BAmagazine.com Before&After ® i U X How to use that typeface That font you love won’t work just anywhere; it has a style that needs to be complemented Here’s how to work to its strengths Continued Continued How to use that typeface 0677 BAmagazine.com Before&After ® i U X How to use that typeface That font you love won’t work just anywhere; it has a style that needs to be complemented Here’s how to work to its strengths Ever spot a typeface that you really like and can’t wait to use? It’s exciting, but go slow Before you buy it, you’ll want to know if the lines, shapes and little doodads that make it so appealing here will work as well over there How to tell? Reading a typeface is a little like reading a real face Tiny differences in the arch of an eyebrow, the curve of a lip and the contour of a cheekbone convey real presence, personality and attitude These need complementary presence and “attitude” from the other visual elements, or the result will be awkward, weak or just funny looking Here’s how to that University Roman Spotted on Monterey’s famous Cannery Row, funky University Roman on this slab of a gift-shop sign is out of its element Its offbeat letterforms, opulent curlicues and toothpick serifs are like a mardi-gras costume in political science class Not a match This is a typeface that wants to party! Let’s find it one! of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Make a visual overview Set the full alphabet and make a visual overview Write down what you see Why write it down? To make sure you’ve actually seen it Seriously A and e have extremely small counters, or enclosed spaces Flamboyant University Roman was developed in 1983 by the Letraset Type Studio It’s quirky and popular as a display typeface, especially on greeting cards It’s good for more than that, as we’ll see Other letters have REALLY BIG counters AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJj KkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSs TtUuVvWwXxYyZz 1234567890!$%&? Swashy tails Characters like N and O that in ordinary alphabets are the same width are very different in University Roman Conversely, characters like M and T that are normally different are alike here Opulent swirls and curlicues Thick-to-thin stroke differences are subtle but present on every character If the signmaker on the previous page had been writing this stuff down, he wouldn’t have affixed the V to his signboard backward of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Look at the details University Roman is full of swashy idiosyncracies that give it a hand-made, Christmasy style especially suitable for fanciful and romantic topics Serif extensions rise above cap height and drop below baseline N O Ee PRAB Quilt Asymmetrical serifs Exaggerated sizes Oddball character widths All straight letters are thin Really thin All round letters are wide Really wide—so wide that round lowercase letters are wider than their uppercase counterparts! (Ee, above right) Radical 50°- angle serifs and terminals! But only in lowercase! Wacky x-heights Bulbous, rubbery letters have an Alice-in-Wonderland quality; some have HUGE tops, some have HUGE bottoms, no apparent rhyme or reason A tail long enough to tickle three characters over of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Note strengths and weaknesses The irregular proportions and embellishments that make University Roman an entertaining display face make it very hard to read in text Key is to keep it big University Roman, a display face Texture and flasp net exating end mist of it snooling Spaff forl isn’t cubular but quastic, leam restart that can’t prebast It’s tope, this fluant chasible Silk, shast, lape and behast the thin chack “It has larch to say fan.” Why? Elesara and order is fay of alm A card whint not oogum or bont Pretty simple, glead and tarm Texture and flasp Bembo, a text face Texture and flasp net exating end mist of it snooling Spaff forl isn’t cubular but quastic, leam restart that can’t prebast It’s tope, this fluant chasible Silk, shast, lape and behast the thin chack “It has larch to say fan.” Why? Elesara and order is fay of alm A card whint not oogum or bont Pretty simple, glead and tarm Texture Its irregularities make University Roman unsuitable for text, where a rhythmic, medium typeface works best (above) University Roman can be used for very brief passages (left), but for anything more than a sentence or so, use a real text face Best of the Season to you! Chris & Robin Big, tight, even University Roman looks best big Its enormous, round letters create a lot of internal white space that looks better when it’s squeezed out, so set your words tightly and as evenly spaced as possible (below) aloe Even spacing Put more space between straight letters, less between round of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Put it to work The challenge now is to combine type with graphics in a coherent whole To learn how, let’s start at the end—with two cards that illustrate University Roman perfectly tuned to its environment Card Card NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Two beautiful cards The lines, shapes and colors of type and image are so tightly integrated that the designs appear completely natural and unforced Both type and image are strong but together are greater than the sum of their parts MASQUERADE YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Look