Volume 5–2.pdf - U&lc

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New career opportunities on horizon for
graphic designers or creative people with an
interest in typography.
Help wanted notices such as the one shown to the left
may be more commonplace in just a few years. A whole
new job category is opening up to graphic designers and
creative people as sophisticated typesetting and electronic
layout systems become more widely used— and as more
and more typographic work is produced at the drawing
board, so to speak, on the new typewriters and the officestyled
typographic machines (typographies writers.)
As the cost of such machines comes down and their
value is appreciated by office managers, one can expect to
see such systems used not only in commercial typesetting
services but also in the larger in-office reproduction
centers, in publishing and advertising offices, in design
studios and in corporation communication centers.
The Typographies Director, operating the keyboard, will
call up onto a TV-like screen all the elements that comprise
the page, ad, or area being worked on. Each will be
positioned, via keyboard instruction. The more capable
machines will display text and headlines in their correct
size and style and will size pictorial elements and position
them too. The screen will display the layout, giving the
designer a preview of how the job will look. Less sophisticated
machines will simulate type styles, leave space for
illustrations and pictures, and may represent the area to
scale in less than actual size.
In many cases, when the Typographies Director previews
the basic layout he/she will be able to electronically change
the selection, size and position of the elements. Paper proofs
can be produced of the final version or of any variation
wanted for future reference. When the layout is finally approved,
it can be stored for future use or futher revisions,
THIS ARTICLE WAS SET IN ITC GARAMOND ITALIC
printed out immediately on paper or film, or sent as
information to the typesetting unit where it will cause the
type to be set and positioned as per the layout.
These electronic layout systems will increase the designers'
productivity, make it easier to create and view alternative
solutions and expedite their final production. But, as fantastic
as the machines are, they won't exercise design
judgment. They are only slaves and to maximize their value
they will need a creative person with an understanding
and appreciation of typography to command them-
a Typographies Director.
Besides learning how to type, how can a designer prepare
for these growing opportunities of the future? Probably the
best way is to read all one can about the new graphic arts
production techniques, systems and processes and to visit
the new phototypesetting plants nearby. There are phototypesetting
machines in almost every large city and small
town today. A visit to your local newspaper to observe their
operation would also be mind-opening and rewardiiig.
Read, as much as you can, the many graphic arts journals.
Read the editorial material rind the advertisements.
Some of the newest and most valuable information about
the new technologies is in the advertisements put out by
the manufacturers of the new machines and equipment.
And finally, read as much as you can about Word Processing
Systems. Today's office typewriter word processing
equipment will soon have many of the layout capabilities
of the typesetting word processing machines.
Furthermore, these office machines are already being
connected to layout and typesetting machines so that all
work together in one system. Graphic arts quality is entering
the Office of the Future. Here will be found the Typographics
Director; the Information Manager, the Director
of Communications— and others. The future is-bright
with opportunities. Tomorrow is already here, today.
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