Type Quiz study resource

Hello everybody,

I found a great link for studying for the type quiz. It is most everything that will be on the quiz plus it is well explained with lots of pictures.

How-to collaboration

If anyone is close to completion that isn't in collaboration with a group yet, we need one more spread for our book. Our subjects are as follows:
1. How-to handle a vinyl record (me)
2. How-to upload files to a website using an FTP client (Silas)
3. How-to hop a freight train (Daniel)
4. How-to mount paper onto mounting board (MrNeverSatisfied@gmail.com....sorry, drawing a blank on real name)

As of Wednesday's class, each of us employed helvetica into our design in some fashion, so that might be taken into consideration when choosing.

Thanks

Andrew

layout for how-to book

Reading Tea Leaves and Campaign Logos

Comic-style coverage of the latest presidential campaign graphics.

Font Design & more

These are inetersting to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezyRovNSaHs&NR=1

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1RqdZCo6vkI

Saeideh

Type Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry

From an article on designobserver.com by Jessica Helfand about how type is being used and how typography is being taught

"About a year ago, I participated in a student portfolio review involving nearly a dozen American schools, many (most?) exhibiting the classic projects that characterize all undergraduate design programs — the color studies, the poster problems, the typographic exercises — all of which teach the student about that most essential design conceit: letterforms, and how to use them.

And here, I quickly discovered that something had gone horribly wrong. One after another, bright-faced young hopefuls displayed the products of their long hours in the studio. Book after book spilled forth with content ranging from how to cook a frittata to how to understand Freud. There were personal books, commercial books, literary and poetic books, serious and silly books, childrens books, how-to books, and everything in between.

And there they were — virtually all of them — typeset in Futura.

“What made you choose this typeface?” I inquired of a lovely young woman whose senior project involved a series of book jackets for Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams.

“I liked how modern it was,” she replied.

“Did you read the book?”

She blushed, shook her head no, and looked down at her lap.

I tried a different approach. “Do you know what year this book was published?”

Again, she shook her head, and apologized for the lapse in research. But I wasn't so interested in the apology (a common refrain, particularly among students) as I was concerned that she was about to graduate and had no fundamental knowledge of design history — a failure of the curriculum, and by conjecture, of the faculty. I explained that when Freud's book was published in 1899 (and in it’s first English edition the subsequent year) it’s impact was significant — that the whole notion of addressing the subconscious was seen as wholly unprecedented, even radical at the time. And yes, broadly speaking, such a novel concept might be considered to be “modern” — and what might that entail, typographically? I could see that an abbreviated lecture on the rise of modernism in America would be about as pointless as quoting George Santayana — or even Harry Truman — and besides, the next student was already awaiting his turn for review — but the bottom line was: why Futura?

“I just kind of liked it.”

I hear this a lot during critiques.It really bothers me. Helfand acknowledges the changes in technology have made the tools of creation available to everyone, so now people are using that power to create as they see fit. Previously, only certain individuals had access and training to create graphic work, type faces, etc... and they were the ones making the rules and guidelines. As future designers, what is our duty? What is our burden? Learn the rules, break the rules, love the rules, or make new ones? What contributions can we make to design in the future?

To continue the conversation about what is appropriate / what about the rules, check this out How To Be Ugly. This is an article about a new magazine that abuses all of Ellen Lupton's rules about stretching type

Helvetica: The Movie

So I am now eating only Ramen noodles to offset the cost for seeing the movie but it was well worth it. Especially since it was in HI-DEF

As for the important stuff- YES, I did see the "Kern" zip-up.

The movie was a very through examination of helvetica and the result of the modernist movement on typography. The Q&A was ok and they did record it so i imagine it will be a podcast soon. I will try and find out. Well worth renting, but be warned using Helvetica for at least a short time afterwards will be a dilemma.

Review Questions

1. What is a Polyglot book and what does it mean for typesetters?

2. What movement led the drive against the grid, while simultaneously being forced to work within it, due to the technology of print?

3. What is the formula for the golden section?

Typographic Dorkitude

Oh, you know you want it. Don't lie.

DIY's

Was looking at Ready-made (the bi-monthly DIY mag) and noticed that all of their DIY projects have a reference box which includes symbology relating to:
*the amount of time each project takes (a stopwatch with a red scale)
*the cost (dollar amount)
*difficulty (expressed by highlighting one of 4 figures:
-a monkey (has opposable thumbs)
-a Cro-Magnon (has tools and fire but may be clumsy with both)
-a Drudge (has tools and basic know-how), and
-a Craftsman (knows that "plyboo" isn't a term of endearment)

These three bits of quick/easy-to-read information are arranged across the top of a sub-box on each project page. Under the icons are the lists of ingredients and tools needed.

Just thought it might be an interesting way to tie together the section of the how-to book that contains actual how-to PROJECTS (as opposed to the one's that simply provide helpful information like mine; i.e., how to properly maintain a record collection). Perhaps the information could be arranged in a different way, i.e., using different colors to note the difficult of the project instead of figures or just using different numbers of money symbols instead of putting the specific price (like the magazine)

The title link takes you to the section of the ready-made mag website that explains the reference box i'm talking about.

-Andrew

spoof infomercial makes some good points

Hit the play button to watch the infomercial... This company could put us all out of business...

binding comps

schematic shows various ways to put together books for comping purposes.

News Flows, Consciousness Streams: The Headwaters of a River of Words

If you have trouble linking to this article at home, try on campus. It is an article in the 10/26/07 New York Times.