for common shapes To find an image that goes with your typeface, start with shapes Round letters go naturally with round images Avoid triangles, squares and ambiguous shapes, which will compete and weaken your design Circles (Right) Round shapes are obvious in the round letters, but look at the smaller parts, too—the loops and swirls and negative spaces that are also round Teardrops (Below) Teardrops in the image mirror those in the swashy S NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 OC Dbae Complementary typeface (Above) Pair a fancy display face with an ordinary typeface for contrast plus readability at small sizes Look for similarities What’s interesting here is how different Futura is from University Roman, yet they have roundness in common of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Blend type and image using color and “edge” Now bring the image into the type, which in this case means literally Wrap the type around the edge contours, then apply its beautiful gradients to the lettering Blend using color Magenta to yellow (above) and cyan to green (left) are light, fresh combinations Sample color pairs from the image, add to the color palette as gradient swatches, then apply to the type, which will take on a natural radiance that blends beautifully into the image NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Blend using a common edge Wrap the words tightly to the contours of the image (left) As a rule with display type, you’ll this by eye, paying attention to the nooks, crannies and other details that the software would miss of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com of 13 i U X Lay out the card Place type and image on the small card, which confines and focuses the design A small, duplicate image activates the opposite corner and completes the layout Splashy composition is beautiful in open space (left), but its elements must work on a card, which confines them Set as big as possible, bleeding beyond the lower right corner (below) Faint image activates a space A smaller, lighter duplicate image in the upper left activates the passive white and balances the design NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 10 of 13 i U X Party down! MASQUERADE YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED Intrigue, mystery, fantasy For card 2, our fanciful typeface goes looking for an ideal party image and finds it in a gold mask FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY Picking the right image is key To illustrate a masquerade party, a mask is a natural choice, but which one? A quick search brought up a multitude of lavish creations, all visually interesting Flowers, flourishes and detailed textures mimic the extravagant forms of University Roman Monochromatic gold is direct and intense and will partner well with the typeface Multicolor masks (left, top) are so engaging they require the stage to themselves Real faces are similarly distracting; instead of a powerful design, the viewer will be wondering who it is Remember: common lines and shapes 10 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 11 of 13 i U X The image then designs the page With type and image together, now transfer the colors, ornaments and textures of the mask to the rest of the page Result—a unified, powerful design Ornamental border Corners of the barelythere border—just enough to frame the page—mimic the image MASQUERADE YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY MASQUERADE Sample two colors Combine light to dark monochromatic golds sampled from the mask into a gradient swatch, then apply to the typeface As we saw earlier, the new radiance beautifully reflects the qualities of the image (right) MASQUERADE Symmetrical mask is naturally “centered.” Centered layout then doubles its power YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY Woodcut Final, matching ornament punctuates the page with a full stop, completing the design 11 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 12 of 13 i U X Article resources Typefaces 1a Colors (a–b) University Roman | a) 112/82 pt b) 46 pt 11 C0 M85 Y0 K5 Futura Light | 18/21.5 pt 12 C0 M15 Y90 K0 11 Futura Extra Bold | 10 pt 12 Adobe Caslon Regular | 10.7/17 pt 13 C30 M45 Y80 K40 Adobe Wood Type Std Regular 14 C10 M10 Y30 K20 Images NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Images: iStockphoto.com (4836134) 7 (433813) (2626360) (1357805) 10 (3866203) 13 14 MASQUERADE 10 YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, 1b MYSTERY AND FANTASY 12 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 13 of 13 Subscribe to Before & After i U X Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990 Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone Subscribe to Before & After, and become a more capable, confident designer for pennies per article To learn more, go to http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe John McWade Publisher and creative director Gaye McWade Associate publisher Dexter Mark Abellera Staff designer E-mail this article To pass along a free copy of this article to Before & After magazine 323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678 Telephone 916-784-3880 Fax 916-784-3995 E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com www http://www.bamagazine.com others, click here Join our e-list To be notified by e-mail of new articles as they become