WEB STANDARDS CREATIVITY

The process
Figure 7-1. Times New Roman (top) vs. Georgia (bottom)
Typically, when a digital typeface is created, its printed form takes priority. Outlines of the type’s shapes are drawn first, and
bitmap versions of small text sizes (for clarity on the screen, in case it should wind up there) are drawn based on those outlines.
In other words, a resolution-independent design is retrofitted into an extremely low resolution. Results vary, but in
many cases, small text sizes are all but illegible on the screen. With Georgia, Carter decided to reverse the process. Since this
typeface was intended primarily for the screen, the bitmaps were drawn first (at 8- to 12-point sizes), and then the outlines
were drawn to accommodate them (Figure 7-2). This resulted in an unprecedented elegant clarity for a screen-based serif
face, a classification notorious for its illegibility.
The right man for the job
Figure 7-2. Georgia outlines vs. Georgia bitmap
It was no fluke that Matthew Carter was chosen for the task. The son of an acclaimed type designer and printing historian,
he began cutting original designs and revivals of classic typefaces in metal in the late 1950s, before going on to cofound the
well-known Bitstream and Carter & Cone digital type foundries. Based on his decades of experience, impressive list of
esteemed clients (including Time Magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post), and body of work (most notably
Bell Centennial, and, later, the screen-based Verdana), few—if any—people could claim to be more qualified to design a
timeless, legible typeface, intended for the screen but still rooted in tradition.
OK, now that you’ve got a handle on how, why, and when Georgia came about, you’re ready to put it to use, with a practical
example. Let’s build something!
chapter 7 Bridging the Type Divide: Classic Typography with CSS
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