Typography
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
Typography (from the Greek words τύπος (typos) = form and γραφή (graphe) = writing) is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. Type design is a closely related craft, which some consider distinct and others a part of typography; most typographers do not design typefaces, and some type designers do not consider themselves typographers. In modern times, typography has been put into motion—in film, television and online broadcasts—to add emotion to mass communication.
Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists, graffiti artists, clerical workers, and anyone else who arranges type for a product. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users, and David Jury states that "typography is now something everybody does."
Scope
In contemporary use, the practice and study of typography is very broad, covering all aspects of letter design and application. These include:
- typesetting and type design
- handwriting and calligraphy
- graffiti
- inscriptional and architectural lettering
- poster design and other large scale lettering such as signage and billboards
- business communications and promotional collateral
- advertising
- wordmarks and typographic logos (logotypes)
- apparel (clothing)
- labels on maps
- vehicle instrument panels
- kinetic typography in motion picture films and television
- as a component of industrial design—type on household appliances, pens and wristwatches, for example
- as a component in modern poetry (see, for example, the poetry of E. E. Cummings)
Since digitization, typography has spread to a wider ranger of applications, appearing on web pages, LCD mobile phone screens, and hand-held video games. The ubiquity of type has led typographers to coin the phrase "Type is everywhere".
Traditional typography follows four principles: repetition, contrast, proximity, and alignment.
Experimental typography
Experimental typography is defined as the unconventional and more artistic approach to setting type. Stéphane Mallarmé was a pioneer in the late 19th century and Paul Van Ostaijen in the early 20th. Two art movements, visual poetry and concrete poetry, extensively make use of typography. David Carson is often associated with this movement, particularly for his work in Ray Gun magazine in the 1990s. His work caused an uproar in the design community due to his abandonment of standards in typesetting practices, layout, and design. Experimental typography places emphasis on communicating emotion, rather than on legibility.