Typography // Task 1 : Exercise 1 & 2

 22/4/2024 - 28/5/2024 / Week 1 - Week 5

Lo Yi En / 0355192

Typography / Bachelor of Mass Communications

Task 1 : Exercise 1 & 2

---

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Instruction

2. Lecture

3. Task 1

3. Feedback

4. Reflection

5. Further Reading

---

INSTRUCTION

---

LECTURER

Week 1 - Lecturer

For the first week of the class, we had some basic introduction of  Typography and how to open a blog for every courses that need to use. 

Typography : Development and Timeline

1.Early letterform development : Phoenician to Roman 

The video Mr. Vinod posted for this week was the topic of  typographic development .

fig. 1.1 ; Phoenician to Roman

fig. 1.2 ; Evolution from Phoenician Letter

Writing Direction : 

The Phoenicians wrote from right to left, while the Greeks introduced a style called 'boustrophedon,' where the lines of text alternated between right-to-left and left-to-right reading directions, also changing the orientation of the letterforms.

fig. 1.3 ; Direction of writing for the Greeks,"boustrophedon"

2.Hand script from 3rd - 10th century C.E.

fig. 1.4 ; Square capitals

Square capitals : Written letterforms found in Roman monuments. These letters have little extra lines at the ends of the main lines.

fig. 1.5 ; Rustic capitals

Rustic capitals : A condensed form of square capitals, enabled fitting twice as many words on parchment and were quicker to write, held at a 30° angle. Though faster, their compressed style made them a bit harder to read.

fig. 1.6 ; Roman cursive

Roman Cursive : Square and rustic capitals were used for official documents, while everyday writing was in cursive, simpler for speed. This marked the start of lowercase letters.

fig. 1.7; Unicals

Unicals: Uncials adopted features from Roman cursive, like the shape of certain letters. Some believe 'uncial' refers to letters one inch tall, while others see them simply as small letters. Their broad forms are easier to read at small sizes compared to rustic capitals.

fig. 1.8; Half-unicals

Half-unicals: Half-uncials formalized cursive writing with ascenders and descenders, marking the start of lowercase letters, 2000 years after the Phoenician alphabet.

fig. 1.9; Caloline minuscule

Charlemagne: Europe's first unifier after the Romans, ordered in 789 to standardize church texts. Alcuin of York, Abbot of St. Martin of Tours, led the effort. Monks revised the texts, using both uppercase and lowercase letters, capitalization, and punctuation, establishing calligraphy norms for a century.

Blackletter to Gytenberg's type

fig. 1.10; Blackletter (Textura)

After Charlemagne's empire broke apart, regional variations of Alcuin's script emerged. In northern Europe, Blackletter or textura, a condensed, vertical style, became popular. In the south, a rounder, more open hand called 'rotunda' gained favor. Italy's humanistic script was inspired by Alcuin's minuscule.

3. Text Type classification

Some example of text type classification:

fig. 1.11; Text type classification

Week 2 - Lecturer

Typography : Text

1. Kerning and Letterspacing

Kerning refers to the automatic of space between letters. Letterspacing means to add space between the letters. The addition and removal of space in a word or sentences is referred to as tracking.

fig. 2.1 Kerning and Letterspacing

fig. 2.2 Normal tracking, Loose tracking and tight tracking

2. Formatting Text

fig. 2.3 Flush Left

Flush Left : Usually means aligning text so that it lines up evenly on one side, like the left or right edge of a page. Each line starts at the same point but ends wherever the last word on the line ends. Spaces between words are consistent throughout the text, allowing the type to create an even gray value. 

fig. 2.4 Centered

Centered : This style makes the text look balanced, with both sides of each line having the same importance. It turns text into shapes, making it seem like pictures even though it's just words. When text is centered, it's crucial to adjust where lines end so it doesn't look uneven and messy.

fig. 2.5 Flush Right

Flush Right : This style focuses more on the end of a line than the beginning. It's handy in situations, like captions, where it's not clear how the text and picture relate without a clear direction towards the right side.

fig. 2.6 Justified

Justified : Similar to centering, this style creates a balanced shape for the text. It's done by making the gaps between words and letters bigger or smaller. Sometimes, this makes lines have more space in them, which can create lines of white space running down the text. To fix this, it's important to pay attention to where lines end and how words are split whenever you can.

