MP2 - AB Process Book

Final Recipe Card

The Elements of Typographic Style (25-60) Reading Questions due Feb. 17, 2014

  1.     Explain what typographic color is, and the four things that determine it.

            When looking at typographic color, it is not about the reds, greens, and blue inks, but typographic color “refers only to the darkness or blackness of the letterforms in mass” (Bringhurst 25).  The typographers main goal when looking at color is the evenness, and this is achieved through the demands of legibility and the logical order are satisfied. The four things that determine typographic color are; “the design of the type, the spacing between the letters, the spacing between the words, and the spacing between the lines” (Bringhust 250).

   2.     When is ok to use justified type? When should you use ragged type?

            Looking at word space and character line settings, justified text is acceptable with a minimum of a fifth of an em (M/5) and a maximum of a half of an em (M/2). The character line setting that is acceptable for justified text is about 40 characters. The typical word space for text that is set ragged is about a fourth of an em (M/4), and the character line setting is 45-75 characters when looking at a regular one-column page. When there are short lines the text should also be ragged, as well as with narrow columns.

   3.     How should you choose your leading setting?

            The leading setting that the typographer chooses should be based on multiple factors of the text. The leading should always be at least two points larger than the size of the text. Longer measures need more leading than shorter measures, dark typefaces need more than light, faces that are larger on body text need more leading than smaller, and unserifed faces usually need more leading than serifed faces. All leading should be positive, it is very rare that a negative leading will be used.  

   4.     List at least three of the hyphenation rules that you think are most useful/surprising to you.

·      “At hyphenated line-ends, leave at least two characters behind and take at least three forward” (Bringhurst 42).

·      “Avoid leaving the stub-end of a hyphenated word, or any word shorter than four letters, as the last line of a paragraph” (Bringhurst 42).

·      “Avoid more than three consecutive hyphenated lines” (Bringhurst 43).

·      “Hyphenate proper names only as a last resort unless they occur with the frequency of common nouns” (Bringhurst 43).

   5.     What are some things you can do to create contrast? What should you NOT do?

Contrast within text can be created in many different ways, even just by

working with one font, given the different aspects that it carries given that it has a large family. Contrast can be created using small caps, italics, or bolding the letters. Working with the same font, but just different characteristics, helps to create contrast that may be needed in a type setting. When looking at what not to do when trying to create contrast, don’t use a font that is not needed. It is also important to keep in mind to only change on aspect of the text at a time; this meaning if you want something for a heading that is larger and bold, just start by increasing the size, and follow by the bold later. It is important to experiment with the text. When creating contrast with the text, it is important to keep the punctuation in mind as well, if the text is changed to bold, be sure to keep the punctuations normal or else there would be too much going on. If the text is italic, the punctuations are okay to be kept the same, they are not taking away from the type, and the same goes for if the text is in small caps, the punctuations can stay the same without creating too much contrast on the page. 

Comps #1

Final Recipe Card Process Book

Reading Homework due February 10

 1.     There are several items introduced as "first typographic principles". Please list them and explain them in 1-2 sentences each.

a.     Typography exists to honor content. – The content that is in any form all express their own meanings based on the font, the subject, and the writer. Given that all of these aspects help form the meanings, it helps to show the form in which type can honor content.

b.     Letters have a life and dignity of their own. – Words mean nothing without the proper expression and font choice. If the font is correct for the purpose of the content, then the words created from the letters mean much more.

c.     There is a style beyond style. – The style chosen within typography is not just the style of the text, but also the style of the writer or designer. They are able to make the style their own and much more personal based on the content of the text.

2.     What are a few technical considerations when choosing type? Make sure to explain them if they are new concepts to you.

a.     Consider the medium for which the typeface was originally designed.

b.     When using digital adaptations of letterpress faces, choose fonts that are faithful to the spirit as well as the letter of the old designs. – Different fonts and text are made given different manipulations from the print work, which lead to them being weighted and finished differently.

c.     Choose faces that will survive, and if possible prosper, under the final printing conditions.

d.     Choose faces that suit the paper you intend to print on, or paper that suits the faces you wish to use.

3.     What are a few practical considerations when choosing type? Make sure to explain them if they are new concepts to you.

a.     Choose faces that suit the task as well as the subject.

b.     Choose faces that can furnish whatever special effects you require. – example: “If your text includes an abundance of numerals, you may want a face whose numerals are especially well designed” (Bringhurst 95).

c.     Use what there is to the best advantage. – If there is only the choice of one font, the designer can use it to its fullest; italics, bold, underlined, small caps.

4.     What are a few historical and cultural considerations when choosing type? Make sure to explain them if they are new concepts to you.

a.     Choose a face whose historical echoes and associations are in harmony with the text. – It doesn’t make sense for a typographer to interchange time periods and history when it comes to the content within the text.

b.     Allow the face to speak in its natural idiom.

            5.     Beginning on page 102 "The Multicultural Page", explain some of the guidelines for choosing             typeface combinations.

a.     Start with a single typographic family. – “If you restrict yourself to faces within the family, you can have variety and homogeneity at the same time: many shapes and sizes but a single typographic culture” (Bringhurst 95). This allows for many possibilities within a document that calls for different forms of text to show differences between titles, body text, subheads, quotations, and more.

b.     Respect the integrity of roman, italic and small caps. – Mixing the different forms are less likely to succeed, whereas treating the different forms as separate but equals, there is a greater chance of success.

c.     Consider bold faces on their own merits.

d.     Choose titling and display faces that reinforce the structure of the text face. – “A geometrically constructed, high-contrast face, has marginal promise as a titling face for text…” (Bringhurst 105). In a sense, the title text and body text contradict each other but in a form that help embrace the other and work together.

e.     Pair serifed and unserifed faces on the basis of their inner structure. – “When the basic text is set in a serifed face, a related sanserif is frequently useful for other elements, such as tables, captions or notes” (Bringhurst 105). This usually isn’t as simple when trying to work with a serifed and sanserifed fonts that aren’t directly related or stand within the same text family.