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AVENIRSTD
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STD
11PointLTSTD95BlackOblique
Imsuggestingthat
onedevelopsafeelnotmagically,orthrough
attendanceatthenestschools,butthrough
rigorousapplication,andthroughworkingdamnhardatacquiringaset
ofveryconcreteskills,thenforgettingthem.
AV
ENIR
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E
ditor/
D
esigner:
G
regThomas
Pu
blished:
20
09
GDES1314
Typography1
Te
xt:
El
liotteEarls
AVENIRS
TD
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12Pt.
12Pt.
12Pt.
12
Pt.
12P
t.
12 Pt.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
35 Light
45 Book Oblique
45 Book
35 Light Oblique
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
55 Roman
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx
yz
123456789!@
#$%^&*()
55Oblique
1
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12Pt.
12Pt.
12Pt.
1
2Pt.
12Pt.
12 Pt.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
123456789!@#$%^&*()
65 Medium Oblique
65 Medium
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ
RSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
wxyz
123456789
!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789!@#$%^&*()
95BlackOblique
95 Black
85 Heavy Oblique
85 Heavy
2
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55Roman
65Medium
85Heavy
AAAA
100 pt.
100 pt.
100 pt.
100 pt.
35Light
!@#
$%
^&*()
54 Pt. 65 Medium
3
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X-Height X-Height
X-Height X-Height
X-Height X-Height
G VQ a
55Roman
35 Pt.
45Book
35Light
Helvetica
Regular
Garamond
Regular.
Mrs.Eaves
Roman
8
2Pt.
55 Roman
7
7Pt.
8
5Pt.
8
5Pt.
35 Pt.
4
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The bloom is off the rose.TYPE DESIGNhas lost its
urgency, and has regained itssoul.It seems as if there isalways one idea or mediumthat is
Everywhere you turn, there it is. In themid to late 90s, one of those ideas was
TYPE DESIGN.TYPE DESIGNwasviewed as the shortcut to graphic
design fame, and everybody wanteda piece of the action.Invariably, Iobliged the students and would
conduct a letterform design workshop.
85Heavy
35Light
Caps
56Pt.65Medium
85Heavy
Oblique
INESCAPA B L E .
65Medium
Ob
lique
95Black
21 Pt. /22
16 Pt. /20
5
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AS THE LETTER FORM PROGRESSESTHROUGH SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT,T H E P R O C E S S B E C O M E SINCREASINGLY OP TICAL . W HENTHE IMPULSE OR THE IDEA FOR
A FONT SPRINGS PRIMARILY FROMO P T I C A L P H E N O M E N A , S U C HA S M A R K M A K I N G , D R A W I N G ,
HANDWRITING, OR MANIPULATIONOF FORMAL ELEMENTS, IT MAY BECONSIDERED TO HAVE SPRUNG
F R O M E X C L U S I V E LY F O R M A LEXTRAPOLATION. THE RESOLUTIONO F A F O N T, T H E S U C C E S S I V EDEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT,
IS ALWAYS AN OPTICAL ENDEAVOR.35 LightAll Caps
19 pt./22
6
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It is in traditional gure drawing studioclassesthat one learns how to lock themovement of the retina to themovement
of the hand. To be successful in thisprocess, one learnsthat the mind
must be quieted. The hand andretina must move insymbioticlock step as they both trace thephysical line. Its through thisprocess that one can learn totrust not the mind, but the
retina.
When one is giving birth toa font not spawned directly
from an existing model,what is needed most isthe establishment of a
biological discourse betweenlooking and drawing between retina and cortex.
45Book
9pt./12
45Book
14pt./15
7
h l fL f i l4 9
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The simple process ofmaking marks on paperis less of an intellectual
process than a biologicalprocess. One mustcultivate a feel for
proportion, solidity,balance, etc. Excuse the
digression, but when Italk about developing a
feel, I know that someof you are rolling your
eyes. Some of you maythink that the term feel
might be likened to theterm taste, with all of
its class overtones andattendant critiques. Well,back the f@*k up.
