Digital typography is about to explode across a screen near you. Best brush up on your web fonts, says Monotype's Daniel Rhatigan
We’re a few decades into the era of digital typography – long enough to take for granted that we have access to computers, printers and a vast range of typefaces. The desktop publishing revolution gave everyday users and professionals alike access to tools for typesetting, but it’s taken some time for things to settle into a general understanding of the possibilities of these tools.
Many have proved useful for web design, too, although ironically the text experience has been one of the most constrained aspects of web development. Thanks to a reliance on users’ installed fonts, the searchable, scalable, accessible content of the internet has been deprived of the potential richness of a full typographic palette, which we’ve grown to expect in print.
The dynamic delivery of fonts required by a web page might not seem like much on the surface of things, but just think about how much we communicate with typography. We can clarify complex information with type; we can convey emotion and tone; we can add an implicit message to the words we exchange. In a world of many different devices for many different users, typography remains the most adaptable way to enrich a message or improve an experience.
In the early days of desktop publishing, type designers and users had to adapt to the limitations of the coarse resolution of the printers available at the time. Similarly, the current spread of web fonts finds designers and users grappling with the resolutions of a variety of displays, most of which are still very low compared to the printed page.
If designers and users want to judge the quality of their typefaces in digital media, they need to look closely at what happens to screen pixels rather than printed dots. Do the letters in a given font align with one another? Do their outlines appear jagged, or do they achieve the illusion of smooth angles and curves? Do some of the letters look too dark or too light? Do they collide when they shouldn’t? In the same way that we expect hardware and software to improve, typographers need to look closely at the way that their type appears in use. The recent explosion of type designed for the screen introduces just a few different variables compared to the handful of reliable choices we have had so far.
Web font services represent the real shift in the way we can work with type today. Since fonts are delivered from a central server on the fly, the most current version of the font data will always be the version seen by the user. This means that foundries and type designers can continually improve their fonts, propagating updates in a way that is impractical with offline fonts. As OS rendering and browser support evolves, users can enjoy the benefits of fonts with better and better hinting, language support and typographic features.
As we get used to the spread of a digital environment, designers and foundries are responding with more than refined data for existing designs. We’re also seeing designs adapted for screen displays – such as Webtype’s Reading Edge series – or even typefaces that anticipate screen-use right from the start, like Microsoft’s ClearType collection or Georg Seifert’s Azuro. In projects like these – and more are certainly on the way – the shapes of individual letters, the spaces in and around them, and the overall feel are all designed to be as clear as possible on a variety of screens, giving designers and readers alike the best-quality building blocks for their digital projects.
This might all sound as though the state of typography for the screen is in the hands of type and software vendors, but this isn’t entirely the case. They might provide the raw materials, but the real potential of screen typography lies in the hands of the people who use the type. Typography is, after all, the art of using typefaces. Now that the tools are improving, the industry is waiting to see what designers and other users do with them. How will they – how will you – show the world what digital typography is capable of doing?
Monday 31 October 2011
Typograph Specimen
A type specimen is a publication in which a typeface is shown and presented, detailing what fonts the typeface consists of. These specimen can be used by graphic designers and typographers to judge how a particular typeface behaves on the printed page, and to decide if they want to buy and use the typeface in question. A type specimen usually contains texts set in different point sizes, set under different conditions and in different languages.
Influence
Neville Brody, Matthew Carter, Adrian Frutiger, Karlgeorg Hoefer, Akira Kobayashi, Hans Eduard Meier, Peter Matthias Noordzij, Gottfried Pott, Gerard Unger, and even Hermann Zapf; as well as their famous typefaces: ArcadiaTM, AriosoTM, Bell GothicTM, CarolinaTM, CaeciliaTM, FrutigerTM, HelveticaTM, OptimaTM, PalatinoTM ShelleyTM, ShoTM, SwiftTM, SyntaxTM, and UniversTM.
International Typeface Corporation
Submit A Design
International Typeface Corporation frequently receives requests for information on how to submit a typeface design. ITC is one of the few companies that actively seeks out and successfully markets new designs. In fact, it has been the core of our business for more than 30 years. ITC was founded in 1970 with the stated objective to develop and market typeface designs with an unwavering emphasis on excellence. Despite many significant changes in the industry, ITC has always remained true to its original goals.
How should I prepare my submission?
Generally speaking, in a way that best showcases the personality of the design. Show the complete character complement along with a test word (such as HAMBURGEFONTS) at various sizes. If it is a text design, show several text blocks at various sizes appropriate for your design. If it is a display design, show a sentence or two, such as "The quick, brown fox jumps over a lazy dog" at various display sizes, both caps and lowercase if appropriate. If you work digitally, sending the digital data is also very helpful, but not mandatory.
If possible, submit any other creative uses of the typeface that will best show off the unique qualities of the design. A creative, interesting presentation will help us visualize how you view your typeface in use, whether it be versatile or highly specialized.
