Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Definitions 2

Definitions about Type

1. Absolute Measurement – measurements of fixed values; expressed in finite terms that cannot be altered

2. Relative Measurement – no prescribed or absolute size; it compares to something else in order to obtain a measurement

3. Point – unit of measurement used to measure the type size of a font; height of the type block (not the letter itself)

4. Pica – unit of measurement equal to 12 points that is commonly used for measuring lilnes of type

5. Em – relative unit of measurement used in typesetting to define basic spacing functions; linked to size of type. Increases and decreases correlating to the type size; also used for defining paragraph indents

6. En – unit of relative measurement equal to half of one em; it’s a type of dash (pgs 12-30)

7. Legibility – depends upon the ease with which the eye can identify letters, and distinguish them from one another; this can be relative since an isolated letter could be legible, but a grouping could be unreadable

8. Rag – occur when highly noticeable shapes form by the line ends of text blocks that distract from the reading; exaggerated slopes or noticeable inclines

9. Type Alignments – the arrangement of continuous lines of text - asymmetrical

a. Flush Left – type set to an even left margin, giving an uneven right margin

i. Pros – nearly eliminates margins, more readable, good with columns, word spacing stays constant

ii. Cons – seems informal, asymmetry disturbs balance

b. Flush Right – type set to an even right margin, giving uneven left margin, asymmetrical

i. Pros – good for small bodies of text, also good when left doesn’t work

ii. Cons – reduced readability

c. Centered – type set on a central axis, with even word spacing and ragged left and right margins

i. Pros – effective for single pages in formal context (title pages)

ii. Cons – reduced readability; absence of even left margin makes it hard for the eye to find the next line

d. Justified – space between the words is adjusted in each line, giving even margins both left and right

i. Pros – even margins give a neat rectangular text area

ii. Cons – space between words will vary from one line to the next, requires hyphenation, wide columns and large number of characters

10. Word Spacing – traditionally the spacing has been based upon a space equivalent to the body width of a lowercase i

a. Increases readability, greater continuity, and less interruption of the sentence

11. Rivers – river effect is created where white space gaps align through the text

12. Indent – text lines are moved from the margin by a specific amount; easy entry to a paragraph

13. Leading – the space between lines of text in a text block; increases readability

14. Kerning – automatic adjustments to the spacing of particular letter pairs; VA, Ta

15. Tracking – adjustments of overall space between letters rather than just two characters; creates an airy field

16. Weight – difference in the darkness of type images by width of lines; light, medium, heavy, bold, and black

17. Scale – increases in point size; more than 2 points

18. Typographic Variation – serves to clarify visually for the reader specific emphasis and prioritization

a. Typefaces, weights, sizes, bold, italic, small-cap fonts

19. Orphan – the final one or two lines of a paragraph separated from the main paragraph to form a new column; avoid at all costs

20. Widow – a lone word at the end of the paragraph

Vis Con - Reading 1

During the first part of the reading, which had to do with trademarks, all I could think about was the trademarks for Honda and Hyundai. They are so similar in size, shape, and color. The only real difference is the slant, and since these are mostly advertised on the actual car they represent, the fast moving vehicle is not really a good place to promote two extremely similar trademarks.

The next part was about communication. It mostly made me think of how technology really does use what they describe. The part about the graphics as a way of communicating ideas, values, and beliefs to the viewer really made me think about the business class I took in high school. We had to design a logo that when people saw it, they could easily identify the brand and what the meaning and philosophies behind the brand are.

The comic part...I didn't really enjoy it, nor did it make me think about anything more than X-Men.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Josef Muller Brockmann


Josef Muller Brockmann is a man defined by words such as mathematical, minimalist, clean, and even throw in Bauhaus and International Style. He was born on May 9, 1914 in Switzerland. He could be described as “highly modern”. He was the founder of the tri-lingual journal, “New Graphic Design.” This journal explores graphics by placement, design, type, theories, societies, and cultures.

His work in 1951 focused around concert posters that really defined his style. His way of designing these posters expressed his truly mathematical mind and emotional detachment from his subjects and projects.

