Anatomy of type

Anatomy of type | Overlapping

Letterforms developed in shape and design becoming more legible and sophisticated over the centuries. Each letterform is composed by specic parts that differentiate it from the others.

Family types vary in size and spacing between the letters.This is the main reason for differences in length and letter shape. When thinking about a page or a poster layout a designer must pay attention to these differences when including different type families. Similar styles will be reader friendly and more aesthetically pleasing. The only two attributes shared by all families are the baseline and the capline.

Keratinous
Ascender Shoulder Spine Stem Stem Loop Leg

Eye

Crossbar

Shoulder

Counter

Capline Meanline x-height Baseline

Keratinous Keratinous Keratinous Keratinous

Garamond
Century schoolbook

Helvetica neue
Bodoni

Anatomy of type | Legibility of letter

Anatomy of type | Single letter

The legibility of a word is affected more when the upper part of it is erased rather then the lower one. This is determined by Western writing and reading direction: from left to right and from up to down.

Each letterform expresses its personality through form and counterform. Both are single entities that eventually compose the identity of the letterform. Designing with typography also consists in activating the counterform and consider it as a shape on its own.

Keratinous Keratinous Keratinous

Anatomy of type | Between two letters

Anatomy of type | Between two letters

Denotes counterpart relationships Denotes counterpoint relationships

Anatomy of type | Between two letters

Anatomy of type | Typographic kinetic

The space around the letterform consists of its counterform; when creating a typographic space the counterfom plays an important role in unifying or creating contrast between typographic shapes. Counterpart denotes similarities between two letterforms, whereas counterpoint denotes their differences. Therefore, counterpart relationships create harmony; counterpoint realtionships create tension.

The totems represent the arrangement of the letterforms into a sequentially and visually owing composition. The individual functions to the whole and for this reason counterpart and counterform relationships, size contrast, dynamic or static placement and face or case differences have been examined for each single letterform.

Title of the Project

at i

r
E

kr
e

u a TIno

A u
o n t
s

K
K

tn

Anatomy of type | Structure of letters

Anatomy of type | 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 letter 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 chategorized using six basic underlying visual combinations of strokes as the example illustrates.

This is a graphic example that summerizes all the basic strokes referenced earlier.A new alphabet can be ideated following this set of strokes. The following overlaps show how letterforms depend on this simple scheme. It also helps understand that the anatomy of each letter is conceived rst and only later the style or the face is applied to it.

EFHILT

jlt

KMNY

kr

VWX

vwxy

T B

AZ

BDGJPRU

abdghmnpqru

CGQOS

ceos

Typographic page with a chair

Typographic page

Create a unied composition in a spread format using the given elements: a chair, the designers name, the date of manufacture, the materials used to build it. The page should be arranged so that the chair does not visually occupies more than half page. Produce several studies where the goal is to use the typographic elements to create graphic relationships with the form and position of the chair. The type does not make up the chairs shape but reinterprets how it ts the space and the diagonals the chair creates. weight+size

size+width

Typographic page

Typographic page

weight+face+width

weight+ slant

K
size+ case weight+face

Typographic page

Typographic page

weight+size+case

size+weight

case+face+slant

size+case+ color

Typographic page

Typographic page

tonality+slant

size+ color

Ra

yK

om

4
o

ai N

93

tonality+size

size+ case+ tonality

Ray

Kom ai

Chair Hang tag

Type generally falls into two primary categories; informational and or expressive. Its not uncommond 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 empahsis or hierarchy must be clear and decisive so that the roles each plays in the communication are clear. In design things are not equal.
olded mai's m as manuRay Ko air w h c 1949, d o plywo oklyn in d in Bro merican A facture t s e late using th y. European log arcel techno h as M ers suc r Aalto design a lv and A rniture Breuer ood fu ed plyw design 930s. in the 1

19

49

od ed plywo ai's mold in Ray Kom actured s manuf e wa th air ch using in 1949, . Brooklyn hnology erican tec such as latest Am designers European er and Alvar Aalto eu in Marcel Br furniture plywood eridesigned s the Am s,but it wa y the 1930 and Ra les ar Ch cans

ly mediate years im realized , in the who Eames ial er War II, at ld m or is after W ial of th ywood in potent pl the full one sheet of s chair nt Komai and be poctions. re di l anthro severa ely, ticated is ph ok clos so adds a If you lo ts a es ic twist. gg ph su or m design rs ai the ch face. human

s be Komai ha leading ad mod

en both

a textile

and furn

iteure de

signer fo

r d by

s Charle ericans the Am e years th in It was , s y Eame r World and Ra fte iately a e full immed alized th l and re o h w ria te a m War II, is al of th ood in potenti sheet of plyw e mais o K . s bent on n o l directi histicated severa op dds a s t. If chair a hic twis irs rp o m o p cha e th , anthro ly k close an you loo ggests a hum su design face.

vertising

company Paul Klee

rk in New Yo , Pablo Pi

inspire . He was d tribal m

casso an

asks

ts like ern artis

ciation s appre People s chair shows ai lly of Kom rica is genera d me uence how A in d n a e ted ure. Th fascina lt u c e s the ane ibited in by Jap ow exh ra n o c is e D ir , cha um n Muse Brookly ollection. C s rt A tive
Side chair, No 393, 1949 Walnut plywood, chromed metal, rubber