What type say you

"Fonts are only partial products designed by type designers, incomplete until applied by a typographer (which also explains the difference between type design and typography)"

In an article titled fonts in use posted on the typotheque website,the author comments how fonts are not complete until applied in design. The use of a font can complete and compliment the essence of a work. kinda made me reconsider how a type needs to be chosen. It was interesting to me to think about the type, does it completes the design, does the design complete the type, or is it that balance. What I did below is take my name and applied a type to it which I feel works really well and gives off the appeal I was going for. Does it complete the type? Although there are endless situations where this font is applicable, does the design complete the font. What truth is there to these statements? Is it possible for the type to be incomplete until working? What do you think?

the article concludes
"you, the users of our fonts, make our work complete."

http://www.typotheque.com/site/fonts_in_use.php

evil type?

At least in Germany black letter typefaces (or gothic, whatever you might call them) are pretty much spoiled for contemporary design by the Nazis. Everybody generally links them to their propaganda before and during WWII. Of course we know the fonts existed and were popular long before the Nazis in almost every country. Some even know that the Nazis banned them as “jewish fonts” in 1941. But still, using theses fonts in our days might give the beholder or even ourselves a bad feeling. Consequently, neo-Nazis today use and abuse them to indicate their attitude and thus keep up the public’s perception of them as Nazi-related. Nevertheless, some designers try to bring the black letter back and try to get rid of its sinister connotation. Others depreciate it completely as historically corrupted.



- Do black letters still have these connotations in your perception?
- Are you aware that the perception in other countries or educational levels may differ?
- Do you think they will loose these connotations some day?
- Is there a way we can use these fonts today avoiding these connotations?
- What can designers do to restore the image of black letters little by little?

- Do you care?

Combining Type

I have to admit that I have a fear of combining typefaces. It’s not that I haven’t paid attention in Type 1 & 2, but I am not completely confident in my ability. I view typography as one of those fields that you can never know too much about. Sometimes, it feels like I have spent as much time researching and selecting the type as it took me to complete the entire project.

In an article titled My Type Design Philosophy, author Martin Majoor states, “As a book designer I made several complex books where more than one typeface had to be used in order to clarify things in the text. It was mostly quite useful to take a sans and a serif typeface, but the problem was always which ones to choose. Mixing Times New Roman and Helvetica in the same piece of text has often been done simply because these fonts were available everywhere. It is not even the worst possible combination one can think of. Using sans serifs like News Gothic, Gill Sans or Futura as text type is very acceptable, but with which seriffed faces should they be mixed? Numerous combinations have been used without any idea of style or knowledge of history. From an aesthetic point of view some combinations produce a severe headache (Garamond with Univers, Bodoni with Gill Sans). It is only in advertising, where a headache can be useful, that these combinations are possible. It became clear to me that the best solution for text was to use a combination of a serif and a sans that derive directly from each other. The only remaining question was which combination of serif and sans could meet this criterium?”

How do you feel about his philosophy?
Do you take type this seriously in your designs?

You can read the rest of the article at
http://www.typotheque.com/articles/my_type_design_philosophy/

To Sans Or Not Sans...

Serifs or Sans Serifs? We have all learned when to use certain fonts. How to use them, and most importantly where. As I take look around in magazines, logos, Kendall College of Art and Design, it seems like more designer are using sans serif fonts. Why are do you think they are doing this. It just a trend? Dose it look better that serifs. Does it look better for the time? Are serifs old fashion and maybe out of date. 100 years ago you would be lucky to find any san serif on a storefront. Look closely at your own work do you use more sans serif or more serif fonts. Do think one looks better than the other? Or maybe I’m full of shit and nothing has changed?

detroit tigers

in it to win it. go tigs!


original image provided by tammy gath

Do we all have to be font dorks?

I found this article on The Onion website, depending on how nerdy you are, you might find it funny. Here's part of it...

Now, on to our next letter: Dear Font Dork,
How many of the letters you print do you actually write yourself? And if it is actually less than 100 percent, then what kind of loser needs advice on fonts?
Not Falling For It In Falls Church

Well, Falls Church, those are some pretty big accusations. But first, let me say that the tracking and leading of your letter were off by a country mile. I'll also point out that the Bodoni you used, with a cap height of a mere 11 points, is probably the most inexpressive font around. And if that weren't enough, demi weight moderns have been out of style since the early '80s! Maybe if you spent less time mocking what you obviously don't understand, and a little more time trying to comprehend the subtle science of font usage, your letter wouldn't look like it had been typed by a chimpanzee!
The rest is here -http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33780

This article made me laugh a little bit, but it also made me cry a little bit when I realized that the writer of this fictional comedy newspaper article knows more about type than I do, and I'm supposed to be a graphic designer. As a student of design, I feel most self-concious about the typefaces that I choose because most of the time I don't have an explanation for why a chose a particular typeface. Anyway, I'm just curious about how much consideration you put in to your type choices.
Are you aware of any connotations your choices might have to a more educated viewer?
How much time do you spend choosing a typeface?
Why Caslon instead of Garamond?
Are you like me and rotate between Helvetica, Futura, and Garamond on every project no mater what it is?

How do you take your news?

Go here, and read this entire article. I will post bits and pieces here, but it would make more sense if you read the whole thing.

http://www.fontshop.com/virtual/FSSF/features/fontmag/002/02_news/

here is a bit...
"Newspaper typography presents a microcosm of the state of the medium. Recently designed typefaces like Gulliver—which is used in USA Today—and Times Classic—which began appearing in the London Times in 2001—both have the conservative traits of a classic newspaper typeface. Yet behind their traditional appearance, both typefaces carry a number of subtle innovations driven by distinctly 21st century demands. Gulliver was developed by Dutch type designer Gerard Unger as an “ecological” typeface to enable publishers to save paper by offering high legibility in smaller point sizes. To newspaper publishers, its more attractive aspect was that it provided a means of switching to narrower page widths without losing significant amounts of text—thus saving paper and money.

The online newspaper, despite the seemingly limitless possibilities of type on the Internet, slavishly apes the appearance of its printed sibling. The welcome screen of most newspaper sites is simply a flat copy of the front page. Gray blames the lack of innovation online on “fear and laziness.” He adds, “It’s what the people in charge of the newspapers are used to.”

Okay, so here are a few things for you to think about.
A.) Do you think that newspapers are still important?
B.) If they are, do you think they need to change typography to keep readers interested?
C.) What could newspapers and their web sites do to gain more readers?
D.) Does anyone really care about this?