more money from products with that brand name than from products with a less well known name, as consumers believe that a product with a well-known name is better than products with less well-known names. This is shown by using the example of 'American Airlines', which demonstrates how the size of the boldness of the typeface is and the amount of kerning and tracking has been done to it.
Comments
Post a Comment