Typography is one of the most commonly used elements in graphic design. Type is the most direct way to communicate visually typically set either as headers or in paragraphs.
A single letter in a typeface is a combination of geometric and organic shapes which combined together to create a larger space. In this case the letter R
This unique letter shape is an entity and is part of a complete typeface made of other letter shapes. The characteristics of every typeface can be broken down into what is known in design as the anatomy of type It's the type of shape giving to the anatomy of type in each letter that gives the typeface its distinct look and feel.
Type is not simply about communicating words, words are important but what can be equally as important is the style of those words, the typeface and the way they are arranged on a page.
Typefaces can be part of a family of various weights which can be used to express various tones or create visual hierarchy in the design. Typefaces are like voices with accents and dialects which have their own distinct pronunciations and characters so typefaces don't just communicate literally they communicate visually.
For this reason the choice of typeface used in a design is crucial to set the intended look and feel, set a tone and character to a piece of work.
Typefaces have evolved overtime. The first type faces were designed to be practical cut out of wooden blocks or cast in lead to work in a print press for mass production, others have originated from various design movements but what they all have in common is that they have all been created to fulfill a particular purpose and express a particular look and feel. Today, there are many categories of typefaces such as serif, sans serif, slab serif, rounded, script, blackletter, decorative and abstract to name a few with some sharing characteristic of various categories.
Design throughout history has celebrated the shape and form of type and has shown us that type can be both functional and decorative. The way type has been arranged and the relationship given to it to other elements in compositions has redefined the use of type in design.
Few examples of functional and decorative typography
The first set of examples showcase functional uses of type all of these examples are used to inform and deliver a clear message.
The first example is a basic use of type justified and placed simply on a page as one block. This has a traditional feel with the use of its serif font.
The next two examples takes the previous technique further add more dynamics with more complex compositions, the example show type in columns and some type of elements have been increased and used in capitals to add contrast. In the 2nd examples we have a mixture of type weights applied to the header and sub-headers to create contrast and hierarchy, negative space has been considered to create structure and allow some type element to stand out. We also see some line elements that have been used to reinforce the visual structure and layout with headers and sub headers are used.
The next example is simple yet dynamic. We have a clean bold header with justified type below in a block at a unique angle. Overall this create a nice contrast with direction and movement on the page.
The next example is simple and bold, here we have a decorative font used for what could be a title or header of a magazine or booklet. Under this we have a bold message capped into a space sealed with two lines bars top and bottom. The type has been carefully scaled to meet the same width of the top and bottom line bar. Overall this feels bold rigid and strong, assertive.
In the last examples we have a serif font with thick spines, thin crossbars with exaggerated serifs. This font feels quite classy and boutique. This has been used here in an interesting layout. Here we have some larger line type to the top which defines the column widths of the type below. The smaller type runs aligned left to each word in the larger type. Here the contrast is not only in size but also in alignment which creates an overall dynamic layout.
So even though there are some creative aspects to these compositions, it is not enough to distract from the overall message they only serve to complement and add sophistication to the message.
The second set of examples showcase more creative uses of type. All of these examples are used to inform but the priority is placed more on the creative aspect of the look and feel.
The first example show how print block letters have been carefully chosen and arranged to look like a face. Here not only are we looking at the type but also the shapes, form and textures of the print blocks.
In the next example we have 3D degenerated type unlike the functional 2D examples we have added form, shadow, perspective and depth to add visual factors which add dimension.
In the next examples all emphasis is focused on the craft of the type. We are encouraged to see this as a piece of design art. This is more about the beauty of the geometric shapes, the grid and the characteristics of the letter forms themselves. Here the message is not what the type of saying but what the type of saying about itself.
The next examples test the limits of order, alignment, legibility and contrast. Here a lot of words pop out to us in no particular order. Due to the lack of order and focus the types begin to merge together into an overall texture and shape on the page.
The next two examples takes this to the next level. Here we have almost no legibility of message to the point we stop looking for legibility but get immersed in the hypnotic shapes. These types compositions have become image textures and now we feel them as opposed to reading them.
So from a practical use to a more creative use in design, type can be used to communicate literally and to tantalize the visual senses to engage emotionally.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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