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

Tag: typography

Let’s Wrap it Up with a Poster

Now that we are at the end of the semester, it is time to show what you’ve learned by creating a poster that creatively describes the Type & Media course.

Here is the brief which will describe the assignment:

  • Using words, shapes and everything that we have covered this semester to create a poster that can be used to let others know what the Type & Media course is all about. Not only should your poster tell what the course covered, but it show what was covered. For example, you don’t want to only use the words like kerning, tracking, type on a path, but you want to show these things.
  • Size: 11″x17″
  • Full color can be used or you can do it entirely in black & white, but your design shouldn’t depend on color
  • You are allowed to use some geometric shapes, but this poster should be TYPE, not drawings. If you are not sure what this would look like, do a Google search for typography posters.
  • Use the accurate terminology covered in the course
  • Pay attention to spelling
  • The sample below were not selected because they were the best, just to give an idea of what other students did.
  • DUE: Wed, May 17th

 

 Samples:

 

 

The Type Book: Putting it All Togther

Here are a few things to add some clarity on assembling your type books, which are due completed by Wednesday, April 5, 2017.

The Cover

Using the entire page, create a balanced and well-conceived cover with the following information:

  • You can title your book: The Typography Book of … (add your name)
  • Type & Media, COMD1167-D146
  • Professor Mary Brown

Other reminders

Once you are certain you have all the pages and they have been revised, then you can print them out. The page for Legibility: Type and Color should be printed in COLOR. You can have the printing done at Staples or FedEx if you don’t have access to a printer.

  • Print on one side only
  • 8.5″ x 11″ is the page size
  • If you have to print your files at Staples or FedEx, you will need to save your final files as PDF documents to print from.
  • Once all your pages are printed and assembled in the correct order, you have to get the binding done.
  • Get plastic/acetate for the cover (clear) and back (black).
  • Get coil binding
  • It may take more than 1 day to get your book bound, so don’t wait until the last minute.
  • You can refer to the previous post that includes the proper order of the pages. You can also download a copy of the handout.

Class 3 Recap – Kerning, Tracking and Letterspace

The main topic of the discussion was kerning, tracking and letterspace. We also did an introduction to the InDesign workspace. As a review of the Five Families of Type, here’s a link to an added resource. Navigate through the links highlighted in yellow: Designing with Type

Kerning vs Tracking

Do you know the difference between kerning and tracking? You need to make sure you understand.

kerning = adjustment of the space between two letters to improve the appearance. Kerning is more specific than tracking. Kerning becomes more important with large or display type.

tracking = adjustment of the space between letters for the a whole word, sentence, page or document.

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Class 2 Recap – The History of Typography

Wed, Feb 1, 2017

Let’s review some of the things we learned during our second session:

Introduction to the Five Families of Type

Old Style – Garamond
Transitional – Baskerville
Modern – Bodoni
Egyptian or Slab Serif – Century Expanded
Sans Serif – Helvetica

You need to become very familiar with these families/categories and the characteristics of each.
Download lecture slides

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Class 1-Introduction and History of Letterform

It is important that you check here frequently during the week. There are also times when you will be required to contribute to the content here. As mentioned, this and all class participation is part of your grade.

Your Next Steps

  • Make sure you have access to your City Tech email account. This is where the college and I will communicate with you about college related information.
  • Purchase your required textbook.
  • Purchase your required supplies. Be sure to bring your supplies to class for Wednesday’s class.
  • Complete the contact information questionnaire.
  • Read the very first post entitled “Welcome” and type your answer to the question in the comments section.

Class Recap: History of Letterform

  • There are many different typefaces or fonts available for use. As the designer your will be responsible for selecting the typeface or font, the point size, the linespace (also known as leading). Typography is practiced by typesetters, graphic designers, art directors and even graffiti artists.
  • How is letterform studied? Through epigraphy, paleography, and calligraphy.
  • Letterform means a letter’s shape. It is also an synonym of the word glyph. Glyph = a specific way a letter or character is drawn. Let’s take a look at the evolution of letterform to understand how we got to our modern day 26 letter alphabet.
  • Pictographs were used as the earliest known form of writing, examples having been discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia from before 3000 BC.
  • Ideographs are symbols that represent an ideal rather than just a word. Eventually, there were so many combinations of symbols that it became a problem to memorize them all. The term “ideogram” is used to describe logographic writing systems such as Egyptian hieroglyphs and Chinese characters.
  • The evolution of our 26 letter alphabet—Phoenician alphabet, Greek alphabet, Roman alphabet.
  • One of the reasons the capital letters didn’t have curves is because the writings were carved into stone or other hard surfaces.
  • Originally, alphabets were only written as capital (majuscule) letters. Writing quickly with the pen is caused the letters to take on a curved shape and that is how small (minuscule) letters developed.
  • The early writings of the Greeks and Romans had no punctuation—the words either ran together or were sometimes separated by a dot or dash.
  • Punctuation was formalized with the rise of printing in the 14th and 15th centuries.

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