Typography | Task 1: Exercises
Starting Date - Ending Date: 29/Sep/2023 - 20/Oct/2023
NAME: Chen TianYao / 0367550
COURSE: Bachelor of design in creative media / Typography
LECTURES
Week1(a) -Introduction of Typography-
In this lesson, the professor primarily covered the uses and definition of typography, along with some fundamental aspects of its history. Finally, the distinction between font and typeface was also explained.
Typography is the foundation of any design.
Typography can be used in typefaces creation, animation, web design, app
design, signage design, books, posters and so on. Most learning in typography
comes from READING.
Typography
is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible,
readable, and appealing by adjust typefaces, point size, line length,
line-spacing (leading), letter spacing(tracking) and the space within letters
pairs (kerning).
Terminological
difference between Font and Typeface:
Font:
refers to the individual font or weight within a typeface.
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| Example of Font |
Typeface: refers to the various families that do not share characteristics.
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| Example of Type face |
Week1(b) -Development of Typography-
In this lesson, I mainly studied the history of Typography, which has a long and rich history. Reading order, letter styles, and layout rules, among other things, have undergone significant changes. These transformations not only reflect cultural and technological evolution but also shape the diversity and innovation we see in print and digital design today.
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| Evolution of letter |
The pre-recorded lecture covers the evolution of typography in human history, starting with the Phoenician to Roman letter form development and the subsequent change in writing direction by the Greeks, known as 'boustrophedon.'
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| boustrophedon： From left to tight to left to right |
Square Capitals: commonly seen in Roman monuments, incorporate serifs on stroke endings and achieve variable stroke width through a reed pen held at a 60-degree angle from the perpendicular.
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| Square Capitals |
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| Rustic Capitals |
Roman Cursive was used for everyday writing, it simplified the fancy square and rustic capitals, and it started the lowercase letters we use today.
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| Roman Cursive |
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| Uncials |
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| Half uncials |
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| Caloline miniscule |
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| Blackletter |
Week2: Text information
The term ‘Kerning’ refers to the
automatic adjustment of space between letters.
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| Left is the word without kerning and right is the world with kerning. |
Normal tracking, loose tracking and tight tracking
Normal tracking is more readable than loose
tracking than tight tracking.
Flush left:
Each line starts at the same point but ends whatever the last word on the line
ends.
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| Flush left |
Centered: this format imposes symmetry upon the
text. But sometimes difficult to read.
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| Centered |
Flash right: Correspondence of Flash left. This format places emphasis on the end of a line.
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| Flash right |
Justified: same as the centered but it change the distance
between the words to ensure that the head and tail are in a vertical line.
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| Justified |
3. Texture
Typographer’s first job – clear,
appropriate presentation of the author’s message. Quite simply if you see the
type before you see the words, change the type.
The baseline is the foundation of text. Above it, there's the "mean line" or "median line," and the space in between is called X-height.
Make sure the X-height is larger than the ascender and descender spaces for better readability. Ascender space is above X-height, and descender space is below it.
Considering different font textures is crucial. Fonts with a relatively larger X-height or heavier stroke create a darker appearance on the page. Sensitivity to these color differences is fundamental for successful layouts.
4. Leading and Line Length
Text size: Make sure the text is large enough for easy reading at arm's length.
Leading: It's the space between lines. Too tight encourages up-and-down eye movement, while too loose creates distracting striped patterns.
Line length: The number of characters in a line matters. Shorter lines need less space between them; longer lines need more. Aim for 55-65 characters per line for optimal readability. Extremely long or short lines can make reading difficult.
5. Type Specimen Book
A type specimen book (or ebook for screens) displays samples of typefaces in various sizes, serving as a precise reference for type, type size, leading, line length, and more.
Composition: Text should fill a page or screen, aiming for a middle gray value.
For clarity, enlarge type to 400% on the screen to see the relationship between descenders and ascenders. If the outcome is printed, examine a physical page for details. If on a screen, judging the type directly on screen is accurate.
Week3:
Typography: Text / Indicating Paragraphs
Format: Text/Widows and Orphans
Typography: Text / Headline within Text
Typography: Text / Cross Alignment
Using cross-aligned headings in text, the full alignment of the left and right sides looks neat and organized. Fonts vary in thickness and size.
Typography: Text / Highlighting Text
Typography: Text / Headline within Text
Typographers need to make sure that the information they are trying to convey makes the reader aware of what is important in the text.
week4
1. Describing Letterforms
Typography uses technical terms to describe specific parts of letterforms. It's beneficial to become familiar with this lexicon, as knowing the components makes identifying typefaces easier.
Baseline:The imaginary line forming the visual base of letterforms.
Median: The imaginary line that defines the x-height of letterforms.
X-height: The height, in any typeface, of the lowercase letter 'x'.
Stroke: Any line that defines the basic letterforms.
Apex/Vertex: The point formed by connecting two diagonal stems, with the apex above and the vertex below.
Arm: Short strokes extending from the stem of a letterform, either horizontally (as in E, F, L) or inclined upward (as in K, Y).
Fig 4.4: Diagram showing 'arm'
Ascender: The portion of the stem of a lowercase letterform that projects above the median.
Fig 4.5: Diagram showing 'ascender'
Fig 4.6: Diagram showing 'barb'
Beak: The semi-serif finish on certain horizontal arms.
Fig: 4.7: Diagram showing 'beak'
Bowl: The rounded shape that defines a counter. The bowl can be open or closed.
Fig 4.8: Diagram showing 'bowl'
Bracket: The connection or transition between the serif and the stem of a letterform.
Cross Bar: The horizontal stroke in a letterform that connects or joins two stems together.
