Podcast #5 Typography

Define typography?
art of express ideas through the selection of appropriate typefaces

Where did the word "typography" originate from?
form and writing

What does typography involve?
creating and modifying type using a variety of illustration techniques

What is a typeface?
distinctive designs of visual symbols

What is another term for typeface?
fonts

What is a character?
individual symbols that make up a typeface

What is type style?
modifications in a typeface that create design variety while maintaining the visual style of the typeface

What does type style "create" within a design?
design variety

What is the waist line and what does it indicate?
imaginary line drawn at the middle of the characters, where lower case letters stop

What is a base line and what does it indicate?
imaginary line drawn at the bottom of the characters, where all symbols sit

What is an ascender?
the part of the character that extends above the waist line

What is a descender?the part of the character that extends below the waist line

Describe a serif?
smaller line used to finish off a main stroke of a letter

How can the size of the typeface be identified?
point size, from the top of the ascender to the bottom of the descender

What is a point?
the vertical measurement used to identify the size of a typeface.

How many points are in an inch?
72

What is a pica and how many are in an inch?
1

How many points are in a pica?
6

What is body type and where can it be found?
type sizes that range from 4-12 points.  Found in places where a lot of text is to be read

What is the key to selecting appropriate typefaces to be used as body type?
readability is key

What is display type and how is it used?
sizes above a 12, used to draw attention to a message

What is reverse type and when would it be used?
white type on a solid black or dark background. display type is necessary

What is a typeface classification?
basic system for classifying typefaces that was devised in the 19th century

When was Blackletter invented and how was it used?
earliest typeface, used in the mid 1400s with the printing press

Describer the characteristics of a Blackletter typeface?
very ornamental with varying thick and thin strokes

When was Old Style invneted and what was is based on?
Made in the 16th century based on ancient roman inscriptions

Describe the characteristics of an Old Style typeface?
wedge shapes and angled serifs, with low contrast in thick and thin strokes

When were formal scripts developed?
17th and 18th century

When were casual scripts developed?
20th century

Describe the characteristics of a Script typeface?based on forms made with flexible writing tools, like brushes, reminiscent of handwriting
 
When was Modern typefaces developed and why?
the late 18th century as a radical break from traditional typography

Describe the characteristics of a Modern typeface?
sharp contrast between thick and thin lines, flat and thin serifs

How early can Sans Serif typefaces be found? What happened?
early as the fifth century, but the Italian renaissance's return to old style made it obsolete 

When did they become popular?

in the 1920s

What does "sans serif" mean?
without serifs

Describe the characteristics of a Sans Serif typeface?
no serifs and very monotone, no variation in thickness and thinness

When was Slab Serif developed and why?
in the 19th century for advertising

Describe the characteristics of a Slab Serif typeface?
uniform line weight, but with thick square serifs

Describe Decorative typefaces?
most distinctive designs, with a specific purpose or theme

Why were they developed?
for these specific themes that no other typeface fit

What are they best used for?
larger point sizes, or display type