3. Texture

fig. 2.7 Example of text texture

fig. 2.8 Different Typeface, Different Grey Value

4. Leading and Line Length

Type size : Text type should be large enough to be read easily at arms length. ( between 8-12 characters )

fig. 2.9 Leading and Line Length

Leading: Text that is set too loosely creates striped patterns that distract the reader from the material at hand. ( between 2.5-3 characters )

Line Length: Shorter lines require less leading; longer lines more. A good rule of thumb is to keep line length between 55-65 characters.

5. Type Specimen Book

A type specimen book shows samples of typefaces in various different sizes. Its to provide an accurate reference for type, type size, type leading, type line length, etc.

fig. 2.10 Example of Type Specimen Book

Week 3 - Lecturer

Typography : Text - Part 2

6. Indicating Paragraphs

Pilcrow (¶): A holdover from medieval manuscripts seldom use today.

fig. 3.1 Pilcrow

Line space (leading*): Between the paragraphs. If the line space is 12pt, then the paragraph space is 12pt. This ensures cross-alignment across columns of text.

fig. 3.2 Line Space

fig. 3.3 Line Space vs Leading

Standard indentation: The indent is the same size of the line spacing or the same as the point size of the text.

fig. 3.4 Standard Indentation

External indentation: It create unusually wide columns of text. Despite these problems, there can be strong compositional or functional reasons for choosing it.

fig. 3.5 External Indentation

7. Window and Orphans

Widow: Short line of type left alone at the end of a column of text. 

Orphan: Short line of type left alone at the start of a new column.

fig. 3.6 Window and Orphans

8. Highlighting Text

These are some examples of how to highlight text within a column of text. Different kind of emphasis required different  kinds of contrast.

fig. 3.7 Sample 1

fig. 3.8 Sample 2

fig. 3.9 Sample 3

fig. 3.10 Sample 5

Quotation marks, like bullets, can create a clear indent, breaking the left reading axis. Compare the indented quote at the top with the extended quote at the bottom.

fig. 3.11 Highlighting Text With Quotation Marks

9. Headline within the text

A head indicates a clear break between the topics within a section. 

fig. 3.12 A head 1

fig. 3.13 A head 2

The B head here is subordinate to A heads. B heads indicate a new supporting argument or example for the topic at hand. As such they should not interrupt the text as strongly as A heads do. Here the B heads are shown in small caps, italic, bold serif, and bold san serif.

fig. 3.14 B head 1

fig. 3.15 B head 2

C heads highlight specific facets of material within B head text. They don't interrupt the flow of reading.  C heads in this configuration are followed by at least an em space for visual separation.

fig. 3.16 C head 1

fig. 3.17 C head 2

10. Cross Alignment

Cross aligning headlines and captions with text type reinforces the architectural sense of the page—the structure—while articulating the complimentary vertical rhythms.

fig. 3.18 Cross Alignment 1

fig. 3.18 Cross Alignment 2

Week 4 - Lecturer

Typography : Basic

1. Describing Letterform

fig. 4.1 Describing Letterform - PDF

2. The font

Uppercase : Capital letters, including certain accented vowels, the cedilla and n tilde and the a/e and o/e ligatures.

Lowercase : include the same characters as uppercase.

Small Capitals : Uppercase letterforms draw to the x-height of the typeface. Small caps are primarity found in serif fonts as part of what is often called expert set

fig. 4.2 Small Capital

3. Punctuation, miscellaneous characters

Although all fonts contain standard punctuation marks, miscellaneous characters can change from typeface. It's important to be acquainted with all the characters available in a typeface before you choose the appropriate type for a particular job.

fig. 4.3 Punctuation, miscellaneous characters

4. Ornaments

Used as flourishes in invitations or certificates. They usually are provided as a font in a larger typeface family. Only a few traditional or classical typefaces contain ornamental fonts as part of the entire typeface family.

fig. 4.4 Ornaments

4. Describing Typefaces

Roman: Uppercase forms are derived from inscriptions of Roman monuments. A slightly lighter stroke in roman is known as ‘Book’.

