Basics Typography 02: Using Type

186 Pages·2011·27.964 MB·English

by  Michael Harkins

BASICS BASICS
Publisher’s note

typography typography
Michael Harkins
02 02
Ethical practice is well known, taught Featured topics AVA Academia’s Basics MB Michael Harkins graduated from
and discussed in the domains of defining typography Typography titles are designed to icas the University of Plymouth, Exeter
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discussed in terms of the Applied planning your work of each of the fundamental topics arkog included time spent studying at Arnhem,
Visual Arts. Yet design is becoming gserildec styinsgte tmypsefaces within the discipline of Typography. insrap Netherlands. He then gained an MA
an increasingly integral part of typography in layouts Packed with examples from students hy from Central Saint Martins College of Art
our everyday lives and its influence type specifics and professionals and fully illustrated 02 and Design in Design Studies, where his
fine-tuning type
on our society ever-more prevalent. with clear diagrams and inspiring major project was in type design.
using software
finishing artwork imagery, they offer an essential
AVA Publishing believes that our Michael was a director within a
refining typographic practice exploration of the subject.
world needs integrity; that the typographic etiquette successful graphic design company
ramifications of our actions upon Using Type will provide you before returning to education to teach
Featured contributors
others should be for the greatest with a practical, working guide full time. He is a passionate advocate
A2 Design
n
happiness and benefit of the greatest Cartlidge Levene to typography, enabling you to abc dof the development of typographic
the process of setting
number. We do not set ourselves Catherine Dixon establish a sound knowledge and out typography and type study within graphic design.
Experimental Jetset
out as arbiters of what is ‘good’ or Gerard Unger practice of the subject within a Michael has been invited to talk at
‘bad’, but aim to promote discussion Hamish Muir/ 8vo graphic design context. The
conferences internationally and his work
in an organised fashion for an Jeremy Tankard sequence of chapters within the U
individual’s understanding of their MadeThought book allows you to learn about the s has also been published and exhibited
Mwmcreative i internationally. He is course leader for
own ethical inclination. Nick Bell subject of using type progressively, n
Paulus M. Dreibholz and follow the paths of consideration g MA Graphic Design at the University of
By incorporating a ‘working with Phil Baines Portsmouth, UK and is a Fellow of the
that a designer may employ when T
ethics’ section and cover stamp Why Not Associates y Higher Education Academy.
working through a specific project.
on all our titles, AVA Publishing aims p
to help a new generation of students, Using Type outlines the e
educators and practitioners find well-established principles of
a methodology for structuring their typography that students of
thoughts and reflections in this graphic design need to become
vital area. familiar with over a period of 1234
time, allowing for more advanced
engagement with the subject to
develop. Using Type contains
examples of historically important
work, contemporary practice and
successful student work.
Using Type is an essential handbook
ISBN-13: 978-2-940411-55-9 for students of graphic design
and visual communication.
ava publishing sa
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9 782940 411559 [email protected]
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Job: 02742 Title: BT Using Type (AVA)
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BASICS
typography
Michael Harkins
02
Using Type
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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permission of the copyright holder.
ISBN 978-2-940411-55-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harkins, Michael.
Basics Typography 02: Using Type / Michael Harkins p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 9782940411559 (pbk.:alk.paper)
eISBN: 9782940447275
1.Graphic design (Typography).2.Graphic arts.3.Graphic arts--Study and teaching.
Z246 .H375 2011
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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All reasonable attempts have been made to trace, clear and credit the
copyright holders of the images reproduced in this book. However, if any
credits have been inadvertently omitted, the publisher will endeavour to
incorporate amendments in future editions.