Look at some how-to pages

Paula Scher's Sketchbook

checkit.

a YouTube video of Paula Scher's sketchbook

She's a graphic designer who does amazing work with type and is the only female partner of Pentagram. Her sketchbook is riff after riff on the alphabet; it's fascinating.

n*

Interesting website about fonts

Hello everyone,

I found out good information about the way some fonts have been used in this website.

http://www.linotype.com/7/fontlounge.html

Interesting website

I found out good information in this website

Questions to ask about your face

What is my favorite thing about my typeface?

What is my least favorite thing about it?

The three main uses for my typeface
are:
1.
2.
3.

The worst thing that can be done to my typefaces is ________.

This type looks best when ________.

My typeface is used differently today than in the past because ________.

Two examples of this face that show a contrast in how it can be applied are _____ and _____.

Most of the people who use this typeface are ___________.

InDesign CS3 to CS2 IS POSSIBLE!!!

Eureka!

It turns out InDesign CS3 documents can be opened in CS2-they just don't make it obvious like Illustrator.

1. Save your document to Artspace (or whatever you're saving to).
2. Go to the File Menu
3. Hit Export. This can also be done by hitting Apple-E
4. Choose InDesign Interchange File from the Format drop-down menu.

The extension will be .inx

I tested this today, so I'm sure it works. You can edit your document and everything.

Happy designing,
n*

Neuland G+S "New Black Face"

Hello everyone,

Here is the article on Neuland I keep referencing by Giampietro + Smith. I would love to have someone else's take on what they are discussing. I will add my comments later. Pretty interesting look into the origin and application of a font!

http://www.studio-gs.com/neuland.html

Discussing the grid

This designer's blog post discusses how to build / work with grid systems. Worth checking out...

Questions on Derrida

On page 67, Lupton quotes Derrida: "That a speech supposedly alive can lend itself to spacing in its own writing is what relates to its own death."

I think this is a really fascinating quote- do you suppose he means that if spaces or pauses cannot be heard in speech, then it cannot be properly written? And if so, does writing speech down with proper spacing really signify the death of that speech? Or does it just signify the death of it in spoken form, while also immortalizing that speech, that would otherwise only be known by the few who spoke and heard it?

I understand that type makes speech concrete and fixes it forevermore, to the extent of the technology's ability, but I'm not sure that speech dies completely when typed.

Motherload

Hello everyone,

Went to Sevananda tonight, and got a coupon magazine in the mail--I found a bunch of typefaces. If I didn't find yours, I'll keep looking!

I believe there's some Comic Sans tea, for your pleasure, as well as some Cooper Black with truly hideous tracking. I think the Amaryn's Thai Bowl is Hobo. And I think the Raging Burrito logo may be in Neuland, with a charming quasi-racist illustration to boot! Let me know if the pics aren't good enough.

n*

Base Monospace typeface

Has anyone had any luck finding any good online resources for finding out about a particular typeface and its applications in media? I am having a somewhat difficult time finding out about Base Monospace font without getting a hundred search results on websites that sell the typeface.
The library seems to be the way to go..I'll be there sunday eve if anyone would like to join.

Andrew

Turkish Calligraphy Sept 7th and 9th

Contemporary Turkish calligraphy master Aydin Cayir will be in Atlanta this weekend. He will hold a small exhibition and a workshop on the Turkish Islamic calligraphy with Arabic and Latin scripts. Mr. Cayir will perform an art show while providing information about the history of calligraphy and its modern applications. The event will be on September 7, 2007 at 7:30 pm at the Istanbul Center. This is a free event and open to the public.

Calligraphy is an art form in which patience and attention to detail are more important than artistic talent. What distinguishes calligraphy from ordinary handwriting is, quite simply, aesthetics. It is a “spiritual technique” that beaches out with grace and elegance to engage the eve, mind and soul. It was the Ottoman Turks who produced and perfected several varieties of this type of script. All the various branches of the art of calligraphy, an art greatly loved and respected by the Ottoman Turks, flourished particularly in the city of Istanbul and it was in Istanbul that the finest and most mature works were produced.

Aydin Cayir was born in Istanbul and graduated from the School of Divinity at the Marmara University. Cayir was interested in the art of classical calligraphy since his high school years and later on, this interest grew in him to include the Latin calligraphy. He has displayed his art and held exhibitions in Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, Romania and the United States. He founded his graphics design company in 1998. He was recently in the US for a project of Walt Disney World- EPCOT. He will also hold an exhibition at the 5th Atlanta Turkish Festival on September 9, 2007 which will include several Turkish art exhibitions, folk dances, concerts and take place at the Piedmont Park from 1:00 to 6:00 pm.

Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue
6760 Jimmy Carter Blvd Suite 110
Norcross, GA 30071

www.istanbulcenter.org

Phone: (678) 990-1717

Your questions about Thinking with Type

Hi GRD3150 students
I am expecting to see your questions posted here very soon! You are responsible for material to page 43 this week. Be sure to read over pp. 34 - 43 especially carefully.

You will have to become a blogspot member in order to post, but this is free.
cheers
Liz

The Technology of Text

Thanks Nija for link to this interesting article about reading text onscreen.

My Favorite Font

What font do YOU write drafts in?

Jan Tschichold: type designs and typography

St. Bride Library, London

See also
http://stbride.org/library/links/lettersandtype

The Road to Clarity

The Road to Clarity
New York Times
By JOSHUA YAFFA
Published: August 12, 2007

Highly recommended! If you can't read this from home, you should be able to view New York Times stories from computers on campus.