This is a foundation course in typography with an emphasis on using type for a multiple of industry related applications.

Tag: YouTube

Project #2 – Design a Poster

We are now working on our second project. This project should be fun and give you an opportunity to incorporate all that you’ve learned so far about typography and basic graphic design. This project will be graded on those points. If you didn’t get the design assignment in class, download a copy here.

On Monday, Nov 6, 2017, be prepared to present your initial sketch ideas. We will do this first thing when class begins, so don’t come to class and begin to do your sketches for the first time. Not having computer access will not hinder your ability to do the sketches. You should have a full page of thumbnail sketches and then another page that has 3-4 sketches of your better ideas. From those 3-4 sketches we will be able to determine which will make a better design layout for your project.

One of the main emphasis of this project will be use of the grid system and hierarchy. Here is a video what may give you more insight into developing hierarchy in your poster design.

 

In case you’re still a bit unsure about doing thumbnail sketches, here is a video that previous students have found to be helpful. Please note, the tutorial is done on a computer for the sake of recording, but you will be using pencil or pen and paper.

 

Class 6 — Multiple Pages in InDesign

Here’s a brief recap from  Monday’s class. After doing a review of the grid system, I learned how to create a multiple-page InDesign document, which included a quick introduction to master pages. You need to be familiar with these as you create the next Type Book assignment, the Five Families of Type.

This video will help you with adding and managing pages. We will get more in-depth with some of the things a little later.

Insert, Deleting, and Moving Pages in InDesign

 

Homework — Due Monday, Sept 25

  • Quiz #1 – will cover everything we’ve covered so far, through class 6. It will be given at the beginning of class and should only take about 30 minutes, so please arrive on time. Our Google Drive folder will have copies of the slide presentations shown in class.
  • Type Book – Five Families of Type – You can download a copy of  Type Book – 5 Families of Type if you didn’t get one.
  • Letterform Work Sheet – This was a handout from a few weeks ago so you should have had time to complete. If you need a new copy, Typography Letterform can be downloaded, but you will need to print out all 10 pages to complete the assignment.

 

Class 3 — Typographical Anatomy

During our third session on Wednesday, Sept 6th we not only covered The History of Typography and the Five Families of Type, but  we also were introduced to Typographical Anatomy.

  • If you missed the lecture on the History of Typography and the Five Families of Typography, you download the slides here.
  • We learned the parts of type of similar to our body parts. Download the TypeAnatomy sheet and keep it handy to help you identify the different parts of letters.
  • We watched the following two videos in class:

Typography tutorial: Anatomy: Parts and shapes of type

The History of Typography – Animated Short

  • We learned about the Five Families of Type, and the characteristics that distinguish them. The following videos will help you will this process.

Type Anatomy and Terminology

 

Type classification

 

How to identify Old Style fonts

 

How to identify Transitional fonts

 

How to identify Modern fonts

 

How to identify Slab Serif fonts

 

Homework — Due Monday, Sept 11

Type Journal

  • Draw in and label all parts of anatomy of the single word you began tracing in class. Use the Typographical Anatomy sheet as your guide. Label at 5-10 parts. Keep your work neat. Submit on Monday morning.
  • Search for examples of actual typefaces and their specific use. Find examples of work that use typefaces belonging to each of the five families of type. In what scenario are they used? You can use photos that you take or cut the examples from magazines or brochures. Tape or glue your samples to the plain sheet of paper that will fit in your journal. Be sure the identify the typeface, the family it belongs to and how it is used (headline for an ad, body text for a book, etc).
    For example: a typeface that belongs to the Modern classification of type is used on a heading for an ad. Do this for each of the 5 families.

Classes 1 and 2 — Introduction to Typography & InDesign

So, we’ve made it through the first week. Hopefully everyone is feeling a bit more relaxed and you’ve made some new friends.

Here is a recap of the topics that we covered the first week of class. Hopefully this will be helpful if you need to review.

  • On Monday, Aug 28 we reviewed the syllabus, and if you need another copy, it can be downloaded here.
  • At this point, of course, everyone should have access to their City Tech email. This is be the way that I communicate with you. Please check it at least once a day so you don’t miss any important information.
  • We viewed a video on Typography:

  • There was a brief lecture, Typography & the History of Letterform. If you missed some of the points in your notes, you can download a copy of the slides here.
  • We created Biographical Name Tags — Each student should paired up with a classmate and make a name tag for each other, trying to best portray each other using expressive lettering. Afterwards, students introduced each other to the class and described what you were trying to convey with the lettering they drew for their partner.

Homework — Due Wed, Aug 30

Type Journal — Take 20-30 pictures of type in your neighborhood, write a 1 page paper on what that typography tells you about your neighborhood, print it and add to type journal. Use 1” margins all around and double-space.

 

On Wed, Aug 30 we viewed a few videos to that covered  the difference between legibility vs readability, and how to make reading easier.

  • Understanding Font Legibility

 

  • How to Make Reading Easier

 

  • Introduction to Adobe InDesign. This introduction covered creating a new document, rulers and measurement, text boxes, adding fonts using Font Book, changing typefaces, fonts, point size, etc. If you need some help getting started with InDesign, view this video:

 

Homework — Due Wed, Sep 6

  • Bring you tracing pad and pens to class.