What formats are acceptable as submissions?
Preferred formats are master font files (Fontographer, etc.), fonts, PDF or EPS files.
What if I've only drawn enough letters for a hand-lettering job?
Submit whatever you've got, even if it is a word or two. If your type design has potential, we'll work with you to develop it further.
What format do you accept once my design has been approved?
We accept digital formats from programs such as Macromedia Fontographer, Letraset FontStudio or Ikarus M. Include side bearings and kerning. Data from a vector illustration program such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or Corel Draw will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
What final character complement does ITC require?
Below is a chart showing the required complete character set.
IMPORTANT: If you have designed an uppercase-only typeface, ITC may require certain additional characters, such as small capitals, ornaments or alternate letterforms which can be placed in the lowercase positions. If appropriate, these characters will be determined by you and ITC.
International Typeface Corporation frequently receives requests for information on how to submit a typeface design. ITC is one of the few companies that actively seeks out and successfully markets new designs. In fact, it has been the core of our business for more than 30 years. ITC was founded in 1970 with the stated objective to develop and market typeface designs with an unwavering emphasis on excellence. Despite many significant changes in the industry, ITC has always remained true to its original goals.
How should I prepare my submission?
Generally speaking, in a way that best showcases the personality of the design. Show the complete character complement along with a test word (such as HAMBURGEFONTS) at various sizes. If it is a text design, show several text blocks at various sizes appropriate for your design. If it is a display design, show a sentence or two, such as "The quick, brown fox jumps over a lazy dog" at various display sizes, both caps and lowercase if appropriate. If you work digitally, sending the digital data is also very helpful, but not mandatory.
If possible, submit any other creative uses of the typeface that will best show off the unique qualities of the design. A creative, interesting presentation will help us visualize how you view your typeface in use, whether it be versatile or highly specialized.
What formats are acceptable as submissions?
Preferred formats are master font files (Fontographer, etc.), fonts, PDF or EPS files.
What if I've only drawn enough letters for a hand-lettering job?
Submit whatever you've got, even if it is a word or two. If your type design has potential, we'll work with you to develop it further.
What format do you accept once my design has been approved?
We accept digital formats from programs such as Macromedia Fontographer, Letraset FontStudio or Ikarus M. Include side bearings and kerning. Data from a vector illustration program such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or Corel Draw will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
What final character complement does ITC require?
Below is a chart showing the required complete character set.
IMPORTANT: If you have designed an uppercase-only typeface, ITC may require certain additional characters, such as small capitals, ornaments or alternate letterforms which can be placed in the lowercase positions. If appropriate, these characters will be determined by you and ITC.
Saturday 22 October 2011
Friday 21 October 2011
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Contents Reference for Receipts
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/617482
2. Melt the butter in a pan until foaming and sweat the onions with a pinch of salt and the picked thyme leaves and bay leaf for 3-4 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Leave to cool, then remove the bay leaf.
3. Stir the onion mixture into the marinated meat, then mix in the egg and pistachio nuts until well combined. Into the minced meat, now mix in the onions, add the egg and pistachio nuts.
4. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3.
5. Line a terrine mould with the streaky bacon rashers, making sure there’s excess bacon hanging out over the sides. Press the terrine mixture into the mould, then fold the excess bacon over the top of the mixture.
6. Place the terrine into a roasting tin and fill with enough boiling water until it comes up halfway up the sides of the mould. Cover the terrine with tin foil and bake in the oven for two hours. (To check if the terrine is cooked through, simply place a skewer into the middle of the terrine for 7 seconds, remove and check to see it’s piping hot.)
7. Remove the terrine from the bain marie and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge for one day before serving (this improves its flavour). Thickly slice and serve with some gherkins, pickled onions salad and toasted crusty bread.
1. Arrange the noodles, cucumber, chicken, radish, spring onion and chopped chilli on a plate, cover with cling-film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the shallots to the casserole. Fry for 2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the fennel, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, thyme and tomato puree.
3. Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper and return the chicken to the casserole. Pour in the ale or larger, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes.
4. When the casserole is cooked, divide the spinach between 4 warmed bowls. Top each with a few ladles of the casserole (the heat will instantly wilt the spinach) and serve straight away.
Ingredients
- 200 g pork belly, skin and bones removed
- 400 g pork shoulder, off the bone
- 400 g pig's liver
- pinches ground allspice
- dashes of brandy, or cognac
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 50 g butter
- 200 g onions, peeled, chopped
- 1 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 free range egg
- 50 g pistachio nuts, shelled
- 150 g streaky bacon, rashers
To serve
- pickled onions
- gherkins
- salad
- toasted crusty bread
Method
1. Mince the pork belly, pork shoulder and liver (you can ask your butcher to do this) and place into a bowl. Add a pinch of allspice, a dash of cognac or brandy, the garlic and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.2. Melt the butter in a pan until foaming and sweat the onions with a pinch of salt and the picked thyme leaves and bay leaf for 3-4 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Leave to cool, then remove the bay leaf.
