HW 8/26

Absolute Measurement: are measurements of fixed values. For example, a millimeter is a precisely defined increment of a centimeter. All absolute measurements are expressed in finite terms that cannot be altered.

Relative Measurements: type is defined by a series of relative measurements. Ems and ens for example are relative measurements that have no prescribed absolute size. their size is relative to the size of the type that is being set.

Point: The point is the unit of measurement used to measure the type size of a font, for example 7pt Impact. This measurement refers to the height of the type block, not the letter itself.

Pica: A Pica is a unit of measurement equal to 12 points that is commonly used for measuring lines of type. There are 6 picas or 72 points in an inch.

The Em: The Em and the relative unit of measurement is used in typesetting to define basic spacing functions, and therefore it is linked to the size of the type. It is a relative measurement in that if the type size increases, so does the size of the em.

The En: The en is a unit of relative measurement equal to half of one em. In a 72 point type, an en would be 36 points.

Legibility: Legibility is the ease with which the eye can identify letters and distinguish one from another. If the letters are easily read, they are illegible, and if they can be read, they are legible. Legibility can greatly vary and is not always as simple.

Rag: Rags occur when highly noticeable shapes form by the line ends of the text blocks that distract from simple, uninterrupted reading. Rags can include exaggerated slopes or noticeable inclines.

Type Alignments:
Flush Left: Type set to an even left margin, giving an uneven or ragged right margin. Good for asymmetry.

Flush Right: Type set to an even right margin, giving an uneven or ragged left margin. Good for setting small bodies of text,captions and so on within asymmetrical layouts.

Centered: Type set on an central axis, with even word spacing and ragged left and right margins. Good for single page layouts.

Justified: A space between the words is adjusted in each line giving even margins on both the left and right. Good for leaving a neat rectangular text area.

Rivers: Rivers typically occur in justified text blocks when the separation of words leaves gaps of white space in several lines. A river effect is created where the white space gaps align through the text.

Word Spacing Ideals: Word spacing, hyphenation and justification functions allows for greater control of word spacing in a text block by controlling the space between words.

Indent: Are a specific space away from the margin. The length of the indent can be related to the size of the type. Indentation provides the reader with an easily accessible entry point to a paragraph.

Leading: is a hot-metal printing term that refers to the strips of lead that were insereted between the text measures in order to space them accurately. Leading is specified in points and refers in modern terms to the space between the lines of text in a text block. Makes legibility better.

Kerning: Automatic adjustments to the spacing of particular letter pairs that would otherwise create disproportionate spaces.

Tracking: Adjusting the overall space between letters, rather than the space between two characters. Also known as letterspacing.

Weight: Typefaces customarily include a choice of weights, from the single bold variant common to most text faces to intermediate weights, such a book, medium, and demi; or extremes, such as black or ultra bold.

Scale: Content may be differentiated through the scale of type, by increases in pint size. A title or subtitle, an introductory paragraph, or pull quote may be differentiated from the main text by being set in a larger size.

Typographic Variation: is the process of clarifying visually for the reader specific kinds of emphasis and prioritization , and to establish consistent distinctions between different kinds of content.

Orphan: is the final one or two lines of a paragraph separated from the main paragraph to form a new column, and should be avoided at all costs.

Widow: a lone word at the end of a paragraph.

Josef Muller Brockmann is...

Joseph Muller Brockmann is a very talented swiss graphic designer along with being a teacher. He was born on May 9th of 1914 in Rapperswil, Switzerland. He attended both the University and Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich while studying architecture and the history of art. Brockmann was freelance photographer before opening his own design studio in Zurich. However, Brockmann is especially well know for grid systems, for which he used them extensively. His work showed large amounts of flexibility, and appeared crisp and clean when it came to typography. His large grids were naturally the cause of this. Brockmann traveled all over to teach his ways. He wrote books and truly shaped the world of design but especially typography. He was highly awarded with such achievements like the Brunel Award and the Gold Medal of the Canton of Zurich. Even after Brockmann died in Zurich, in 1996, his work changed the face of the graphics industry and influenced generations to come.

Jan Tschichold is...

Jan Tschichold is: one of the most influential typographers that has ever existed. He was born in 1902 out of Leipzig, Germany.He spent his life designing type faces, teaching, writing books, and pushing the art of Typography. Tschichold started teaching at the young age of 19, because he had such an understanding of his craft. But while he existed in his world he noticed the lack of consistent, quality typography. He then started to re-invent the barely known art of typography. Jan designed many type fonts that became classics, but after visting Weimar he was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus styles and from then on followed a very modernistic style himself. Contiuning with his modern outlook on typography, Jan took the print industry by strom. His book "The New Typography" spread like gospel, and is found to be an invaluable source of working principles for amateur and pro designer alike. He advocated the use of standardized paper sizes for all printed materials and items, and made some of the first clear explanations of the sensible use of different sizes and weights of type in order to quickly and easily convey lots of information.
He is well known for designing a "universal alphabet" which showed how much he highly detested the seriff. The entire alphabet was presented in one typeface, that was sans-serif without capital letters. Even after his prime years Jan continued to write books, teach and inspire the modern world of typography for years to come.

Ddddddefinitions

Definition TIME!

Grid: The grid is a modernist structure and uses numbers (preferred by the likes of Bauhaus) to identify the different cuts.

Designers use grid to eliminate the confusion caused by different naming systems such as thin, black, heavy and so on. It makes type selection easier and simpler.

Modular Grid: A Modular grid has an equal amount of columns and rows. Each modular can hold type or a graphic. The type or graphic can occupy more than one modular, therefore creating infinite possibilities.

Margins: The blank space surrounding the text borders of the page.

Columns: Vertical arrangements on a page of horizontal lines of type and are usually typographically justified, size is dependent on modules.

Grid Modules: are considered to be standardized units or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement.

Flowlines: The invisible lines that the viewer follows when scanning the text or layout.

Gutter: The space inbetween the pages of a book where it is bound, and also the extra space inbetween modules.

Heirarchy: Bringing attention the most important items of page by utilizing size, color, shape or scale.

Type Family: A number of separate fonts seen as distinct but related. As a general but not universal rule, those variants that share a common width and proportion are seen as a part of the same face, whereas trelated forms of differing width are more likely to be described as different faces within the same type family.

Type Style: Are the different styles of type that can be used that come from different type families.

ugh, that took FOREVER

FIrst Typography Junkit

Typography, typography, typography...... It actually really interesting, at least I kinda think so. This will probably go up and down throughout the semester but what doesn't? Anyway, this, if you could tell by now, is my Typography ONLY blog. All my homework, random rants, and work will be posted on here, whether I like it or not....