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Anatomy of Type

Anatomy of type

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.

The different families of type display infinite variability from one font to another. This displays the importance of recognizing that the different typefaces exhibit their own purpose and personality. Among these differences, the only similarities they share are the baseline and stroke.

Apex

Shoulder

Terminal

Fillet

Stroke

Bowl

Ear

Counter

Spine

Hairline

Descender

Crossbar

Li

nk

Asparagus
Loop Serif Tail

Capline Meanline

Baseline

Asparagus Asparagus Asparagus Asparagus

Anatomy of type

Anatomy of type | Single Letter

Words with their top half covered, arent as readable or recognizable as words with the bottom half concealed. This demonstrates the subconcious function that humans have built around reading and writing conventions, commonly from left to right, and from top downwards.

Certain letters are more readable than others, under the situation where parts of the letter are concealed. The more readable ones usually display a more asymmetric shape, as well as other more recognizable traits such as the ear in certain versions of the letter g.

Fundamental to all typographic design is the interplay between letterform and background. Every letterform defines a particular counter form. Form and counterform are reciprocal values and completely interdependent and integral to a letters completeness as a design. The counterform is not just what is left over in the background. The counterform 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. An awareness of this inter-relationship of form and counterform is essential in typographic design.

Asparagus Asparagus Asparagus

Anatomy of type | Cropping Studies

Anatomy of Type | Counterpart and Counterpoint

A
Anatomy of type | Counterpoint and Counterpart

Anatomy of Type | Counterpart and Counterpoint

Anatomy of Type | Typographic Kinetics

When creating a visual hierarchy in typographic space, a designer balances the need for harmony, which unifies a design, with the need for contrast, which lends vitality and emphasis. As in music, elements can have a counterpart or a counterpoint relationship. Typographic counterparts are elements with similar qualities that bring harmony to their spatial relationship.

Elements have a counterpoint relationship when they have contrasting characteristics, such as size, weight, color, tone, or texture. Counterpoint relationships bring opposition and dissonance to the design.

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.

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.

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).

Because range is a persistent goal of design, you want to invent in each example. Expect some noble necessary part of any assignment.

e R

A g

Anatomy of Type | The Structure of Letters

Anatomy of Type | The Structure of Letters

The most elementary forms of letters are a visual code of simple strokes that is recognizable through our experience with handwriting. Each of the upper and lower case letters is distinct in structure. All are built by combining vertical, horizontal, slanted, and curvilinear strokes. Letter forms derive their 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.

E A
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

EFHILT

iflt

KMNY

VXW

vwxy

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.

AZ

BDPRJU

abdghmnpqru

CGOQS

ceos

Typographic page a Chair

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 in form and division of space. Then, using the designers name, the name of the chair, and the date of its manufacture, impose the words in a typographic study that demonstrates relationships to the chair.

g
Size + Case

Gn
Size + Case

G
N
Size + Weight Size + Weigiht

Size + Weight

Size + Weight

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G

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IR CHA

9 5 5

G e r g e o N n s o e l

Size + Weight

Size + Value

55
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Ge o r g e N e

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Size + Value

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Size + Weight

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C O C O N U T

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Size + Value + Case

Size + Value

Chair Hang Tag

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 traditions and 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 heiarchy must be clear and decisive so the roles each plays in the communication are clear. In design things are not equal

5 5 9 1

COCO N U T C H AI R

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COCO NUT CHAIR

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