Studio Brief 02 - Typeface Research

Our new studio brief is to create our own typeface. We have been given nine typefaces to work with as our starting point, based on Joseph Muller-Brockmann's typeface choices. These are:

- Garamond
- Caslon
- Baskerville
- Bodoni
- Clarendon
- Berthold
- Times
- Helvetica
- Univers

We then have to chose and adjective or emotive word to base our work around. We can create the typeface in upper or lowercase and it has to work together in endless combinations with a harmonious sequence.

Garamond:
- Created by French punch-cutter Claude Garamond
- Today's Garamond based around modern interpretations of the punches of Claude
- Garamond was the first to deviate from purely handwritten style letters to make a typeface read better when printed
- Letterforms thin and delicate
- Orante and decorative
- Large counters in a/e
- Horizontal crossbar
- Long ascenders and descenders
- Used in Harry Potter and Dr Seuss books, Google's original logo, Abercrombie & Fitch logo, etc

Bodoni:
- Designed by Giambattista Bodoni, Italy, in early 19th century
- Highly influenced by geometry
- Romantic style typeface
- Extreme contrasts between thick & thin strokes
- Subtly bracketed serifs
- Long ascenders and descenders
- Ornate appearance

Times New Roman:
- Similar to Plantin
- Sharper serifs, higher contrast with stroke weights
- Short ascenders and descenders
- Bracketed sharp serifs

Helvetica:
- Most neutral typeface
- Swiss style
- Clarity, precision, objectivity
- Large x-height
- 'O' - oval rather than circular
- Lowercase a - double story
- A is in teardrop shape

Caslon:
- Characterized by short ascenders and descenders
- Bracketed serifs
- High contrast

Baskerville:
- Transitional typeface
- In between classical and high contrast typefaces
- Elegant in larger text sizes
- Fairly light appearance

Clarendon:
- Slab serif
- Vertical stress
- Tall x-height
- Short ascenders and descenders
- Strong bracketed serifs

Berthold:
- Also named Akzidenz-Grotesk
- Tail of Q does not cross circle
- J does not descend below baseline
- Middle of M descends to baseline
- Double story A

Univers:
- Squaring of round strokes
- Diagonal strokes of k meet at stem
- Two storied A