available, go to Copyright ©2008 Before & After magazine ISSN 1049-0035 All rights reserved http://www.bamagazine.com/email You may pass along a free copy of this article to others by clicking here You may not alter this article, and you may not charge for it You may quote brief sections for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and let us know To link Before & After magazine to your Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com For all other permissions, please contact us 13 of 13 | Printing formats How to use that typeface 0677 BAmagazine.com Before&After ® i U X Before & After is made to fit your binder Before & After articles are intended for permanent reference All are titled and numbered For the current table of contents, click here To save time and paper, a paper-saver format of this article, suitable for one- or two-sided printing, is provided on the following pages For presentation format Print: (Specify pages 1–13) For paper-saver format Print: (Specify pages 15–21) Print Format: Landscape Page Size: Fit to Page Save Presentation format or Paper-saver format Back | Paper-saver format U X How to use that typeface That font you love won’t work just anywhere; it has a style that needs to be complemented U X Here’s how to work to its strengths Ever spot a typeface that you really like and can’t wait to use? It’s exciting, but go slow Before you buy it, you’ll want to know if the lines, shapes and little doodads that make it so appealing here will work as well over there How to tell? Reading a typeface is a little like reading a real face Tiny differences in the arch of an eyebrow, the curve of a lip and the contour of a cheekbone convey real presence, personality and attitude These need complementary presence and “attitude” from the other visual elements, or the result will be awkward, weak or just funny looking Here’s how to that How University Roman Spotted on Monterey’s famous Cannery Row, funky University Roman on this slab of a gift-shop sign is out of its element Its offbeat letterforms, opulent curlicues and toothpick serifs are like a mardi-gras costume in political science class Not a match This is a typeface that wants to party! Let’s find it one! How 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of How to use that typeface 0677 U X Make a visual overview Set the full alphabet and make a visual overview Write down what you see Why write it down? To make sure you’ve actually seen it Seriously A and e have extremely small counters, or enclosed spaces Flamboyant University Roman was developed in 1983 by the Letraset Type Studio It’s quirky and popular as a display typeface, especially on greeting cards It’s good for more than that, as we’ll see Other letters have REALLY BIG counters AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJj KkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSs TtUuVvWwXxYyZz 1234567890!$%&? Swashy tails Characters like N and O that in ordinary alphabets are the same width are very different in University Roman Conversely, characters like M and T that are normally different are alike here Opulent swirls and curlicues Thick-to-thin stroke differences are subtle but present on every character If the signmaker on the previous page had been writing this stuff down, he wouldn’t have affixed the V to his signboard backward U X How Look at the details University Roman is full of swashy idiosyncracies that give it a hand-made, Christmasy style especially suitable for fanciful and romantic topics Serif extensions rise above cap height and drop below baseline N O Ee PRAB Quilt Asymmetrical serifs Exaggerated sizes Oddball character widths All straight letters are thin Really thin All round letters are wide Really wide—so wide that round lowercase letters are wider than their uppercase counterparts! (Ee, above right) Radical 50°- angle serifs and terminals! But only in lowercase! Wacky x-heights Bulbous, rubbery letters have an Alice-in-Wonderland quality; some have HUGE tops, some have HUGE bottoms, no apparent rhyme or reason 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of A tail long enough to tickle three characters over How to use that typeface 0677 U X Note strengths and weaknesses The irregular proportions and embellishments that make University Roman an entertaining display face make it very hard to read in text Key is to keep it big University Roman, a display face Texture and flasp net exating end mist of it snooling Spaff forl isn’t cubular but quastic, leam restart that can’t prebast It’s tope, this fluant chasible Silk, shast, lape and behast the thin chack “It has larch to say fan.” Why? Elesara and order is fay of alm A card whint not oogum or bont Pretty simple, glead and tarm Texture and flasp Bembo, a text face Texture and flasp net exating end mist of it snooling Spaff forl isn’t cubular but quastic, leam restart that can’t prebast It’s tope, this fluant chasible Silk, shast, lape and behast the thin chack “It has larch to say fan.” Why? Elesara and order is fay of alm A card whint not oogum or bont Pretty simple, glead and tarm Texture Its irregularities make University Roman unsuitable for text, where a rhythmic, medium typeface works best (above) University Roman can be used for very brief passages (left), but for anything more than a sentence or so, use a real text face Best of the Season to you! Chris & Robin Big, tight, even