gwhitman type compendium

8/13/2019 Gwhitman Type Compendium

1/20

WG


2/20

Individual letter forms have unique

parts which have changed in visual form

over the centuries. A nomenclature

helps identify major elements of their

construction. The evolution of lettering

styles over time is a result of optical

adjustments to the basic components by

type designers over the ages.

Anatomy of type

Alligatorcapline

meanline

baseline

beardline

Hairline

bowl

swash

terminal

serif

Fillet

crossbar

Apex

stem

jot

loop

Decender

bowl

x-height

ear

link

crossbar

spur


3/20

Overlap to discover the remarkable range

that exists between historic families of

type even though they have the same point

size. What does this mean for the designer?

When it comes to mixing families of type

what can be done and what cannot be

done? What are the only 2 anatomical

attributes that all families share?

Overlap

AlligatorAlligatorAlligator

Alligator


4/20

Which is more legible when covered, the

bottom half of the word or the top half of

the word? When the bottom half of the

word is covered it is more legible.

Legibility word

How much of the letterform can you

remove and still read the word? What do

you become aware of?

Legibility letter

Alligator

Alligator

Alligator


5/20

Anatomy Cropping

In this project i learned more about cropping

letters, and creating legibility with positive

and negative values. The project helped

determine how far you can push a letter

before it becomes unlegable/ legible.


6/20

Every letter has a personality you can

identify. Fragmentation is not the goal in and

of itself. Everything is adjustable and its a

case-by case decision of how far to go.

The form you seek is one that to be able

to read the word. So this determines the

degree of fracture. Its the part(letterform)

towhole (word). Both must be juggled to

value. You cant use the same element

over and over just because it worked in

one place. Every example should change

somewhat. Because range is a persistent

goal of design, you want to invent in each

example. Expect some noble necessary

part of any assignment.

Typographic kinetics


7/20

Fundamental to all typographic design is the

interplay between letterform and background.

An awareness of this inter-relationship

of form and counterform is essential in

typographic design. Every letterform

defines a particular counterform. Formand counterform are reciprocal values and

completely interdependent and integral to a

letters completeness as a design.

The counterform is not just whats left over

in the background. The counter form is a

new entity that emerges through interaction

with the form. Typically these counterforms

are either geometric or organic in quality

depending on the structure or style of the

letter. In the counterforms of letters there

exists a fascinating world of form waiting to

be explored by the designer.

Form/ Counterform

Single letter_form and counterform Two letters_form and counterform

B S3

P4 R R

0Y Z6C EA FA

P

D

4

Y8

M


8/20

Wordplay

Wordplay refers to creating typographic

equivalents for words.

In this exercise, we used contrasting

words and one typeface. Using simple

changes in spacing, sizing and placement

of letters on a page, the work not

only conveys the words meaning but

expresses it as well.


9/20

While upper and lower case letters are

distinct in structure, they all are built by

combining 4 strokes; vertical, horizontal,

slanted, and curvilinear. These elementary

strokes form the foundation, a visual

code that is recognizable through our

long experience with reading and writing

regardless of style. Therefore, letter

forms derive their visual character from

combinations of these basic strokes and

not from being light or bold, wide or

narrow, Roman or italic, sans serif or serif.

An entire alphabet can be categorized

using only six basic underlying visual

combinations of strokes as the example

illustrates.

The Structure of Letters

stroke categories UC LC

E F H L T I r t i

K N Y k

V W X v w x y

A Z z

B D J P R U a b d g h j

m n p q u

C G O Q S c e f o s u


10/20

Using the initials of your designer, impose

the letterforms in a typographic study

that interprets a relationship to the

form of the chair they designed. The goal

is to discover relationships via form anddivision of space. Then using the designers

name, the name of the chair and the date

of its manufacture or materials used to

create the chair, impose the words in a

typographic study that demonstrates

relationships to the chair.

Typographic Page

size+width

case+ size


11/20

weight + face

M

M

weight + width

M M


12/20

size + weight

MM

Case+width+facev Mm


13/20

case+slant+weight+value

size+case+weight


14/20

size+weight

size+width


15/20

size + weight + case+ width

size + slant + case


16/20

size+width

size+tonality(value)


17/20

weight+case+color

vslant+size


18/20

Brief description of the project presented

on this page. Brief description of the

project presented on this page. Brief

description of the project presented on

this page. Brief description of the project

presented on this page. Brief description of

the project presented on this page.

Muti-pageTypographic Layout and the Grid

In 2004 Minale created the chair to replicate Ger-rit T. Rietvelds Red and Blue Chair (1918). The

intention was to use simple objects to recreate thechair, to not show how simple Rietvelds chairs de-signs were, but to show the beauty of the structureand to how devleop with a modern medium.

the chair now goes for$33,000 and is handmade by minale himself.

Alongside the chair,Minale also creates otherfurniture and piees ofart using simply legos,such as tables, and smallcounters.

Minale graduated from theDesign Academy in Eindhoven,Noord Brabantin, 2004 withhis masters and has worked

with renowned companies suchas Droog and Skitsch. He now

works along side Kuniko Maedadesigning unique pices and pre-senting them in galleries aroundthe world.

Type generally falls into two primary

categories; informational and or

expressive. Its not uncommon to have

a strategy for both present in layouts.

Informational text is more common and

the form responds to long traditionsand conventions of size, spacing and

established habits of organization on the

page. In a book or website it is information

design that takes the lead. On a poster or

motion graphics expression could lead.

The ratio is determined by the designer

and the needs of the communication. An

emphasis or hierarchy must be clear and

decisive so the roles each plays in the

communication are clear. In design things

are not equal

In 2004 Minale created the chair to replicate Gerrit T. Rietvelds Red and Blue Chair(1918). The intention was to use simple objects to recreate the chair, to not show howsimple Rietvelds chairs designs were, but to show the beauty of the structure and to howdevleop with a modern medium.

the chair now goes for $33,000 and is hand made by minalehimself. Alongside the chair, Minale also creates other furnitureand piees of art using simply legos, such as tables, and smallcounters.

2004


19/20

In 2004 Minale created the chair to replicateGerrit T. Rietvelds Red and Blue Chair (1918). Theintention was to use simple objects to recreate the chair,to not show how simple Rietvelds chairs designs were,but to show the beauty of the structure and to howdevleop with a modern medium.

the chairnow goes for$33,000 and is

hand made byminale himself.Alongside thechair, Minalealso createsother furnitureand piees ofart using simplylegos, such astables, and smallcounters.

MinalegraduatedfromtheDesignAcademyinEind-hoven,NoordBrabantin,2004withhismastersandhasworkedwithrenownedcompaniessuchasDroogandSkitsch.HenowworksalongsideKunikoMaedadesigninguniquepicesandpresentingthemingalleriesaroundtheworld.


20/20

!End

gwhitman type compendium

Documents