Italic: Named for 15th century Italian handwriting on which the forms are based. Oblique conversely is based on the roman form of typeface.

Boldface: Characterized by a thicker stroke than a roman form. It can also be called ‘semibold’, ‘medium’, ‘black’, ‘extra bold’, or super.

Light: A lighter stroke than the roman form. Even lighter strokes are called ‘thin’.

Condense: A version of the roman form, and extremely condense styles are often called ‘compressed’.  

Extended: An extended variation of a roman font.

fig. 4.5 Describing Typefaces

fig. 4.6 9 typefaces for this semester

5. Comparing Typefaces

Differences in x-height, line weight, forms, stroke widths and in feeling. Feelings connote specific use and expression. Examining typefaces allows us to know how we feel about certain types, and also see the appropriateness in type choices.

fig. 4.7 Comparing Typfaces

Week 5 - Lecturer

Typography : Letters 

1. Understanding Letterform

The uppercase letterforms suggest symmetry, but it is not symmetrical. Two different stroke weights of the Baskerville stroke form; more noteworthy is the fact that each bracket connecting the serif to the stem has a unique arc.

fig. 5.1 Baskerville "A"

The uppercase letterforms may appear symmetrical, but a close examination shows that the width of the left slope is thinner than the right stroke. Both Baskerville and Univers demonstrate the meticulous care a type designer takes to create letterforms that are both internally harmonious and individually expressive.

fig. 5.2 Univers "A"

The complexity of each individual letterform is neatly demonstrated by examining the lowercase ‘a’ of two seemingly similar sans-serif typefaces—Helvetica and Univers. A comparison of how the stems of the letterforms finish and how the bowls meet the stems quickly reveals the palpable difference in character between the two.

fig. 5.3 Helvetica & Univers

2. Maintaining x-height

X-height generally describes the size of the lowercase letterforms. Curved strokes, such as in ‘s’, must rise above the median (or sink below the baseline) in order to appear to be the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they adjoin.

fig. 5.4 lowercase maintaining x-height

3. Form and Counterform (Counter)

The space describes, and often contained, by the strokes of the form. When letters are joined to form words, the counterform includes the spaces between them. Counterform has the same importance as the letterforms as it helps to recognize the shape of the letters and assure the readability of the words. 

fig. 5.4 Form and Counterform

We could examine the counterform of letters by enlarging each letter and analysing them. It could give us a glimpse into the process of letter-making.

fig. 5.5 Helvetica Black and Baskerville

4. Contrast

The design principle of Contrast is also applied in typography. The simple contrasts produce numerous variations: small+organic / large+machines; small+dark / large+light, etc.

fig. 5.6 Contrast

---

TASK 1

Exercise 1 : Type Expression

For the first week exercises, we were asked to choose four out of six words from the voting result , then we are required to express the four words typographically , the four words that I choose are:

- FLY

- SLEEP

- SMILE

- JUMP

Basically, we are not allowed using graphical elements to express our words, we are limited to only 10 typefaces which are Adobe Caslon Pro, Bembo, Bodoni, Futura, Gill Sans, Garamond, New Baskerville, Janson, Serifa and Univers. We had to identify the appropriate typeface before sketching ideas out for each word and digitize the artwork in illustrator.

1. My Sketch

fig. 1.1; Word SLEEP Sketch

fig. 1.2; Word FLY Sketch

fig. 1.3; Word JUMP Sketch

fig. 1.4; Word SMILE Sketch

These are my rough sketches drawn in Procreate. Under each sketch, I included a few notes on variation in the weight of the typeface details.

