Podcast #4 Typography

Define typography?
The art of expressing ideas through the selection of appropriate typefaces. creating and modifying type using a variety of illustration techniques.
Where did the word "typography" originate from?
greek, form and writing
What does typography involve? creating and modifying type using a variety of illustration techniques.
What is a typeface? distinctinve desighns of visual symbols that are used to compose a printed image/design.
What is another term for typeface? fonts
What is a character?
individual symbols that make up a typeface. letters, numerals and punctuation marks.
What is type style?
modification in a typeface that create design variety while maintaining the visual style of the typeface.
What does type style "create" within a design?variety and interest,  bold, italic, condensed, roman, heavy.
What is the waist line and what does it indicate?
imaginary line drawn at the middle of the characters.
What is a base line and what does it indicate?
imaginary line drawn at the bottom of the charachters.
What is an ascender?
the part of the character that extends above the waist line.
What is a descender?
the part of the charachter that extends below the base line.
Describe a serif?
smaller line used to finish off a main stroke of a letter, usually at the top and bottom of a character.
How can the size of the typeface be identified?
the vertical measurement used to identify the size of a typeface. measures from the top of the ascender to the bottom of the desender is point size.
What is a point?sub devision of a pica
How many points are in an inch?
72 smallest unit of measure
What is a pica and how many are in an inch?
another unit of measure, 6 pica in an inch
How many points are in a pica?
12 points
What is body type and where can it be found?
types size that range from 12 point type, type sizes that rang from 4pt through 12pt type. these sizes are found in place where there is a lot of text to be read.What is the key to selecting appropriate typefaces to be used as body type?
readably
What is display type and how is it used?
anything above 14 point type.
What is reverse type and when would it be used? consistes of white type on a solid black or darker color background, if the text is too small reverse type can be difficult on the readers eyes.
What is a typeface classification?
a basic system for classifying typefaces was devised in the 19th century when printers sought to identify a heritage for their own craft.
When was Blackletter invented and how was it used?
is the earliest of the typefaces. it was used with the inventions of the printing press in the mid 1400s.
Describer the characteristics of a Blackletter typeface?
thick and then strokes
When was Old Style invented and what was is based on?
old style or roman, it was based on ancient Roman inscriptions and created to replace Blackletter typfaces.
Describe the characteristics of an Old Style typeface?
they have serifs, they have thick and thin with those serifs
When were formal scripts developed?
from formal writings of 17th and 18th century handwriting masters. they will lend a formal quality to a composition. actual handwriting
When were casual scripts developed? in the 20th century
Describe the characteristics of a Script typeface?
based on forms made with flexible brushes or pens and have varied strokes reminiscent of handwriting
When was Modern typefaces developed and why?in the late 18th and 19th centuries as a radical break from traditional typography of the time.
Describe the characteristics of a Modern typeface?
have a sharp contrast between thick and thin strokes and have thin, flat serifs
How early can Sans Serif typefaces be found? What happened? as early as the 15th century, the italian Renaissance return to Old Style made the Sans Serif classification obsolete in the soth century.
When did they become popular? in the 1920
What does "sans serif" mean? without serifs
Describe the characteristics of a Sans Serif typeface?
its strokes are uniformed in weight and have a monotone appearance.
When was Slab Serif developed and why? developed in the 19th century for advertising purposes, its mainly used for decorative purposes and headlines.
Describe the characteristics of a Slab Serif typeface?
has a uniform line weight and thicker, square serifs.
Describe Decorative typefaces? these typefaces have the most distinctive design style. picture fonts.
Why were they developed?
decoration to fit in specific themes.
What are they best used for?they are best used for larger point sizes, or display type.