Volume 21–2.pdf

asidered a
ant to focus on which typetaces
ch typefaces
Typefaces include:
Ru.ach
Klee
Letraset Pink
Ulysses
Quad & Quadsoft
Pneuma
Cheshire, England
We are indebted to the Humanists, who made
the brilliant mistake of interpreting the work of
Carolingian scribes as the letter of Rome. Nicolas
Jenson froze letters in the 15th century and
they haven't changed since. There have been
transitional forms, like variations on a theme,
Eirik ySpiekermann
Uvwaiffiox
but they all have this same skeleton, which
Adrian Frutiger illustrated very well in his cross-
hatched drawings. So, if we want a thing to
be readable, it has to look like its grandparent.
You have to be aware of Humanist design to
make timeless design.
31e to anyone with a computer,
market,
Typefaces include:
Berliner Grotesk
LoType
ITC Officina®
FF Meta
ation Zuzana Licko
The characteristics of a contemporary typeface
which would make it timeless are: It has to
capture the spirit of its time without following
obvious fashions or trends. It has to be suited
to many purposes. It has to have a good range
of weights. It has to have at least a few characters
which are unique, slightly different from
other typefaces so it can be recognized from
them. It has to be technically well executed.
The most important point is the first one.
All successful typefaces clearly show their heritage—the
time they were created and why they
were designed. This makes them honest and
believable. Contrived designs don't age well.
Lastly, you cannot design a classic; only history
will tell whether it is or not. It will take five
years, even today, for a face to be accepted,
and another five for it to become a classic.
25
Typefaces include:
Citizen
Narly
Elektrix
Oblong (with Rudy Vanderlans)
Journal
Quartet
Lunatix
Senator
Matrix
Matrix Script
Triplex Roman
Modula
Variex
Emperor
Universal
Oakland
Emigre
But what does timeless mean anyway? A
design that could be used at any time throughout
history, regardless of what government is in
power, what zeitgeist? If we substitute "timeless"
with "longevity" then my answer is this:
The characteristics that give typefaces longevity
are the same things that give a pair of trousers
longevity. They're not too tight, they're not too
ostentatious and they're easily available.
Rudy Vanderlans (on behalf of Emigre, with
Zuzana Licko) What a novel and awful question.
If anyone knew the answer we'd all be without
work. There probably is something that makes
a typeface last a Long time, but I think it has a
Lot to do with familiarity. I don't think there is
anything intrinsically legible about Bodoni,
for example. It is beautifully designed, but it
is highly legible because it is familiar. We read
easiest what we are most familiar with.
It all depends on how typefaces are marketed
and forced down people's throats. Some
were automatically installed on every laser-
writer that came out, as default fonts, which
had a phenomenal impact on our ideas of
Legibility and usage.
How do we pick an Emigre typeface? It must
have a certain amount of originality, which is
always difficult. Something that adds to the
typefaces already out there. Also, a real idea
has to be visible; a lot of typefaces submitted to
us are just based on computer errors and tricks.
We tend to stay away from those. We try to look
for a design where there is real. intent, and
something added, like the designer's signature.
And, of course, we choose fonts that we think
we might use in our own work. Finally, we ask,
"Would it sell?"