After getting the feedback from Mr.Max, I redo the FLY from my first outcome which he not accepted because that's all include graphic elements. After that , Mr.Max advise me go for the bottom right one.

fig. 1.5; Word FLY Sketch Redo

2. Digitalization

After choosing which sketch can proceed , I started digitalization all my work in Adobe Illustrator.

fig. 1.6; "Smile" digitalisation progress

For sketch #4 "Smile" , font that I used  is Futura Std Bold Condensed . I made all the letters uppercase, but when I started digitalise in Adobe Illustrator , I noticed that if all the letters were uppercase ,the smiley face in the middle doesn't obvious, so I changed all the letters to lowercase and then bent the lowercase l to make a smile, and then tweaked the i some more.

For sketch #6 "Smile" , font that I used  is Univers Lt Std 59 Ultra Condensed . I start by drawing a semi-circular path so that my lettering can be bent as a whole, I didn't use the bend font feature directly because it didn't come out well, the lettering would be bent completely. Then I lengthen the tail of the e to make a smiley face.

fig. 1.7; "Jump" digitalisation progress

For sketch #1 "Jump", font that I used is Univers Lt Std 75 Black , I try to make U and P to have a sense of jumping, I'll just pull them up high and put jumping shadows and another shadow on the ground to give the impression of jumping up in place.

For sketch #3 "Jump" , font that I used is also Univers Lt Std 75 Black , I enlarged each letter and put them in different corners, then added the radial blur effect , to give the feeling like jumping out of the screen.

fig. 1.8; "Sleep" digitalisation progress

For sketch #1 "Sleep" , font that I used is Gill Sans Bold, I lengthened the letter L as it were a bed, and then I make the rest of the letters down in order, and then I lowered the opacity to make it feel like I was lying down to sleep.

For sketch #4 "Sleep" , font that I used is Gill Sans Light , I put one of E's on top like a pillow, and the other one on the bottom, and then modified the center to make a bed frame.

fig. 1.9; "Fly" digitalisation progress

For sketch #4 "Fly" , font that I used is ITC New Baskerville Std. I pulled the Y apart, stretched it out, and then tilted the angle, trying to feel like I was being pulled away from the flying.

Final Type Expressions

fig. 1.10; Final type expressions - JPEG

fig. 1.11; Final type expressions - PDF

3. Animation

We have to choose one from the four final type expressions to make an animated type expression. Mr.Max suggest me chose the second version word JUMP for the animation. Before we start to do the animation, we have to watch the animation tutorial video made by Mr Vinod. In the video, Mr Vinod demonstrated how to make an animation step by step using Illustrator and frame animation in Photoshop. 

Firstly, I draw each animation scene in Adobe Illustrator .

fig. 1.12; "JUMP" Animation progress - AI

I ended up using 14 frames because I wanted the animation to be fast as it represents a tsunami wave better.

fig. 1.13; "JUMP" Animation timeline - Photoshop

Final Animated Type Expressions

fig. 1.14; Final animated type expression "JUMP" - GIF

Exercise 2 : Text Formatting

For Exercise 2,  we have to create a final layout of text formatting, working with typefaces, type size, leading, line length, etc. Before that, we have to learn and work with kerning and tracking. 

1. Kerning & Tracking Exercise

We are assigned to work with kerning and tracking our name using the 10 typefaces provided. We are allowed to use different fonts and type sizes in a typeface.

fig. 2.1; Text formatting without kerning and tracking

fig. 2.2; Text Formatting with kerning and tracking

fig. 2.3; Text Formatting with kerning and tracking - PDF

2. Layout exercise

We are to create a final layout using the texts given and work with the text formatting setting. Black and white photography should be added to the layout with a caption. Throughout this exercise, we could have a better understanding of text formatting and be more sensitive to the details in creating a good layout. 

These are the requirement about formatting details:

HEAD LINE
Font/s: Bembo Std
Type Size/s: 72 pt
Leading: 36 pt
Paragraph spacing: 0

BODY
Font/s: Bembo Std
Type Size/s: 9 pt
Leading: 11 pt
Paragraph spacing: 11 pt
Characters per-line: 57
Alignment: left justified

Margins: 123 mm top, 26 mm left + right + bottom

Columns: 2
Gutter: 10 mm

Mr.Max said we are require come with 6 draft layout and he will choose one of the best for proceed.

fig. 2.4; Layout #1

fig. 2.5; Layout #2

fig. 2.5; Layout #3

fig. 2.5; Layout #4

fig. 2.6; Layout #5

fig. 2.7; Layout #6

After the feedback session in the week 5 class, Mr.Max said all of these layout was creative , then he suggest me can go for the first layout.