University Roman looks best big Its enormous, round letters create a lot of internal white space that looks better when it’s squeezed out, so set your words tightly and as evenly spaced as possible (below) aloe Even spacing Put more space between straight letters, less between round U X How Put it to work The challenge now is to combine type with graphics in a coherent whole To learn how, let’s start at the end—with two cards that illustrate University Roman perfectly tuned to its environment Card Card NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 MASQUERADE Two beautiful cards The lines, shapes and colors of type and image are so tightly integrated that the designs appear completely natural and unforced Both type and image are strong but together are greater than the sum of their parts 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY How to use that typeface 0677 U X Look for common shapes To find an image that goes with your typeface, start with shapes Round letters go naturally with round images Avoid triangles, squares and ambiguous shapes, which will compete and weaken your design Circles (Right) Round shapes are obvious in the round letters, but look at the smaller parts, too—the loops and swirls and negative spaces that are also round Teardrops (Below) Teardrops in the image mirror those in the swashy S NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 OC Dbae Complementary typeface (Above) Pair a fancy display face with an ordinary typeface for contrast plus readability at small sizes Look for similarities What’s interesting here is how different Futura is from University Roman, yet they have roundness in common U X How Blend type and image using color and “edge” Now bring the image into the type, which in this case means literally Wrap the type around the edge contours, then apply its beautiful gradients to the lettering Blend using color Magenta to yellow (above) and cyan to green (left) are light, fresh combinations Sample color pairs from the image, add to the color palette as gradient swatches, then apply to the type, which will take on a natural radiance that blends beautifully into the image NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Blend using a common edge Wrap the words tightly to the contours of the image (left) As a rule with display type, you’ll this by eye, paying attention to the nooks, crannies and other details that the software would miss NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of How How to use that typeface 0677 U X Lay out the card Place type and image on the small card, which confines and focuses the design A small, duplicate image activates the opposite corner and completes the layout Splashy composition is beautiful in open space (left), but its elements must work on a card, which confines them Set as big as possible, bleeding beyond the lower right corner (below) Faint image activates a space A smaller, lighter duplicate image in the upper left activates the passive white and balances the design NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 U X How Party down! MASQUERADE YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED Intrigue, mystery, fantasy For card 2, our fanciful typeface goes looking for an ideal party image and finds it in a gold mask FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY Picking the right image is key To illustrate a masquerade party, a mask is a natural choice, but which one? A quick search brought up a multitude of lavish creations, all visually interesting 0677 How to use that typeface Flowers, flourishes and detailed textures mimic the extravagant forms of University Roman Monochromatic gold is direct and intense and will partner well with the typeface Multicolor masks (left, top) are so engaging they require the stage to themselves Real faces are similarly distracting; instead of a powerful design, the viewer will be wondering who it is Remember: common lines and shapes Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of How to use that typeface 0677 U X The image then designs the page With type and image together, now transfer the colors, ornaments and textures of the mask to the rest of the page Result—a unified, powerful design Ornamental border Corners of the barelythere border—just enough to frame the page—mimic the image MASQUERADE YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY MASQUERADE Sample two colors Combine light to dark monochromatic golds sampled from the mask into a gradient swatch, then apply to the typeface As we saw earlier, the new radiance beautifully reflects the qualities of the image (right) MASQUERADE Symmetrical mask is naturally “centered.” Centered layout then doubles its power YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY Woodcut Final, matching ornament punctuates the page with a full stop, completing the design U X How Article resources Typefaces 1a 11 C0 M85 Y0 K5 Futura Light | 18/21.5 pt 12 C0 M15 Y90 K0 11 Futura Extra Bold | 10 pt 12 Adobe Caslon Regular | 10.7/17 pt Adobe Wood Type Std Regular Colors (a–b) University Roman | a) 112/82 pt b) 46 pt 13 C30 M45 Y80 K40 14 C10 M10 Y30 K20 Images NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Images: iStockphoto.com (4836134) 7 (433813) (2626360) (1357805) 10 (3866203) 13 14 MASQUERADE 10 YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, 1b MYSTERY AND FANTASY 