3. Stir the onion mixture into the marinated meat, then mix in the egg and pistachio nuts until well combined. Into the minced meat, now mix in the onions, add the egg and pistachio nuts.
4. Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3.
5. Line a terrine mould with the streaky bacon rashers, making sure there’s excess bacon hanging out over the sides. Press the terrine mixture into the mould, then fold the excess bacon over the top of the mixture.
6. Place the terrine into a roasting tin and fill with enough boiling water until it comes up halfway up the sides of the mould. Cover the terrine with tin foil and bake in the oven for two hours. (To check if the terrine is cooked through, simply place a skewer into the middle of the terrine for 7 seconds, remove and check to see it’s piping hot.)
7. Remove the terrine from the bain marie and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge for one day before serving (this improves its flavour). Thickly slice and serve with some gherkins, pickled onions salad and toasted crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 100 g dried vermicelli mung bean noodles, pre-soaked & drained (or rice noodles)
- 1 cucumber, cut into julienne strips
- 250 g cooked chicken breasts
- 50 g radishes, sliced
- 1 large spring onion, finely sliced
- 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sichuan dried red chilli flakes, or dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp freshly ground roasted peppercorns
- 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp water
For the garnish
- 1 tsp each toasted black and white sesame seeds, or mixed health seeds and coriander
- Method
2. Before serving, put all ingredients for the dressing into a liquidiser and blend. For a warm dressing, pour the dressing into a small saucepan and heat for 2 minutes.
3. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture, sprinkle with the seeds and serve immediately.
3. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture, sprinkle with the seeds and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken, jointed into 8
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12-16 shallots, peeled and halved
- 1 large Florence bulb fennel, cut into wedges
- 500 g red or white skinned new potatoes, halved if large
- 200baby g carrots, washed and trimmed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small bunch thyme
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 500 ml light ale or lager
- 150-200 g spinach leaves
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Heat the olive oil in large ovenproof casserole over the stove. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry until golden on all sides.2. Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the shallots to the casserole. Fry for 2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the fennel, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, thyme and tomato puree.
3. Season the mixture with salt and freshly ground black pepper and return the chicken to the casserole. Pour in the ale or larger, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes.
4. When the casserole is cooked, divide the spinach between 4 warmed bowls. Top each with a few ladles of the casserole (the heat will instantly wilt the spinach) and serve straight away.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Reference to content - North Africa
Freestylee – Michael Thompson
North Africa is experiencing what is now called the biggest revolution in modern times as millions of protesters join in the fight against oppression, dictatorship and political domination. With that said, designers and artists are joining in protest and here is a small collection of some digital/graphic art. Please feel free to suggest some more we would love to see what you’ve found.http://www.africandigitalart.com/2011/02/revolution-egypt-tunisia-designers-react/
Contents references Pixacao
Contents
Nunca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/-nunca/2853132215/in/photostreamhttp://www.juxtapoz.com/Graffiti/pixacao
Developed in the favelas of Brazil, Pixcao hand styles are aggressive and distinctly unique to this region of the world. They commonly appear to stack up the sides of walls as if the writers run around with ladders in the night. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixação |
Pixação, known also as "wall writings," began in the 1940s and 50s as political statements written in tar and “were often written in response to the slogans painted by political parties across the streets.” [2]. “Piche” is the Portuguese word for tar, so Pixação refers to writings made in it. In the 1970s, Pixação almost disappeared, however it was revived in the 1980s by a group of kids who began writing their names, and the names of their crews, instead of political slogans. [3].
Although Pixação is no longer made up of political statements, but names, it is still a social statement.
Pixação is a “vehicle for the youth of the city to assert their existence and self-worth, and to do it loudly. As a social protest, Pixação is brutal, effective and pulls no punches. There is no country on earth with a worse distribution of wealth than Brazil. For the rich, there are nice buildings. For the poor, there are shanty towns. Pixação exists on the very surface of the constested wealth, and promises to keep on punishing the fortunate until they produce a world less punishing to begin with.”
http://www.thewordisbond.com/archives/13043
In an attempt to keep a dying - in the sense of media attention - aspect of Hip Hop alive, lets give graffiti a little attention for quick minute.
Brazilian graffiti has it's own very unique style. A style that has been greatly influenced by a group that call themselves, 'The Twins' or 'Os Gemeos.' It's likely you've seen their style before, it has been imitated many a time, but never duplicated. Impossibly skinny limbs are typical in a Gemeos piece. Their depictions of people rarely look like people, instead they resemble more a cartoon character. However don't be fooled by the lack of realism, look closely and you'll see intricate details placed in just the right places - such as knuckle creases, hair, clothing - so as to make it easy for comparisons to be drawn between the piece and its real life counterpart, if there is one...
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