distressed conspiracies

Distressed typography has a specific time and place, I found the book, Conspiracy Encyclopedia, on my friend's bookshelf, the cover is pictured above and while it's fitting for the topic of the book, I'm not too crazy about the layout of the type & spacing etc. I am interested, however, in what the motive is behind using a purposefully distressed typeface for the title of a book that discusses secret societies, assassination plots and cover-ups. I think a distressed, grungy look is perfect for a book of this topic. The subjects are by no means clean cut, elegant or solid therefore the typefaces used to illustrate them should not be either. If anyone wants to look into it further> Conspiracy Encyclopedia on Amazon.com

a "peace" of urban typography

I came across this photograph of what I think might be classified as urban typography, while I'm not sure where this photo was taken, I don't want to stereotype this kind of typography, but to me, this feels like someone's kind reminder to all passer-bys on a city street. The message of "TEACH PEACE." is clearly written, with nice contrast on the side of a brick wall, and while the stencil-like letters are common and very generic and not the least bit expressive, except for the A that looks like an upside down V and the extended bars of the E. On the other hand, maybe the irony of the message & typography is that peace should be a common thing in our society. No matter its size, I find that this message really makes an impact. I like that the words are stacked closely together and that there is a period at the end of the statement, I think just adding punctuation aids in creating a bolder statement.

photograph: TEACH PEACE.

Type & Culture: An Analysis of Typography

In our present day society, typography is a valuable tool that serves humankind by aiding in the world’s essential and daily communication. All type has been, and will undoubtedly be created with a goal in mind. As our modern world evolves and changes, letters and forms follow. While many typefaces created centuries ago will remain fully functional and commonly used, the need for new typefaces with traits for specialized uses will arise eventually. Consequently the spectrum and goals of typography are continually changing. A look into the goals and cultural circumstances behind the creation of a few typefaces will aid in the understanding of the importance of designing new typefaces to keep up with a fast-paced society.

In 1976, a typeface design was commissioned by AT&T to be used exclusively for telephone directories. After careful attention to detail and adherence to strict guidelines, the letterforms and even the name, Bell Centennial, reflect this intent. Bell Centennial designer, Matthew Carter, provided AT&T with a well-thought-out, open form, condensed sans-serif typeface that is economical, legible at very small sizes and useful in poor production conditions. The creation of Bell Centennial was triggered by new digital technology in printing. As a result, the phone book’s production methods greatly affected the design of Bell Centennial. The very specific guidelines followed by Carter while creating this new phonebook typeface were essential to solving the many technical and visual problems associated with the typeface used at the time, Bell Gothic, whose strokes and forms could not hold up to the new printing technologies of the time.
Carter’s incorporation of notches, or ink traps, (see image to the left) into the letterforms was a very unique creation that was used to solve production problems. These were placed at the corners of the letterforms to compensate for the low quality printing conditions and spread of ink on the surface when printing small letterforms. Additionally, in recognizing the crucial role of numbers in this typeface, Carter gave extra attention to the numerical forms to create a clear distinction between all numbers. The culmination of these unique details was a typeface that was a key element in the success of the phone book.

Also designed by Carter, a typeface with significant typographic personality, Georgia, was created for use as an on-screen typeface. The successful type is welcoming and friendly, even at a small point size. The goal of the Georgia typeface was to create simplicity and clarity in an on-screen, serif typeface. Carter designed Georgia in 1996 with web-ready letterforms similar to Times New Roman, a typeface intended for use in a printed newspaper. While it is very similar, with the exception of some spacing and x-height differences, Georgia is said to evoke a feeling of intimacy that has been stripped from Times New Roman. In order to create a web-friendly typeface design, the weight of the forms have been carefully designed, (see image to the right) especially when considering the difference between the italic, regular and bold styles on screen. Georgia is a versatile typeface that can be used in text-heavy printed material and even more importantly today, as a primary choice serif typeface for web design. With the heightened use of the Internet as social interaction and visual communication tools today, the typeface design of Georgia has proved its successfulness as a legible and practical typeface in text-heavy web sites, such as blog and news sites.

Interstate is a sans-serif typeface whose design, vast array of uses, and name is reflective of our fast-paced modern society. From 1993 to 1999, designers, Tobias Frere-Jones and Cyrus Highsmith, created a typeface family which consists of over 30 styles; compressed, regular, hairline and ultra black to name a few, which allows for increased flexibility and use within the same family (see image to the left). It is clean, simple, easily, and quickly read to outfit the billions of people in our society who live that fast-paced life. The name Interstate comes after the design’s inspiration of the fonts created for use by the United States Federal Highway Administration in 1949. Needless to say, the origin of inspiration gives Interstate the advantage of being a great signage typeface. However, refinements of letterforms also make it suitable for a variety of different uses such as newspapers, magazines, other printed materials and online uses. Designs that are easily and quickly accessible in more than one medium are sought after in today’s society. This typeface’s characteristics and premium selection for typographic solutions is reminiscent of our culture and the population’s never-ending endeavor for an “express-lane” world that caters directly to them in all ways imaginable - even through typography.

The typeface designs of Bell Centennial, Georgia, and Interstate are prime examples of how changes in our culture and population determine changes in typography. With the creation of letterforms that follow the evolving population's needs and desires, typography plays an important part in adapting to a continuous and functional way of communication during times of great cultural evolution.

Bibliography:

Kinross, Robin. Modern Typography: An Essay In Critical History. London: Hyphen Press, 2004.

Microsoft. Georgia. www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/family.aspx?FID=4.

Monotype Imaging. Foundry Profiles: Interstate. www.monotypefonts.com/Foundry/FoundryProfiles.asp?show=fontbureau&style=Interstate.

My Fonts. Bell Centennial. http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/bell-centennial/.

Smeijers, Fred. Type Now. London: Hyphen Press, 2003.

Sherman, Nick. Bell Centennial, Form & Function.www.nicksherman.com/articles/bellCentennial.html.

Urban Fonts. Six Typefaces Designed by Matthew Carter. www.urbanfonts.com/blog/six-typefaces-designed-by-matthew-carter/.

Photo Resources & Descriptions, in order:

Typography Collage- http://tdc.org/tdc/tdc2-2009-winners.

Bell Centennial "ink traps"- www.nicksherman.com/articles/bellCentennial.html.

Georgia Family Examples-www.fontmarketplace.com.

Interstate Family Examples- http://www.ascenderfonts.com.