Typography Classification Course Notes/Type Notes... · Typography Classification Core Concepts: Typography Classification 19C printers sought a means of classifying type to parallel
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Typography Classification
Core Concepts: Typography Classification
■ 19C printers sought a means of classifying type to parallel art andhistory classification systems
■ type classification is determined by historic/technology trends
■ 20/21Century designers continue to design new typefaces based onhistorical characteristics (revivals)
■ any classification system must be widely recognized by professionalsforming a basis of shared understanding
Typefaces are classified into between eight and twelve categories/subcategories according to their particular characteristics. Given the everexpanding collection of typefaces, a precise taxonomy—one that allowsfor expansion, comprehensiveness, adaptability, correction is yet to bedevised.
During the 19C printers sought a means of classifying type to parallel artand history classification systems. Humanist typefaces take their formsfrom calligraphic styles and were born in the Renaissance period. Thosetypefaces in the Oldstyle, Transitional and Modern categories are lessorganic; more abstract in their shape. They come to us from the baroqueand Enlightenment periods.
As technology improved so, too, grew the finesse with which type formswere produced. It is possible to follow the development of typographythrough the emulation of handwriting, carved stone columns and increas-ingly dexterous machinery to the digital forms we have today.
Maximillien Vox proposed a classification system in 1954 adopted by theAssociation Typographique Internationale (ATypI) and widely used today.Several new category names were derived for the international audience(see sidebar).
The first four Vox categories are based upon historic forms. The subse-quent five categories are based upon their appearance after which a further three terms categorize those faces based on the processes or toolsthat shaped their visual design.
■ Humanist (Venetian)
■ Old Style (Geralde)
■ Transitional (Reales)
■ Modern (Didone)
■ Slab Serif (Egyptian)
■ Sans Serif (Lineales): Humanist, Geometric, Grotesque
■ Glyphic (Flare Serif)
■ Script, Italic, Chancery
■ Decorative/Ornamental
■ Blackletter
■ Hybrids/Other(eg Solex by Zuzana Licko, Sauna by Underware, and Beowulf byLettError)
The classifying of typefaces is fraught with inconsistency and confusing,overlapping terms: eg Gothic is used to identify Blackletter faces, but the
Emily Carr University of Art + DesignContinuing Studies
Introduction to Typography Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC
The Vox system created a few newnames for groupings for theinternational audience;
Geralde: GARamond/ALDus (Manutius)
Didone:DIDot/BodONI
*Texts on type vary in the descriptionof the type classification system. Somesystems distribute the typeface designsinto more sub groups than others.
Note, too, the names of the categoriesvary (for example, Humanist is oftenreferred to as Venetian as the designsoriginated in Italy).
A great many people have
never set eyes on a well-
formed typeface. — Jan Tschichold
term is also used to describe a sans serif face in the US; the class Didone,Modern and Bodoni are synonymous. Clarendon is a term for bracketedslab serif faces in general; Humanist describes serif faces designed from aVenetian model—and is also used to describe classic sans serif faces!
Revival type designs over the centuries—some faithful reconstructions andothers new designs—have evolved and multiplied as new technologies arose.
Many individuals have attempted to create a practical method for identi-fying and classifying type designs. However, designing type follows no setpattern or rulebook. Particularly true of the contemporary digital periodwe find ourselves in. Many new designs are combinations of two—ormore—styles. The Vox system (or an adaptation of it) remains the mostuseful.
Some contemporary typeface designs defy even the most thorough typeclassification system. This may be because the letter forms do not havesufficient identifiable characteristics or those that they do have cross cate-gories. These faces may be composed of some classical features or bemade up of digital media—or both.
These faces are designed for specialty use so one could consider them“display faces.” They should not typically be used for text settings as theirunfamiliarity slow reading considerably. They often provoke intense dis-cussion and debate and are a medium of spirited play and experimentation.
Examples include hybrid designs such as Fudoni, by Max Kisman andProrotype by Jonathan Barnbrook
Emily Carr University of Art + DesignContinuing Studies
Introduction to Typography Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC
■ Old Style (Garalde) first cut by Francesco Griffo for De Aetna(published by Aldus Manutius, 1495) the basis for all Roman types castin the 16th and 17th centuries and early 18th century (Italy, France,England and the Netherlands)
■ displays some of the same characteristics as humanist typefaces, butthe pen-formed shapes are more refined
■ the first italic typestyles were created in 1501: Aldine Italic (AldinePress, Aldus Manutius) they were compressed, sloping faces, quitecalligraphic, to save space on the page
■ 17th century punchcutters took the French Old Style models andenlarged the x-height and increased the contrast between thethick/thin strokes
Characteristics
■ sharply cut, economical faces
■ slanted stress
■ medium weight and contrast between thick/thin strokes
■ lowercase letters have oblique ascenders and foot serifs
Stone SerifABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
■ Transitional (Reales) Roman du Roi, the first new face in 200 years,cut by Phillipe Grandjean in 1692
■ possess characteristics of both the Old Style and the Modern faces
■ 18th century greater precision of the copperplate engraver’s tool andthe availability of smoother paper allowed for finer letter strokes, serifs
■ a move away from the calligraphic style
■ in the 1750s, John Baskerville creates one of the most significant facesof the period, more light and refined than previous designs
■ late 18th century: Baskerville’s faces were supplanted by the emergingfaces of Didot and Bodoni, but they were rediscovered in the early partof the 20th century by many foundries
Characteristics
■ stress is vertical or nearly so
■ medium to high contrast between thick/thin strokes
■ serifs of lowercase ascenders are slightly slanted or sometimes horizontal and foot serifs are nearly horizontal
■ serifs are sharp and bracketed
Examples include:
Bookman, Candida, Century Schoolbook, Clearface, Cochin, Melior, Mrs. Eaves, Popple Pontifex, Slimbach, Stone
Emily Carr University of Art + DesignContinuing Studies
Introduction to Typography Instructor: Linda Coe, BDes, FGDC
■ Sans Serif (Grotesques, Lineals) broadly divided into threecategories: Grotesques, Geometrics, Humanists
■ these early display faces denoted modernity, though the simple formsdate back to Hellenic architecture
■ 1822: William Thorowgood issued a heavy Gothic face with a crudelowercase
■ 1876: the first Sans Serif face, uppercase only, (confusingly calledCaslon Egyptian) appeared in the Caslon Foundry type specimen book
■ 1958 Max Miedinger designed Helvetica, the most used Sans Serif faceof all time (based on Akzidenz Grotesk) It was originally called Neue Haas Grotesk.
■ the Grotesque and humanist styles are the most readable (somevariation in stroke width)
Characteristics
■ no serifs, some contrast in the thickness of the letter forms at junctions
■ curves are slightly squared off
■ cap R usually has a curled leg
■ cap G often has a spur (eg, Franklin and Trade Gothic)