The GRID. Brockmann created a grid that specifies itself with columns and rows. Gutters and margins are also key components on this grid. Designs can occupy one module or several modules. Variations are never ending.
I still reserve the right, at any time, to doubt the solutions furnished by the Modular, keeping intact my freedom, which must depend on my feelings rather than my reason.Brockmann
The quote above illustrates problems that many graphic designers have with using a grid. They find that it limits creativity, and does not allow for larger processes to be displayed on the project. But, as you see above, Brockmann even denies using the strict guidelines of his very own creation for every project. He understands the need to break the mold and not be mathematical.

He published several works, such as, The Graphic Artist and his Design Problems, A history of Visual Communication, A History of the Poster, and Grid Systems in Graphic Design”. He has also won many awards. He died in Zurich in 1996.

Jan Tschihold is...

Tschichold began his schooling the art of calligraphy and designing at the Leipzig Academy of Graphic Arts and Book Production. He was born in Germany in 1902 and died in 1974. He joined the Modernist movement after the 1923 exhibition of Bauhaus. He was arrested in 1933 by the Nazis for his ideas and media promotions. He was deemed a danger to the German people, which tells his followers something about how openly expressive he was with his ideas and how public he was with his art and type. Tschichold made many posters that express the avant-garde of New Typography. He is important for using serifless typefaces. These were important because they were revolutionary approaches to typography design. In 1946, Tschihold became the art director at Penguin Books.

The typefaces that Jan Tschihold is famous for are Transit, which he developed in 1931. Saskia which he worked on from 1931 to 1932. Zeus was also developed in 1931. His most recent typeface was produced in 1966/1997. It is called Sabon. The latter can be reproduced on both Monotype and Linotype systems.

Tschihold wrote a several books of his craft including The New Typography. It was first published in Germany in 1928. Many artists agree that this is the epitome of modern typography. This book includes Tschihold’s theories and guides the reader through different aspects of art including; architecture, art history, social criticisms, and even his take on photography as an art form. At the end of the book, Tschihold gives the reader guidelines to follow when using certain type groups and the size of the project or sheet.

A classic, and more traditional, typography book that Tschihold wrote is Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering. This book holds type and letters from the past and Tschohold’s own time. He selected by hand the one hundred and seventy letters and type. This book explores letters a

s an art form, and how that interpretation allows for good and bad design. Word spacing, line spacing, styles, groups of letters, and signs are looked at on a whole and individually within designs. It was first published in 1966.

Other works that Jan Tschihold contributed to or produced on his own include; The Form of the Book: Essays on the Morality of Good Design (Classic Typography Series), Asymmetric Typography, and Designing Books. Planning a Book. Atypographer’s Composition Rules. Fifty-Eight Examples by the Author. Of course, being an extremely influential artist and a corner stone in the twentieth century, other authors have jumped on the band wagon and written their own odes to this type master. Some document his famous posters while others, like Christopher Burk’s book, document Tschihold himself and his modernist take on typography.

The Tschihold grid was created, of course, by Jan Tschihold. It is a grid that uses a specific formula to create a layout that promotes proportion. It is supposed to help the designer to cre

ate clear compositions. It also allows for the gather of all design elements, such as graphics and texts. The Grid



Monday, August 24, 2009

Definitions Part 1

Define Grid - This can be defined as something that breaks up space into regular units; a regular system of coordinates

Why do designers use a grid? Benefits and functions?
- It helps designers organize the information they have. It increases uniformity throughout the page or design. The advantage of using a grid is that designers have a tested structure that they can input their information in. It's function is to help designers with a basic template.

Modular Grid - It's a grid that divides the whole into smaller parts called modules.

Define Margins - The area between live space and the outer edge of the design



Define Columns - A line of units following one after another
Define Grid Modules - smaller parts of a grid that hold information

Define Flow lines - Lines that go between symbols our characters
Define Gutter - The space between modules

Define Hierarchy - A system where individual objects or categories are ranked by importance or features

Ways to achieve clear hierarchy - Placement, weight or type size, scale, graphic elements

Define Type Family - A set of type faces that have the same design characteristics

Define Type Styles - Weights: regular, bold, italic - Widths: regular, condensed, extended