Typography Essay — DRAFT
In addition to its utilitarian function, type and typography are tools of expression that continue to evolve with both technology and culture. With the mass usage and dominance of type in our daily environments, it becomes obvious as to why there are so many typefaces available, and why more continue to be created. It is the human need for identification, differentiation and expression that provide fuel for the typography market — an industry which generates thousands of new typefaces every year. Advancements in technology only add fuel to this fire by making type more accessible and more dominant in our everyday lives.
In his extensive book of typographic etiquette, Robert Bringhurst defines typography as "the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form" (11). Bringhurst further defines that typography stands in the gap between writing and graphic design, but does not belong to either discipline. Typography is an art form in its own right. Similar to art movements and fashion styles that come and pass, the same trends of evolution are part of typography — both with typefaces and the usage of type.
The letters of the alphabet can be combined into words, sentences, paragraphs, pages and volumes. These various combinations have meaning of their own — without regard to typography or typeface; however, it is with the additional meaning expressed through a particular typeface that an expanded meaning can be added. Karl Gerstner, a respected Swiss designer, asserts that, "in every typeface there is, irrespective of its purpose, a more or less independent aesthetic value of form, which in turn also has its own direct expressivity" (156). More than the literal words can be expressed through proper use of typography. Even simple changes in typeface, such as bold or italics, are so commonly used that little thought is given to the impact that is added. Just as the tone and tempo of voice influences the meaning of the spoken word; typography can influence the written word.
This influence can be through the use of typography by alignment, spacing, or more easily by the typeface used. In the early days of typography, type was set with physical movable type. A word set in bold or italics came from a separate collection of type — in fact, it is still separated this way in digital type. However, this is rarely seen — as it is hidden behind button and keyboard-shortcuts. Regardless of the technology, bold and italic typefaces function as distinct typefaces with the intended purpose of adding additional emphasis; thus, changing the meaning without altering the words.
How and why we use type has changed both because of technology and the influences of advertising and mass communication. As technology and culture advances, so do typefaces; "and, as with every technological and cultural development in the past 2000 years, type and typography reflect this" (Spiekermann 35).
Digital typography, which started in the 1980s, greatly increased the pace at which new type was released. The rules of typography, which had been slowly evolving since Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, were now rapidly evolving. Similar advancements can be seen in the way that digital equipment affected the music and video industries. New things were now possible, and the tools to create and use typography were becoming more available to the average person. The line between a professional and a hobbyist grew much thinner.
However, the definition of typography has remained nearly the same. Modern typography is still a reflection of the alphabet. Concisely stated, "the alphabet is a series of visual signs in a fixed sequence, representing spoken sounds. Each letter signifies only one thing: its elementary sound or name. The twenty-six characters of our alphabet can be combined into thousands of words, creating a visual record of the spoken language." (Carter 27)
This visual record of the spoken language was first pioneered by print shop owners in various parts of Europe. Today many popular typefaces are named after these owners — Garamond, Calson, Baskerville and Bodoni to name a few. The technical terms of setting old-fashioned type, such as uppercase and lowercase, which defined the location of the actual letters in these shops; now, these terms are commonly used to refer state of the "caps lock" or "shift key".
"Typography is a tool for doing things with: shaping content, giving language a physical body, enabling the social flow of messages" (Lupton 8). In order to use a tool properly, one must understand the basic of the tool and continually practice using the tool. The goal of typography is to aid in the communication of a written message. Unquestionably, type is everywhere; it is embedded within our daily lives and our daily culture. Most people are in constant contact with some form of typography from television advertising to computer messages to billboards while driving. Type is used to communicate everything from branding to safety to the morning news. The art of typography is the art of communicating.
At the heart of typography are typefaces, and typefaces can be categorized into several different systems, each with their own purpose and usage. While there is no agreed system for classifying typefaces, it is generally accepted that type can be placed in the following broad categories: serif, sans-serif, script, black-letter and novelty. These categories are defined by the visual characteristics of the typefaces.
Serif Typefaces: Rooted in old roman type which was chiseled in stone. The serif acted as decorative elements and the end of long strokes; however, their original purpose was to prevent the stone from chipping beyond the intended length. Serif typefaces are considered by many to be easier to read in printed materials.
Sans-serif Typefaces: A younger family of typefaces than serif which first started appearing around the early 1900's. These typefaces are defined by the lack of serifs on the terminating ends of strokes. Typically, serif fonts are quite geometric in their style — a reflection of a more industrial world.
Script Typefaces: Many typefaces from this genre are very artistic and contain elaborate flourishes that mimic hand drawn lettering. Until the advent of modern typefaces, script faces were all elegant in nature; now, script typefaces range from formal to playful.
Black-letter Typefaces: Often referred to as "Old English" and represent classic calligraphic lettering as seen in the Gutenberg Bible. The letters are typically elaborate and decorative; they are not designed for legibility.
Novelty Typefaces: These typefaces border more closely to art than type. Letters that are composed of a collage, snow-capped illustrations or cartoon-styled letters would fall under this category.
A typeface says a lot regardless of the word. Type expresses emotion through its form and style. Legibility is a critical factor and job for the majority of typography. However, the rules of typography are in constant motion. "The next generation of readers might consider things acceptable and, indeed highly legible, that we would today consider ridiculous." (Spiekermann 35)
Typefaces not only aid in expression, but also in identification. Many businesses depend on the use of a unique typeface for their corporate identity. Companies such as Sony, Phillips, Toshiba and Tiffany's depend on typefaces alone for their identification. Companies, such as Apple Computers, are easily identified by the typeface used in their advertisements. Consumers and businesses require typefaces that can relate something about the business. Oddly enough, typefaces can receive no copyright protection in the United States — which is the largest consumer of type. The law states that the alphabet cannot be placed under copyright; and therefore typefaces cannot be. (Bierut 157)
Typography is a living art form that continues to serve with our language, our technology and our culture. As its usage and dominance grow, it will only become a stronger reflection of our history. "Typography makes two kinds of sense, if it makes sense at all. It makes visual sense and historical sense". (Carter 9)
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