Advanced Typography: Task 3 Type Exploration & Application

11/20/2024-ending week

FENG SHIWEN  /  0374595

Bachelor of Design in Creative Media   /  Advanced Typography 

Taylor's University

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CONTENTS

INSTRUCTION
EXERCISE
FEEDBACK
REFLECTIONS

FUTHER READING

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INSTRUCTION

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EXERCISE

• Task 3 Type Exploration & Application

Prepare final Task 3 presentation (Google Slide / PP) explain your intention, show examples, make an attempt (at designing the font for the idea). You should explore at least 3 possible ideas in you presentation.

Proposal :

After the teacher's approval, I chose the first idea and started to design Task3👾

I extracted the font shape and size of the original logo, improved it, and then determined a few basic graphics on the auxiliary network for later drawing a uniform letter length and width

Sketch ：

In weeks 10 and 11, we need to complete the digitization of the font, leaving it in draft form. The content includes upper and lower case letters, numbers, and punctuation

When making punctuation marks, the teacher pointed out a mistake in my font. The height of marks like exclamation marks, question marks and brackets needed to be higher than the size of the letter to maintain harmony, so I modified some marks

The following is the font of the final version :

Import the font into Fontlab :

Font Tester

Downloadable font link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YKr-tCGzuzm6VlZjOAdWODZZUTkrpn91/view?usp=drive_link

👾Try typing out the characters:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890!?#@%^&*()_+-=[]{}:;|,.

Font Presentation

Fig 3.3 Font Presentation #1

Fig 3.4 Font Presentation #2

Fig 3.5 Font Presentation #3

Fig 3.6 Font Presentation #4

Fig 3.7 Font Presentation #5

Fig 3.8 Font Presentation (PDF)

Font Application

Fig 3.9 Font Application #1

Fig 3.10 Font Application #2

Fig 3.11 Font Application #3

Fig 3.12 Font Application #4

Fig 3.13 Font Application #5

Fig 3.14 Font Application (PDF)

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FEEDBACK

Week 9
Specific Feedback:The first idea of the Proposal is a good one. Can start designing

General Feedback:This week we started the design of Task3. We need to draw all the capital letters of the first version, and we will finish Task2 by the end of the week

Week 10
Specific Feedback:The Angle inside the letter needs to be shortened. You can continue.

General Feedback:This week requires us to complete the production of lowercase letters, punctuation marks and numbers

Week 11
Specific Feedback: Modify the height of exclamation marks, question marks, and brackets to be higher than the letters. The first set of brackets is thinner

General Feedback: Use software like Fontlab to import fonts and start creating font presentations

Week 12

General Feedback:This week is a public holiday and there is no physical class. We need to adjust the side bearings of letters and punctuation marks, complete five complete font demonstrations and application simulation works

Week 13
Specific Feedback:Font Presentation and Font Application are good

General Feedback: Please include links to your original posts of Task 1, 2 & 3 in your Final Compilation & Reflection (FC&R)

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REFLECTIONS

Experiences

After continuous learning in this semester, my design techniques and efficiency have been greatly improved, especially the complex process of making a complete set of fonts. I faced many challenges in the beginning, including how to find a balance between aesthetic and functional design principles. As I adjusted the details using FontLab and Adobe Illustrator, I gradually gained a deeper understanding of the design of the glyphs. For example, inconsistent kerning or irregular character strokes make me realize the importance of detail. Under guidance, I learned to combine creativity with structured design, which is essential for creating impactful designs.

Observations

I realized that typeface design is not only about creating visual beauty, but also about making sure that each character communicates effectively and consistently within the font system. While studying cases and using FontLab to optimize designs, I observed that keeping stroke weight and alignment consistent is critical to font design. In addition, by studying brand logos, I further understand the importance of brevity and clarity. For example, using Adobe Illustrator tools to adjust kerning or customize unique details makes a design easier to recognize and remember.

Findings

During this task, I realized that the adjustment of character spacing is important for font readability and overall visual balance. By using FontLab's kerning tool, I ensured that the spacing between each character was neither too tight nor too loose, thus enhancing the reading experience. At the same time, I found that the size design of special punctuation marks can not be ignored, such as the height of the parentheses need to be properly higher than the letters, in order to maintain a clear and coordinated presentation of the text. In addition, the overall readability of the font is also the focus of attention in the design. By adjusting the openness of the letter shape and the thickness of the stroke, I improved the clarity and recognition of the font in different sizes and use cases.