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of How to use that typeface 0677 U X Subscribe to Before & After Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990 Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone Subscribe to Before & After, and become a more capable, confident designer for pennies per article To learn more, go to http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe John McWade Publisher and creative director Gaye McWade Associate publisher Dexter Mark Abellera Staff designer E-mail this article To pass along a free copy of this article to Before & After magazine 323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678 Telephone 916-784-3880 Fax 916-784-3995 E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com www http://www.bamagazine.com others, click here Join our e-list To be notified by e-mail of new articles as they become available, go to Copyright ©2008 Before & After magazine ISSN 1049-0035 All rights reserved http://www.bamagazine.com/email You may pass along a free copy of this article to others by clicking here You may not alter this article, and you may not charge for it You may quote brief sections for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and let us know To link Before & After magazine to your Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com For all other permissions, please contact us 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com of How How to use that typeface 0677 [...]... Landscape Page Size: Fit to Page Save Presentation format or Paper-saver format Back | Paper-saver format U X How to use that typeface That font you love won’t work just anywhere; it has a style that needs to be complemented U X Here’s how to work to its strengths Ever spot a typeface that you really like and can’t wait to use? It’s exciting, but go slow Before you buy it, you’ll want to know if the lines,... completely natural and unforced Both type and image are strong but together are greater than the sum of their parts 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com 3 of 7 YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, MYSTERY AND FANTASY How to use that typeface 0677 U X Look for common shapes To find an image that goes with your typeface, start with shapes Round letters... FANTASY 5 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com 6 of 7 How to use that typeface 0677 U X Subscribe to Before & After Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990 Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even... a full stop, completing the design 11 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 12 of 13 i U X Article resources Typefaces 1a Colors 1 (a–b) University Roman | a) 112/82 pt b) 46 pt 11 C0 M85 Y0 K5 2 Futura Light | 18/21.5 pt 12 C0 M15 Y90 K0 11 3 Futura Extra Bold | 10 pt 12 4 Adobe Caslon Regular | 10.7/17 pt 13 C30 M45 Y80 K40 5 Adobe Wood Type Std... looking Here’s how to do that How University Roman Spotted on Monterey’s famous Cannery Row, funky University Roman on this slab of a gift-shop sign is out of its element Its offbeat letterforms, opulent curlicues and toothpick serifs are like a mardi-gras costume in political science class Not a match This is a typeface that wants to party! Let’s find it one! How 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After... quote brief sections for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and let us know To link Before & After magazine to your Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com For all other permissions, please contact us 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After | www.bamagazine.com 7 of 7 How How to use that typeface 0677 ... Y30 K20 6 Images NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Images: iStockphoto.com 6 (4836134) 5 8 7 7 (433813) 8 (2626360) 9 (1357805) 10 (3866203) 13 9 14 MASQUERADE 10 YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED FOR A FESTIVE EVENING OF INTRIGUE, 1b 4 MYSTERY AND FANTASY 5 12 of 13 How to use that typeface 0677 Before&After ® How to use that typeface BAmagazine.com 13 of 13 Subscribe to Before & After i U X Before & After magazine Before... then apply to the type, which will take on a natural radiance that blends beautifully into the image NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 Blend using a common edge Wrap the words tightly to the contours of the image (left) As a rule with display type, you’ll do this by eye, paying attention to the nooks, crannies and other details that the software would miss NOW THROUGH MARCH 28 0677 How to use that typeface Before&After... characters over How to use that typeface 0677 U X Note strengths and weaknesses The irregular proportions and embellishments that make University Roman an entertaining display face make it very hard to read in text Key is to keep it big University Roman, a display face Texture and flasp net exating end mist of it snooling Spaff forl isn’t cubular but quastic, leam restart that can’t prebast It’s tope, this... multitude of lavish creations, all visually interesting 0677 How to use that typeface Flowers, flourishes and detailed textures mimic the extravagant forms of University Roman Monochromatic gold is direct and intense and will partner well with the typeface Multicolor masks (left, top) are so engaging they require the stage to themselves Real faces are similarly distracting; instead of a powerful design,