Summary
Highlights
This lecture, strategically placed in the fifth week of the series, focuses on the basics of typography. The goal is to provide beneficial knowledge for current and future design projects, enabling students to better conduct their work. The lecture emphasizes familiarizing oneself with typography terminology, which is essential for identifying specific typefaces.
Understanding the component parts of letter forms is crucial. Key terms include Baseline, Median Line, and X-height. The baseline is the imaginary line at the base of the letters, the median line defines the x-height, and the x-height is the height of the lowercase 'x'. Other important concepts are cap height, ascender height (which is optically adjusted to appear taller than capital letters), and descender height. Any line defining a letter form is generally known as a stroke.
The lecture delves into more specific parts like apex (point created by two diagonal stems joining at the top, like in 'A'), vertex (opposite of apex, joining at the bottom, like in 'V'), arm (short strokes extending from the stem), ascender (strokes exceeding the median line), bob (half-finished serif on curved strokes), ball (rounded form describing a counter), bracket (transition between serif and stem), crossbar (connects two stem strokes), and crotch (interior space where two strokes meet). The term 'finial' refers to a non-serif terminal of a stroke.
The importance of ligatures is discussed, particularly for letter combinations like 'fi' or 'fl' where finial strokes and dots might clash. Ligatures are designed to create a harmonious join between such letters, preventing visual disturbances. This highlights the attention to detail in typeface design that accounts for optical adjustments rather than purely mathematical ones.
A 'full font' actually refers to a 'type family' which comprises many different typefaces (e.g., bold, regular, extended, semi-bold). A single 'typeface' refers to an individual weight. It's beneficial to choose a type family with a wide range of typefaces for complex designs, offering options for different weights and styles for various information hierarchy such as headlines, body text, and subtext.
The lecture explains uppercase and lowercase letters, their historical origins from typesetting with lead matrices, and the critical role of small capitals. Small capitals are uppercase letter forms drawn to the x-height, primarily found in serif fonts. Their purpose is to prevent all-caps acronyms from visually sticking out in a body of text, maintaining an even 'gravy' value. The speaker warns against software's automatic small cap generation, which can alter stroke thickness, advocating for true small capitals designed within the type family.
Similar to letters, numerals come in uppercase (lining figures) and lowercase (old-style figures or text figures). Lining figures are uniform in height and best for tabular data or when used with uppercase letters. Old-style figures are set to the x-height with ascenders and descenders, making them suitable for flowing body text and historical references where they blend better with lowercase letters. The historical shift to larger, uppercase numerals for commercial impact is also mentioned.
Italics are typeforms based on 15th-century Italian cursive handwriting, while obliques are typically slanted versions of Roman forms. Other type styles include boldface (characterized by thick strokes), condensed, extended, light, and thin. These variations within a type family provide diverse options for designers.
Well-designed typefaces, like those from 500 years of type design, achieve readability and express contemporary aesthetics. The lecture emphasizes that the best typefaces are often ambiguous and versatile, allowing them to endure through different eras. Novice typographers are encouraged to study a select group of ten (or nine in this course) foundational typefaces to develop their skills and appreciate others.
Designers should choose typefaces that respectfully convey the message, where the message takes precedence over the typeface itself. Understanding how different typefaces evoke specific feelings (whimsical, stately, mechanical, calligraphic, harmonious, or awkward) is crucial. The lecture concludes by stressing the importance of reading and continuous learning in typography, urging students to raise any questions or doubts in class.