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Table of contents
Introduction 6
1 Understanding type –––––––––– 8 3 Working with type –––––––––––– 70
1.1 Defi ning typography 3.1 Selecting typefaces
Seeing typography –––––––––––– 10 Text typography ––––––––––––––– 72
What typography is –––––––––––– 14 Display typography –––––––––––– 76
What typography isn’t ––––––––– 18
3.2 Typography in layouts
1.2 Design task 1: Looking at type 20 Words, lines and paragraphs –––– 80
1.3 The language of typography 3.3 The typographic area
Terminology –––––––––––––––––– 22 Anatomy of the page –––––––––– 84
Systems of measurement ––––––– 26 Poster ––––––––––––––––––––––– 87
Identity –––––––––––––––––––––– 87
Book –––––––––––––––––––––––– 88
2 Preparing to use type ––––––––– 30 Magazines and newspapers ––––– 90
Exhibition –––––––––––––––––––– 90
2.1 Understanding the
Information design –––––––––––– 92
design problem
Web ––––––––––––––––––––––––– 92
Content and context ––––––––––– 32
Audience ––––––––––––––––––––– 34 3.4 Type arrangement
Appropriateness ––––––––––––––– 36 Design considerations ––––––––– 94
2.2 Planning your work 3.5 Pure type
Thinking ahead –––––––––––––––– 38 Type only ––––––––––––––––––––– 100
Page plans ––––––––––––––––––– 40
3.6 Type and image
Impositions ––––––––––––––––––– 42
Combining elements ––––––––––– 104
Selecting formats for work –––––– 44
Production ––––––––––––––––––– 48 3.7 Type as image
Dummies and mock-ups –––––––– 50 Beyond language alone –––––––– 108
Paper –––––––––––––––––––––––– 52 Experimenting with type ––––––– 110
Inks –––––––––––––––––––––––––– 54
3.8 Creating hierarchy
Print fi nishing ––––––––––––––––– 56
Clarity and order –––––––––––––– 112
Binding –––––––––––––––––––––– 58
3.9 Legibility and readability
2.3 Grid systems
Seeing and reading –––––––––––– 114
Order and structure –––––––––––– 60
Typographic colour –––––––––––– 116
Traditional grids ––––––––––––––– 61
Type and colour ––––––––––––––– 118
Modern grids ––––––––––––––––– 62
Types of grid –––––––––––––––––– 64 3.10 Design task 3:
Baseline grids ––––––––––––––––– 66 Creating a simple poster –––––– 120
2.4 Design task 2: Find the grid ––– 68
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4—5
4 Detailing typography 122 Conclusion ––––––––––––––––––– 166
Bibliography ––––––––––––––––– 168
4.1 Type specifi cs
Glossary ––––––––––––––––––––– 170
Type size ––––––––––––––––––––– 124
Index –––––––––––––––––––––––– 174
Leading –––––––––––––––––––––– 128
Acknowledgements and credits 176
Line length ––––––––––––––––––– 130
Working with ethics ––––––––––– 177
4.2 Fine-tuning type
Kerning –––––––––––––––––––––– 132
Tracking –––––––––––––––––––––– 134
Spacing –––––––––––––––––––––– 136
H&Js –––––––––––––––––––––––– 138
Special characters ––––––––––––– 140
Expert (and OpenType Pro) fonts 142
4.3 Design task 4: Spaced out ––––– 144
4.4 Practising typographic etiquette
Choosing fonts –––––––––––––––– 146
Mixing fonts –––––––––––––––––– 146
Communicating with fonts –––––– 147
Sizing fonts ––––––––––––––––––– 148
Default typography –––––––––––– 148
Alignment –––––––––––––––––––– 148
Detailing paragraphs –––––––––– 149
Tracking and scaling ––––––––––– 150
Setting conventions ––––––––––– 150
5 Typography and
technology today ––––––––––––– 156
5.1 Type and appropriate software
Using the correct tools ––––––––– 158
Single and multi-page designs –– 160
Master pages and guides ––––––– 161
Type and style sheets –––––––––– 162
Type in original and output fi les – 163
Portable document fi les –––––––– 164
Proofi ng –––––––––––––––––––––– 165
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Introduction
Typography is a discipline within It has been said that good typography
the wider context of graphic/ is invisible – a sentiment endorsed by
communication design that produces Beatrice Warde in her famous lecture,
results so ubiquitous and familiar to us ‘The Crystal Goblet’, given to the
that we are at times, and more often Society of Typographic Designers in
than not, oblivious to the existence London in 1932 – and this may be true
of the subject itself. The wealth of to some extent. It is probably much
knowledge related to typography, in fairer to say that good typography
addition to the rigorous practices and is more readily acceptable to us.