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FUTHER READING

Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

1. Formation of American Type Founders (ATF) (1892): ATF consolidated 23 type foundries to stabilize the U.S. type industry and improve business margins. It laid the foundation for modern U.S. type design (1900-1935).

2. Technological Advances :

• Lanston Monotype Machine Company introduced “Modern Condensed” in 1896.
• Ottmar Mergenthaler’s Blower Linotype revolutionized typesetting
• Berthold AG developed Akzidenz Grotesk (1898), which inspired later typefaces like Helvetica.

3. Eric Gill’s Contributions: English sculptor, artist, and designer known for typefaces like Gill Sans, Perpetua, and Joanna. His work emphasized geometric sans serif design, with Gill Sans achieving great popularity.

Twentieth Century

1. Early Innovations by ATF and Benton:

Century Expanded (1900): Created for better magazine readability.
Franklin Gothic (1905): A widely used sans serif.
Century Oldstyle (1906): A blend of Century and Old Style typeface traits.

2. Legibility Research:

Century Schoolbook (1915): Developed for improved reading comprehension, especially in children’s textbooks.

3. Goudy Oldstyle (1915): Frederic Goudy’s most popular serif typeface, followed by ATF’s first modern revival of Garamond (1917).

Mid-Twentieth Century Designers and Influencers

1. Warren Chappell: Known for Trajanus, Lydian, and Lydian Cursive.
2. Roger Excoffon: French designer of Mistral and Antique Olive.
3. Tony Stan: Created many typefaces for ITC, including ITC Garamond and ITC Century.
4. Freeman Craw: Designed notable American typefaces like Craw Modern.
5. Herb Lubalin: Revolutionized graphic design in the 1960s-70s, co-founded ITC, and designed more than 200 alphabets, including ITC Avant Garde Gothic.
6. Hermann Zapf: Renowned for Optima, Palatino, and Zapf Dingbats.
7. Aldo Novarese: Designed typefaces like Eurostile and ITC Symbol.

8. Aaron Burns: Founded ITC, promoting revival typefaces and fostering opportunities for new designers.

1. Warren Chappell : An American type designer known for creating Trajanus, Lydian, and Lydian Cursive. He studied under Rudolf Koch in Germany.
2. Roger Excoffon : A French type designer famous for Mistral and Antique Olive. His designs gained success mainly after being promoted by Compugraphic Corporation in the 1970s.
3. Tony Stan : A prolific New York-based designer, associated with ITC and Photo-Lettering. He contributed to ITC Garamond, ITC Century, and ITC Cheltenham.
4. Freeman (Jerry) Craw : Designed several metal and phototype faces, including Craw Clarendon and Ad Lib, while influencing printed material in the U.S.
5. Herb Lubalin : An influential graphic designer in the 1960s and 1970s who co-founded ITC and created famous typefaces like ITC Avant Garde Gothic.
6. Hermann Zapf : A legendary German designer known for Optima, Palatino, and Zapf Dingbats, and for his calligraphic mastery.
7. Aldo Novarese : An Italian designer who contributed Microgramma and Eurostile, along with other significant typefaces for display and text use.

8. Aaron Burns : Co-founder of ITC, influential for reviving historical designs and supporting modern type designers.

1920s Type Development :

Ed Benguiat : A prolific type designer responsible for over 600 typefaces, including ITC Souvenir and ITC Bookman. He has contributed to corporate and display typography.

Adrian Frutiger : A Swiss designer celebrated for Univers and Frutiger, both groundbreaking type families that are widely used in signage and corporate identity.

1927 : Kabel, a geometric sans serif, was released by Klingspor type foundry.
1928 : Gill Sans was introduced, combining classical serif proportions with modern sans serif designs.
1929 : Futura, a modern geometric sans serif by Paul Renner, became iconic.

1929 : Bembo and Memphis were released, representing revivals and the first slab-serif modern type designs.

1930s Type Development :

Metro (1930) : A humanist sans serif by William Addison Dwiggins, designed for advertising and newspaper use.
Times Roman (1932) : Developed for the *Times* newspaper under Stanley Morison's direction, later became one of the most famous serif typefaces.
DIN 1451 (1936) : A realist sans serif used for administrative purposes in Germany, reflecting industrial minimalism.

Caledonia (1938) : Released by Mergenthaler Linotype, showcasing traditional serif type in a modernized form.