Music is the appropriatemetaphor. In music, rigorousstudyof repertoire, theory,
and physical application iswhat allows the musician theimprovisational freedom tomove the listener. Musicalinstrument performancerepresents the perfectsynthesis of theory and
practice. Theory is studyunderstood and nallyapplied. But the essence isthat theory
Letterforms are in large
measure governed
by social contract
and simple optical
principles, such as the
ones preached byour now debased and
debunked High Priest of
Visual Thinking, Rudolf
Arnheim. And while
there are obviously
far hipper and much
more contemporary
developments within
cognitive science and
perceptual psychology,
issues of balance,
harmony, scale, as well
as principles of gestalt,all have a bearing on the
function and legibility of
letterforms.
95BlackOblique
55Rom
an
9pt./11
45Book
11pt./13
85Heavy
9pt./12
8
(or thinking) is forgotten in the
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(or thinking) is forgotten in the
moment of performance. In
the visual arts, as in music,
it is important to follow a
developmental trajectory
that after diligent applicationultimately includes not so much
forgetting, as not paying active
attention to these principles.
But the essence is that theory
You must trust yourself, and
work by feel. Rely on the totality
of your experience. Rely onyour history to guide you. Think
through the body. Arrive on the
beautiful shores of naivete and
anti-mastery only after toiling in
the elds of MASTERY.
Typefaces are notconceptuaI tell themto study examples
such as Zuzana LickosMrs. Eaves, which is an
excellent example of an
historical revival; ChristianSchwartz Los Feliz, which
is an excellent example ofvernacular reinterpretation;
and Frank Hines Remedy,
which is based on pureformal extrapolation.
35 Light11 pt./14
35 Light9 pt./12
95Black
Ca
ps
95Black
Oblique
95Black
35Light
Oblique
The question I am mostoften asked by students
is some variation of thefollowing: Where do you
begin? How do you getan idea or a concept for a
typeface? My answer is
twofold. First, oneshould never use the
term concept in samesentence as the word
typeface.
95B
lack
Oblique
9
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But as they say, God(or the Devil, or possibly
both) is in the details.Quite possibly the
biggest challenge facing
type designers who arejust starting out is that
most cannot see, nor canthey draw ( I should
amend that slightly;most havent looked, norcan they draw.)
Students whobegin drawing typefaces
must rst learnto look
attypefaces.
How do you design
letterforms?
Focus on the serifs or
the termination of thecharacter.
Dont so much understand
how a letter is drawn:
experience how a letter is
drawn.
Then rene the letterforms
through successive
redrawing. Sit back,
evaluate them optically(with your retina). Then
draw them again.
65 Medium
12 pt./16
65 Medium11 pt./17
10
TO BORROW
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PROGRAM CAN TEACH
TO BORROWFROM OUR MUSICAL
METAPHOR AGAIN, ITSQUITE EASY
TO ROUGH OUT
A PLAN OF STUDYFOR THE GUITAR. ITS QUITEEASY FOR A GUITAR
TEACHERTO COMMUNICATE
TO A STUDENT THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS
OF ANY GIVEN
MUSICAL PASSAGE.BUT IT IS NUANCE ORTHAT SEPARATES THECHIMPS FROM THE APES.
AND NO GUITAR TEACHER
OR BOOK OR COMPUTER
24 Pt.
20 Pt.
20 Pt.
28 Pt.
30 Pt.
26 Pt.
20 Pt.
22 Pt.18 Pt.
14 Pt.
26 Pt.
30 Pt.
22 Pt.
16 Pt.
24 Pt.
20 Pt.
26 Pt.
85 Heavy
65 Medium
35 Light
45 Book
55 Roman
95 Black
11
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FEELThe gapbetween language and experiencebecomes a gaping hole as one begins to discussissues of craft.
The gapbetween language and experiencebecomes a gaping hole as one begins to discussissues of craft.
72Pt.35Light
11 Pt./12 55 Roman
11 Pt./12 55 Roman
feel.
feel.
feel.feel.
feel.
feel.feel.
feel.
feel.
feel.
feel.
feel.
35 Light and 45 Book
35 Light Oblique and 45 Book Olique
55 Roman and 65 Medium
55 Oblique and 65 Medium Oblique
85 Heavy and 95 Black
85 Heavy Oblique and 95 Black Oblique
24 Pt.
24 Pt.
24 Pt.
95Black
Oblique
95Bla
ck
Obliq
ue
12
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2-UpSaddleS
tich
HPColorLase
r55500
Designer/Editor:GregThom
as
Avenir STDText: Elliot Earls
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