processes applied in order to create Unfortunately, bad typography can also
such work, are invisible for many, too. be invisible – not just for its intended
In most cases, this ‘invisibility’ is not recipients, but for those involved in
achieved accidentally, but is more often producing it as well.
purposefully generated by virtue of
A lifelong student, teacher and
both the designer’s skill and taste.
practitioner, the German typographer,
Good typographic design Jan Tschichold, once likened
communicates appropriately in typography to ‘clay in a potter’s
accordance with the demands placed hand’, claiming that ‘…there are no
upon it. The practice of typographic born masters of typography, but self-
layout must balance the necessity of education may lead to mastery’.
communication alongside aesthetic What Tschichold implied is that
sensibilities. It must be informed by typography needs to be fundamentally
an understanding of convention and understood in order to be practised;
tradition, whilst demonstrating skill, and practised in order to be
judgment and taste in accordance with understood.
the zeitgeist. In short, the typographic
This book aims to offer practical
designer can be seen as an arbiter of
advice and guidance with regards
the visualization of language.
to approaching the subject at an
introductory to intermediate level,
so that you can then put this new
knowledge of using type directly to
work. It is true to say that typography
takes time to master, but once bitten
by the typographic ‘bug’, you will
fi nd it very diffi cult to ignore it.
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6—7
Typography acts as the designed visual Along with constructive practical
embodiment of language; typographic advice, examples of student and
layout, however, while facilitating the professional work contextualize and
reading of language, can also be read illustrate key points and themes
in itself. It may be the content of a found within the text, offering you
layout that is ultimately communicated, the opportunity to develop a deep
but the form of the typographic layout personal understanding of the subject.
can be read too – in many cases, it is
In the fi fteenth century, the earliest
the shape and form of the layout that
forms of typographic layout borrowed
we ‘read’ fi rst. The layout provides us
directly from strict doctrines of formal
with our fi rst impressions, acting as the
handwriting. The twentieth century
primary element in a hierarchy that can
progressed us from technologies
guide us along and through pages,
barely improved upon since
that can express and convey meaning,
Gutenberg’s invention of moveable
and yet that can remain humble and
type, through that of the avant-garde
perfunctory in its duty.
and asymmetric typography,
Whether designing a business card delivering us into the digital realm.
or a complete exhibition, a basic Now, in the twenty-fi rst century,
knowledge of the principles and it will be you, the readers of this
practices related to typography is book, who will determine how the
essential in order to produce useful typographic landscape develops
and meaningful graphic design. in the future.
From choosing typefaces to setting
text, designing grid systems to kerning
headings, from understanding type
as image to adjusting hyphenation
and justifi cation, this book will inform
and assist you when making decisions
about both the macro aspects of
typographic layout and the detailing
of typography at the micro level.
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Chapter 1
8—9
Understanding type
Typography can best be described as the art
or practice of arranging letters and words.
But this description is perhaps too broad and
simplistic for us to make any real sense of what
typography is actually about. What kinds of letters
and words are we talking about? And produced
by what means?
Essentially, typography involves how letters and
words are arranged, how they are composed in
relation to each other, and the place they occupy
within a composition. Typography comes into play
when we choose fonts, decide how these are spaced,
what size they should appear at and how this affects
our reading of typographic arrangements. Sometimes,
the relationship between broad and specifi c aspects
of typographic practice can be referred to as macro
and micro typography. Whatever terminology we use
to describe this, we must fi rstly be able to identify
what exactly typography is and what it is not.
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