Final Task 1 - Exercise 2: Text Formatting

fig. 2.8; Final text formatting (without grid) - JPEG

fig. 2.9; Final text formatting (with grid) - JPEG

 

fig. 2.10; Final text formatting (with grid) - PDF

fig. 2.11; Final text formatting (without grid) - PDF

---

FEEDBACK

Exercise 1 : Type Expression

Week 2 General Feedback : Overall the eportfolio arrangment is ok ,no need to include INTRODUCTION part. However, for the sketches part , FLY words cannot be accepted because its all contain graphic elements, need to redo it . Specific Feedback : Smile #4 , #6 can be digitalize Sleep #1, #4 can be digitalize Jump #1 , #3 can be digitalize The other sketch was not chosen, perhaps because it is similar to others and not as creative in comparison Week 3 General Feedback : All the work done is great, very good that me smooth and familiar using Adobe Illustrator. Specific Feedback : Mr.Max love my second version of JUMP cause he think that if it animated it will be very interesting , but it required do a lot of work behind it. Week 4 General Feedback : Interesting animation , just need to adjust something then he work is ready to submit . Specific Feedback : The whole back part of the gif is good, just the front part can be added to the preparatory action, the whole gif will be more smooth! Week 5 General Feedback : All of the draft layout was interesting and creative. Specific Feedback : Can proceed the first layout because is well using negative space

---

REFLECTION

Experience

The classes throughout these five weeks is still ok for me. We completed Task 1 bit by bit every week to ensure our progress and got feedback and advice from Mr Max every week to make adjustments to our work. Mr Vinod as provide us our senior's work as sample and I could learn from their ideas and how to arrange your eportfolio correctly. Mr Max will always give us advice on active learning but not just to complete our work to meet the deadline. We also watched the pre-recorded lecture videos recorded by Mr Vinod to learn the basics of typography and update all things into our eportfolio.

Observation

I observed that I have worked in more detail in my work. I noticed the way of completing our work bit by bit each week could get full guidance and  feedback, which is very helpful in the learning process. Although sometimes I missed out on some important information and work requirements given by Mr Vinod , Mr.Max will guide us step-by-step to complete our task and also consult us one by one , it is more direct to get guidance.

Findings

I noticed that typography is everywhere in our daily life. From this task, I realized that typography is not just about words; it's another way to communicate and express ideas. Working with letters and words in Typography, I learned that they are not merely communication tools but also elements of art. Good typography involves detailed work and can create a significant visual impact on viewers. This course made me more observant of my surroundings, particularly the use of letters and words.  I tend to take a long time to complete tasks and assignments from other modules. Therefore, I need to manage my time better to complete assignments on time and avoid perfectionism to work more efficiently.

---

FURTHER READING

1. Just My Type: A Book About Fonts ( by Simon Garfield )

From this book, I've learned that understanding the history and rules of typography is just the beginning. The real insight lies in how people react to fonts, which significantly impacts a font's success. This understanding aids in making informed design decisions, predicting audience responses, and refining font aesthetics to match desired perceptions. The process involves numerous revisions to achieve the perfect balance, as demonstrated by my work on the Spring Market font.

2. Lettering and Alphabets: 85 Complete Alphabets ( by J. Albert Cavanagh )

From this book, I’ve learned a comprehensive course in professional lettering, enriched with hand-lettered alphabets ready for use. It’s especially beneficial for beginners aiming to work in advertising, publishing, or commercial art. The author covers essential techniques, from pencil grip to transferring letters and spacing them for individual character. The step-by-step instructions also include quick headline filling, condensing lettering, and brushwork, alongside detailed descriptions of various styles like Garamond and Bodoni. This book is a practical resource, saving time and money for artists by serving as both a swipe file and an instructional guide.

---