Feb 20, 2009

Styles, Weights, Widths; It’s All in The (Type) Family


This is about understanding the style of typeface. If you just start learning typeface, this is right for you.

Styles

The concept of coordinated type families consisting of different related typefaces or styles is a fairly recent phenomenon. The two most common styles are roman (upright) and italic (a different, slanted design). The basic shape of italics is a stylised form of handwriting. It took form in the Renaissance when Aldus Manutius looked for a space saving alternative to roman faces. Without going too much into details, originally italics were designs in their own right, unrelated to roman designs and used independently. Only by the sixteenth century did the italic assume its current role as emphasis, a variation on the roman design. Read more.....

Feb 12, 2009

The Book Cover Archive

Inspiration and great resource for book cover design. More at http://www.bookcoverarchive.com/

A Good Resource of Graphic, Typo Poster

we intend to become a good resource of graphic and typographic posters to serve all your research needs – either historical or inspirational.

or ideal is simple: feed and consume quality.

although posters may contain illustrative and photographical content, we catalog only those with notable graphical or typographical quality.
just because we love the pure form of graphic design – shapes, types and colors. More work http://www.typographicposters.com/




Feb 8, 2009

Interesting graphic sites

http://www.bitique.co.uk/ contain many graphic sites. They separate by categories.




Spaghetti is a Middle Eastern magazine featuring the best in contemporary graphic design, illustration, photo design, the new media, cor­porate design, advertising and typography.

Daniel Cassaro is a Long Island native and Graduate of The School of Visual Arts. He lives, works and trips the light fantastic in Brooklyn, NY. He is available for freelance work or to talk about early Wings albums. Take look his works more at http://youngjerks.com/main/




Feb 7, 2009

Vector Illustator Fonts

Interesting illustrator fonts. You can download it. http://www.justmytype.org/



Grid System

See the great resources about grid system. Here is a link The Grid System

PSA Posters Examples

Look particularly at the file labeled "punched out holes."
it has text around it that explains what the designers were trying to accomplish.
Take look more examples at http://www.experimentaljetset.nl/

Gen said
"I agree that, at least in the punched out holes example, experimental design uses visual links rather than " conceptual" ideas, but...we still have a lot of discussing to do (in class) about what concept in graphic design. re advertising, it's relatively easy. but, re graphic design, it’s still a conversation underway. do your best to relate your design to a visual idea from your topic, or better, an abstract concept that conveys the message using intellect, emotion, or humor.
don't preach, don't caution. encourage the viewer to see your point in a positive way."







New Assignment - PSA Posters

Your new assignment description
1. Design four (a series) PSA posters that I might see together or separately, wheat pasted on the street, or in the subway, etc.
2. choose your topic. Do not choose something i already know-- ie, no anti smoking, HIV/aids, starving children in Africa, no child left behind, stop world hunger, save the whales, dolphins, polar bears, etc.
3. Choose a topic that is interesting to you, that you'd like to share, and that is related to NYC, (may include any or all of the five boroughs).
4. use only typography and graphic elements. No illustration or photography.

Feb 3, 2009

FAVORITE TYPEFACES from Typo Blog (Gen's Class)

Original posted by TypoBlogger

The Fall 2008 Favorite Typefaces List:
bureau agency fb, the thin ones; akkurat, the thin ones; akkurat mono; batarde; bello; bodoni BE; bodoni twenty six; bookman jf swash; cholla slab; cochin black italic (small); numbers; ehmcke; faux cra; filosophia; frys baskerville; garaje; garamond three/3; GEronto; gothic 720; gravur cond thin; ironmonger; caslon 224; veljovic; kettler; knockout; justice; mono; letter gothic; linoscript; meta mono; vectrex; normetica; perpetua; plantin; radio; simple; spira; sputnik; stymie; vineyard; cg poster bodoni

SERIFS:
Modern no 20, Firmin Didot, ClarendonBT, Belizio, Caecilia, Caslon, Cloister Open Face, Cooper Black (looks 70's), Mrs Eaves, Miller Display, Garamond (italian, american), Geometric Slab 703BT, Giza, Carousel, ITC Caslon 224, Archer, Aachen, Big Caslon, Caslon, El Dorado Text and Display, Farnham, Poster Bodoni, ITC Grouch, Century Expanded, Bell MT, and Ziggurat.

SANS SERIFS: Locator, DIN, Foundry Gridnik, Knockout, Titling Gothic, Futura, Gotham, BTakzidenz Grotesk, Franklin Gothic, Helvetica Neue, Neutra Face, Univers, Bureau Grotesk, Type1451, Avant Garde, Bryant, Calvert, Helvetica, Interstate, Sauna, and Smokler.

OTHER TYPE THAT IS GOOD/FUN/INTERESTING: Fling, Fig, Engravers, FindReplace, Restraint (very ornamental type by Marian Bantjes), English Script, Bickham Script Pro, Woodtype (for that turn of the century look of posters), Poplar, Woodtype ornaments, FF Dingbats, Hot Metal Borders, Champion (heavy poster look, used by Paula Sher a lot), Communication (dingbat icons), Missionary, Cottonwood, Edwardian Script, Regaliz, and Vineta.


Top font of 2008

Original posted by Type Talk
The top font from Veer, MyFont, I love Typography and Font Shop. Please feel free to take a look and love to see more click on each picture will go to direct link.

Veer


My Font

I love Typographic


Font Shop

David Berlow specimen sample

This is another example of type specimen, but don't do the same direction as example. Try to do on your own direction. The example just give you an idea of function and what stand for. So think about concept first like do you this project for what?, what is the purpose of this project for yourself? and so on. However, don't come up with the answer cause of class project. Good luck.

Here is the link to the David Berlow specimen pdf.




Type specimen Q&A

Original posted by Ayca. Thank you

So let me explain the reasons for this assignment first:

  • You will have a decent type example you would take reference from in future projects.
  • You will get comfortable using some particular typefaces.
  • (If you design it well) you might have a portfolio piece.

Q+A:
Q: Can we use lorem ipsum for the text face examples?
A: No, do not use Lorem Ipsum for your text. Instead, please find some text on the Internet or use your own, since Lorem Ipsum never looks like real text. Try to pick a text that's related to your magazine's subject matter.

Q: Can we use the same font for text as display? For example, if I choose Miller as my Sans Serif Display type, can I also use it for my Sans Serif Text type?
A: Yes, you may use the same typeface as "display" and "text". It would be good to see the same typeface in different styles. At the same time, you may find out that certain display typefaces go along well with different text typefaces. It's to your advantage to do this exercise with as many fonts as possible.
Ideally it would be best to set each typeface all both as "display" and "text", just like David Berlow did to see the relations between the different styles and point sizes of each typeface (see the image below where he experimented with the typeface FB Scotch).

Q: The decorative texts don't always have many options. How are we supposed to make an entire page of examples of the decorative one? Just use different weights or what?
A: Use decorative faces in different styles as display and that should be enough.

First assignment_type specimen