Cross Stroke: The horizontal stroke in a letterform that connects or joins two stems together.
Fig 4.11: Diagram showing 'cross stroke'
Crotch: The interior space where two strokes meet.
Fig 4.12: Diagram shwoing 'crotch'
Descender: The part of the stem in a lowercase letterform that extends below the baseline.
Fig 4.13: Diagram showing 'descender'
Spine: The curved stem of the S.
Spur: The extension the articulates the junction of the curved and rectilinear stroke.
Stem: The significant vertical or oblique stroke.
Stress: The orientaton of the letterform, indicated by the thin stroke in round forms.
Swash: The flourish that extends the stroke of the letterform.
Terminal: The self-contained finish of a stroke without a serif. This is something of a catch-all term. Terminals may be flat ('T' above), flared, acute ('t' above), grave, concave, or rounded as a ball or a teardrop (see final).
Fig 4.29: Diagram showing 'terminal'
2. The Font/Type Family
To work succesfully with type, you should make sure that you are working with a full font and you should know how to use it.
Uppercase: Capital letters including certain accented vowels, the c cedilla and n tilde, and the a/e and o/e ligatures.
Fig 4.30: Capital letters
Lowercase: Lowercase letters include the same characters as uppercase.
Fig 4.31: Lowercase letters
Small Capitals: Uppercase letterforms draw to the x-height of the typeface. Primarily found in serif fonts as part of what is often called expert set. Most type software includes a style command that generates a small cap on uppercase forms. Do not confused real small caps with those artificially generated.
Fig 4.32: Small Capitals
WEEK6:Typography in Different Medium
Print Type:
- Originally designed for reading in print, predating screen reading.
- Designers aim to ensure text is smooth, flowing, and enjoyable to read.
- Good print typefaces include Caslon, Garamond, and Baskerville; they are elegant, intellectual, and highly readable even at small font sizes.
- These classic typefaces, versatile and easy to digest, offer neutrality and versatility, making typesetting with them effortless.
Screen Type:
- Designed for web use, optimized and modified for enhanced on-screen readability in diverse digital environments.
- Features include taller x-height (or reduced ascenders and descenders), wide letterforms, open counters, heavier thin strokes and serifs, reduced stroke contrast, and modified curves and angles in some designs.
- Crucial adjustments, especially for smaller sizes, involve more open spacing.
- These adaptations improve character recognition and overall readability in non-print environments, including the web, e-books, e-readers, and mobile devices.
Static Typography:
- Conveys words with minimal expressive characteristics.
- Bold and Italic styles provide only a limited expressive potential compared to dynamic properties.
- Used in a variety of contexts, from billboards and posters to magazines and flyers.
- The impression and impact on the audience are closely tied to the emotional connection with viewers.
Motion Typography:
- Temporal media provides opportunities for typographers to make type "dramatic," allowing letterforms to become "fluid" and "kinetic."
- Film title credits dynamically present typographic information over time, often animated for added impact.
- Motion graphics, especially in the brand identities of film and TV production companies, increasingly feature animated type.
- Frequently overlaid onto music videos and advertisements, with motion synchronized to the rhythm of a soundtrack.
- On-screen typography has evolved to be expressive, helping set the tone of associated content or convey brand values.
- In title sequences, typography plays a crucial role in preparing the audience for the film by evoking a specific mood.
INSTRUCTIONS
Task1: EXERCISE
In Exercise 01, we were provided with a set of 8 words: "Smoke, Soup, Spooky, Power, Impact, Crunch, Drunk, Fold." Our task was to select 4 words from this list.
I choose the word "Smoke", "Impact", "Fold" and "Drunk".
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1) I used repeated and distorted letters to show blurred vision after drunk.
2) I used different sizes and angles to show the sensation of dunk.
3) I had Drunk's letter D lie down to make it look like he was asleep, with the letter behind the D leaning against his body. At the same time, I found that some painters usually use some simple special effects to express the effect of drunkenness.
4) I tried to change the case of the letters, alternating uppercase with lowercase. Further showing the fell of dizzy after drunk.
1）I chose to write the word "FOLD" in a normal arrangement at the top, and then present the same word again in a vertical flip at the bottom. This symmetrical arrangement creates a mirror-image effect.
2) I wanted to try an effect with a sense of perspective. I arranged the letters in a horizontal fold to make it look like they were folded in three dimensions.
3 & 4）I think this split and reverse design can arouse the interest of the audience and make them think about the connection between the two parts of the letter.
DISCRIPTION (from the left to right):
1) I added a crack to the letter T to make a strong Impact
2) I hit the other Impact with one Impact, and the other Impact was changed in size and slope, giving the impression of being knocked sideways
3) This time I let a white needle hit the letter IMPACT, the sharp feeling is easy to remind people of impact.
4) Ahhhhh, the letters got knocked over.
DISCRIPTION (from the left to right):
1) I simply draw a cigarette and use the word smoke to express the feeling of smoke.
2) I tried to elongate the horizontal line under the letter S to represent the cigarette, and the letters after it varied in size and slope to represent the random feel of the smoke
3 & 4) The gradually larger and random letters give me the feeling that they are gradually rising, which I think is consistent with the characteristics of smoke.
Exercise2:
we should choose one from each four designs and process it in Adobe Illustrator.
I choose these for words.
Final Assessment -Animation:
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| Final Animation |
Tracking and kerning
FEEDBACK
Week1: Letter 'S' can be smaller and the word is too close.
Week2: the width of the word should be same
Week3: no feedback given
week4:
week5: the width of the word should be same and the word is too close.
REFLECTIONS
FURTHER READING
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| Typographic basics |
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