ah teaches graphic design (A Type of History lecture)

A Type of History

Lecture outline

An introduction to typography and working with type in design. Lecture slides will be made available on the day of the lecture (September 17).

In preparation for lecture...

Please close up any laptops, cellphones, Pagers, Razrs and other 'beep-boop' devices.

The Printing Press

Let there be type!

An illustration of an old printing press

Type Measurement

Physical measurements:

12 points (p12) is equal to 1 pica (1p).
6 picas (6p) is equal to 1 inch (1").

Digital measurements:

16 pixels is equal to ...?

Measurements lie

While these fonts have been set to the same size, they don't appear to be the same size:
why,why, why, why, why, why

Elements of Type

In this sketch:

Baseline
X-height
Cap-height
Serif
Ascender/descender

Serif and Sans

They're best friends

serif & sans

Identifying Type

The serif edition

Humanist
(Centaur)

Transitional
(Times New Roman)

Modern
(Bodoni)

Identifying Type

The sans edition

Humanist
(Gill Sans)

Transitional
(Helvetica)

Geometric
(Futura)

Identifying Type

The other edition

Slab serif
(Rockwell)

Script
(Brush Script)

Graphic
(Comic Sans)

Identifying Type

The meaning(s)

If you had to characterize each of these typefaces, how would you describe them?

I am a typeface that needs characters. Please give me some characters to work with that are clear and define who I am.

Identifying Type

By case, weight, and posture

By case:

ALL CAPS
lowercase
small caps

By weight:

Normal
Bold

By posture:

Normal
Italics

Any questions?

Typographic Concerns

Legibility vs Readability

In legible type we are looking to be able clearly interpret the type from a distance.

Brisket hamburger leberkas capicola boudin bresaola jerky.

Legibility vs Readability

With readable type we want to be able to comfortably read it for a while.

Veggies es bonus vobis, proinde vos postulo essum magis kohlrabi welsh onion daikon amaranth tatsoi tomatillo melon azuki bean garlic.

Gumbo beet greens corn soko endive gumbo gourd. Parsley shallot courgette tatsoi pea sprouts fava bean collard greens dandelion okra wakame tomato. Dandelion cucumber earthnut pea peanut soko zucchini.

Turnip greens yarrow ricebean rutabaga endive cauliflower sea lettuce kohlrabi amaranth water spinach avocado daikon napa cabbage asparagus winter purslane kale. Celery potato scallion desert raisin horseradish

Kerning

This is when we adjust the spacing between letters to achieve an optimal balance within a word. Let's take a a look at a kerning game, to demonstrate the practice.

Word Spacing

Why paying attention to spacing matters.

Signage for today's hit music, where the 's' and the 'hit' are very close to one another

Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast
Contrast

What Does It Say?

Why might you identify one of these as the latest news?

Swiss Design

Audience = everyone

"Objective-rational design means legible design, objective information that is communicated without superlatives or emotional subjectivity."

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Different universal icons developed by members of the Swiss school of design — Swiss symbols

Swiss Design

Swiss style 'Olma' poster — Josef Müller-Brockmann

Composing Type

Considerations for composing type:

Point-size
Alignment
Kerning, tracking and leading
Paragraph breaks, widows and orphans
Line-length

Point Size

You want to set point size to clearly distinguish hierarchy between elements and achieve good readability in your body text.

Headings should clearly stand-out

Subtitles should still stand apart from body copy

Body-copy should be a nice and readable point-size. Not too big as to feel uncomfortable, but not too small as to be unreadable. In print, this is typically between 8-11 points (depending on the font).

Left Alignment

A natural or expected alignment, though concerns can arise with the ragged right edge and ensuring a nice rag.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Brussel sprouts harrows, celery dread with kale augers harrows. veterinarian blue berries cattle jelly canning. Veterinarian at Seeder eggs with watermelon ostriches. Garden windmill chicks, hen at corn in, lettus a peppers. Ewes mushrooms zucchini in forage Harvester at sheep with tractor. Onion organic oranges and purr ducks canning owls at a squeal. Utters are weathervane foal est. Garden windmil.

Right Alignment

Unfamiliar (in English), so be particularly careful about the punctuation along the right edge.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Brussel sprouts harrows, celery dread with kale augers harrows. veterinarian blue berries cattle jelly canning. Veterinarian at Seeder eggs with watermelon ostriches. Garden windmill chicks, hen at corn in, lettus a peppers. Ewes mushrooms zucchini in forage Harvester at sheep with tractor. Onion organic oranges and purr ducks canning owls at a squeal. Utters are weathervane foal est. Garden windmil.

Center Alignment

Easy balance, though problematic for body-text as there are two ragged edges.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Brussel sprouts harrows, celery dread with kale augers harrows. veterinarian blue berries cattle jelly canning. Veterinarian at Seeder eggs with watermelon ostriches. Garden windmill chicks, hen at corn in, lettus a peppers. Ewes mushrooms zucchini in forage Harvester at sheep with tractor. Onion organic oranges and purr ducks canning owls at a squeal. Utters are weathervane foal est. Garden windmil.

Justified Alignment

A clean shape, but watch out for rivers.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Brussel sprouts harrows, celery dread with kale augers harrows. veterinarian blue berries cattle jelly canning. Veterinarian at Seeder eggs with watermelon ostriches. Garden windmill chicks, hen at corn in, lettus a peppers. Ewes mushrooms zucchini in forage Harvester at sheep with tractor. Onion organic oranges and purr ducks canning owls at a squeal. Utters are weathervane foal est. Garden windmil.

Leading

aka. line-spacing

Tight line-spacing means type can be hard for us to visually track, loose line-spacing separates paragraphs into lists.

Too tight

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Too loose

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Better

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Line Length

Good line-length makes it easier for our eyes to track from one line to the next. Aim for 5-7 words per line.

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Widows and Orphans

Widows have a past, but no future. Orphans have a future, but no past.

Whitespace

The final frontier...

An illustration of two layouts, one more visually 'uncomfortable' than the other — Care of Creativity is Not Design

Whitespace

In which of these examples is the logo larger?

Whitespace is Not Evil

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

Passive Whitespace

Important for helping balance and hierarchy.

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

Active Whitespace

Useful for focusing attention or clarifying hierarchy.

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

What is a Grid?

A grid is the underlying structure of a document which helps organization of content in a coherent pattern.

Purposes of a Grid

Grids assist in:

Organization of text and imagery
Providing consistency
Clearer communication
Expediting layout exploration

An example of using, and not using, a grid

Setting a Grid

First we would establish page edges.

Next we establish margins.

Margins can be even or uneven.

Next we set columns.

When flowing type, it should clearly begin and end at the edges of columns.

This text will flow across a couple of columns and should clearly begin and end at the edges of the defined columns; which is entirely fine.

Type should not end in a gutter or the middle of a column.