ELEMENTS
OF TYPOGRAPHY 2
Legibility
and Style
Fonts
are usually chosen for their legibility or their stylistic
effect.
Legibility
Legibility
is the measure of how quickly a font can be read.
The
balance between legibility and style is one of the important
factors to be considered when choosing a font for a design.
Serif
fonts like Times New Roman above are the easiest to read.
They usually appeal more to an older target audience who
are more concerned with content than style.
Novelty
fonts like Carnivale are fun but are less legible and
tend to date quickly. They tend to appeal more to a younger
target audience who often prefer style over content.
Calligraphic
or script fonts, especially in capitals, are often the
most illegible.
The
choice of colour can also have a strong effect on the legibility
of a font.
Style
Fonts
can speak in a voice that reflects the style or emotion
of the words they make. The elements of shape and colour
help to communicate their meaning.
Based
on the carved letterforms on the buildings of Ancient Rome
and used as the typeface of The Times newspaper today, the
'Times New Roman' font represents the voice of authority.
This idea is reinforced here by its dark blue colour - the
colour of law enforcement.
'Times
New Roman' was designed in 1931 by British designers Stanley
Morison and Victor Lardent. However, certain authorities
now dispute this and believe it to be the work of the American
designer, Starling Burgess.
Various
elements contribute to the sense of disorder in the 'Bedrock'
font above. The primitive shape of each letterform is chiseled
to form a crooked design, while the irregular arrangement
and different colours heighten the effect.
Designed
in 1995, it was probably inspired by 'The Flinstones' who
lived in Bedrock, and it reflects the anarchy of a cartoon
world.
Anger
is expressed in the aggressive and calculatingly crude calligraphy
of the 'Chiller' font. Its dangerous aura is amplified by
the symbolic use of red - the colour of rage.
'Chiller'
was created by the British designer, Andrew Smith.
An
ice cold blue colour, smooth rounded corners and a long
relaxing shadow, all contribute to the feeling of calm in
the 'VAG Rounded BT' font.
BT
stands for Bitstream, the company from Cambridge MA, USA
who designed the font.
'Ravie'
has the energy and bouncy movement necessary for a fun-filled
font. Bright primary colours enhance its cheerful form.
'Ravie'
was designed by Ken O'Brien in 1993-94 at the Art Center
in Pasadena, California.
The
combination of italic type, graduated colour and blurred
form creates the illusion of speed using the 'Slipstream
LET' font.
Slipstream
was designed by the Letraset Type Studio.
By
their nature bold fonts shout. 'Futura XBlk (extra black)
BT' is a no nonsense, sans-serif font that gets its message
across loud and clear.
Paul
Renner (1878-1956), a typographer associated with the Bauhaus
in Germany designed the original Futura fonts. They were
the most popular sans-serif fonts in the first half of the
20th century.
Certain
fonts inherit a reputation for style through their association
with a particular time or place. 'Broadway Engraved' evokes
the Art Deco era which was one of the most popular design
movements of the early twentieth century. A metallic gold
finish completes the stylish look.
This
font is based on 'Broadway' which was designed by Morris
Fuller Benton between 1925-28.
TYPOGRAPHY
DESIGN LESSON
Typography
is the Art and Design of Printed Text.
In
this lesson we look at the elements that contribute to good
typographic design and then use that knowledge to create
a logotype (a logo composed of typography).
The
aim of this lesson is to explore the expressive potential
of typography.
The
task in this lesson is to create a logotype that reflects
a feature of Glasgow
Museums. The design is to be composed only from the
letters ‘GM’ and existing fonts. It should also
include the ‘municipal green’ colour of Glasgow.
This
lesson can easily be adapted to include any museum in any
locality.
LOGOTYPE
EXAMPLES
Click
on a link for information about the elements of typography or an explanation
of each logotype design.
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