Urban Typography

flickr.com

I picked this as my example of Urban Typography because it is a sign you'd see in many urban areas in the U.S.  It's one of those signs you can't help but notice, especially when it's illuminated.  I'll never forget when I was younger and saw one of these with the "S" burned out.  It cracked me up that "Hell" had a location right off of the highway.

Typographical Error

Flicker.com

I'm always delighted to find signs that have misspellings or other silly errors.  Usually I can figure out the message.  I get the first part of the sign, but this one is throwing me a curve ball.  What in the world does "ferever" mean?

Neon Typography

This restroom sign is undoubtedly one that we've all come across at one time or another.  In it's own way, it has become a classic of sorts.  Fancy restroom signs are sometimes barely noticeable.  This on the other hand yells, "Hey! If you've gotta go, the bathrooms are here."

Credit: Flickr.com

It also makes me wonder if there are any other color variations of it. I don't recall seeing a neon bathroom sign like this in any other color than this yellowish white.  Now I'll subconsciously be on the lookout for variations.

Graffiti Typography



Credit: Flickr.com



This example of graffitti typography stood out because it made the message clear.  "Don't eat me" with a cow is simple and noticeable.  It looks to have been stenciled with spray paint on a wall. 

I like the roughness of it as well.  Slightly fatigued, but still strong.  I also like the uniqueness of it--it's not your typical graffiti with crazy colors and hard to read messages.

US Typography

You can't get much more "US" in typography than with our currency.  However, I feel that the US passport is a strong example of US typography as well.

The word "PASSPORT" conveys authority, but is balanced out with a softer touch with the italicized "United States of America". 

The colors of the text against the dark blue cover give it a regal feel.  The words and the colors succeed in giving this item an official look.

The Digital Type Revolution - How Digital Type Changed Design in the 21st Century

Humans have been trying to communicate messages since the beginning of time.  From cave drawings and hieroglyphics to Gutenberg and his Bible, history has shown that man is constantly trying to evolve the methods of visual communication.  



A bitmap example from designhistory.org



The 21^st century is no exception.  Digital communication is a standard form of communication that has had a profound effect on the way we communicate.  

Computer graphics in the basic form originated in the 1960’s with the Cathode Ray Tube, but the first digital typesetting system was introduced by Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell in 1965.  According to designhistory.org, it was the first device to produce characters entirely from digital masters (Sec. 4).

The first generations of letterforms were called Bitmap fonts.  Fonts.com describes these letterforms as, “comparable to superimposing a sheet of graph paper over a drawn letter and coloring in the boxes (pixels) that fell within the outline of that letter.” (Sec. 1)

Over the years, digital type has evolved into more than colored boxes.  It has evolved into forms that have increased clarity, formatting flexibility and require much less memory space than before.   And with the evolution of the characters themselves has come a revolution in the way designers design.

In the 1980’s, fonts could be designed, perfected and made available to the masses, not exclusively to ad agencies and design firms. (Selby, Par. 1)  Publishers welcomed the ability to use independently created typefaces that weren’t constricted to sizes and formats specifically for printing equipment. (Pollack, Par. 4)   And it only grew from there.

Although words on paper no longer ruled the road, the digital typography revolution changed electronic and print design forever.  It had freed letterforms from their static size and shape and allowed them to break free of standard grids if they choose.  



Bezier Curves allow for customized letterforms.
Credit: designhistory.org



 Today we are a society of electronic media.  Many experts feared that the digital age would be the end of typography and print mediums.  According to Ellen Lupton in her book, “Thinking with Type”, it has actually led to the “burgeoning of alphabetic empire” because a computer display is “more hospitable to text…because it offers physical proximity, user control, and a scale appropriate to the body.” (page 76)

Caroline Archer, a writer and print historian fears that the word ‘typography’ has become an abused term. In her article, “What is typography?” she expresses her concern over the confusion of what typography is.

“My students not only regard hand-lettering as typography, they also apply the term to handwriting, hand-engraving and sometimes even calligraphy and graffiti. While letterforms may be the common denominator of these allied disciplines, they remain separate subjects.” (Par. 1)

Despite fears of artists and designers forgetting the roots of typography, designers seem to agree that digital type has changed design for the better.  Communicating messages is faster and is relatively limitless in possibilities.

Sources

Selby, Michael.  “1980s type – The Digital Revolution.” Michael Selby. 23 Sept. 2008 .2 Dec. 2010. <http://www.michaelselby.blogspot.com>

“The Digital Revolution – The Computer Era”. 2010. 1 Dec. 2010. Sec. 1. <http://designhistory.org>

Archer, Caroline.  “Print’s past – What is Typography?” Printweek.  12 Mar. 2010. Postscript 51. 1 Dec. 2010. <www.http://lexusnexus.com>

Lupton, Ellen. Thinking With Type. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004.

Monotype Imaging. “A Brief History of Digital Type”.  2 Dec. 2010. http://fonts.com

Pollack, Andrew. “Typesetting Gets a Digital Facelift.”  The New York Times. 2 Aug. 1989. Sec. D, Col. 3.  1 Dec. 2010. <http://www.lexusnexus.com>

Hand Painted Typography

I found this example of hand painted typography while looking through old record album covers. I thought this was really neat because it's not just a font made to look authentic.  The words are actual painted letters on the brick wall. It makes a simple and effective use of space.  The band name is the largest text, with the album name next. It follows the typical reading direction from left to right.

I'd never heard of this music group prior to seeing this cover, but I think the combination of the text on brick and the washed out photo make for a unique album photograph.