Proportion as a type design concept is relative. We have in each of our minds an idea of what a normally proportioned typeface looks like. That innate sense lets us know when something is more compact or extended than usual. Type designers develop this sense of proportion to manipulate it for technical or expressive ends.
- [Instructor] Many attempts have been made…over the centuries to define…the construction of letter forms,…to unlock a secret geometry.…The truth it seems is much more mundane.…The proportion of letter forms comes from those…that were made before.…The off-sighted source of proportions and capitals…is the Trajan inscription,…a Roman inscription from the first century.…The Trajan letters can be divided into two camps:…those that fit roughly into a square,…and those that fit into a vertical rectangle.…
There are outliers of course,…but the majority adhere more or less to these two shapes.…Lowercase letter forms were initially based…on Renaissance calligraphy.…Early types by Jansen and later Garamond…became the models for proportion for later type designers.…These models of proportion, Trajan and Garamond,…don't need to be your models.…Too much time and evolution stand between you and them…but they were and they are models nonetheless.…
A careful study of proportions…in historically important fonts like Baskerville,…
Author
Charles Nix
Released
6/7/2017- Why study typography?
- What makes a typeface great?
- Serifs
- Stroke angle, weight, and contrast
- Shape variations
- Finding good models
- Typeface vs. lettering
- Drawing the basic glyphs
- Producing a functioning font
- Printing, critiquing, and revising
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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Welcome37s
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Who are type designers?3m 20s
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Why study typography?2m 13s
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1. What Makes a Typeface Great?
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Pedigree2m 30s
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Consistency3m 24s
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Readability and legibility3m 39s
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Utility1m 24s
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Novelty3m 38s
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Ubiquity2m 58s
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2. What Makes a Great Typeface?
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Serifs3m 37s
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General shape3m 58s
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x-height2m 52s
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Proportion3m 12s
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Fit4m 25s
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Shape variations2m 39s
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Display and decorative faces3m 34s
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3. Pre-Production
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Find good models3m 10s
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Typeface vs. lettering3m 2s
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Why is a plan necessary?2m 50s
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What glyphs are needed?3m 34s
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4. Drawing the Basic Glyphs
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Draw the o's and shoulders2m 26s
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Draw rounded glyphs3m 8s
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Draw glyphs with arms1m 22s
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Draw lowercase angled glyphs2m 22s
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Draw uppercase angled glyphs2m 26s
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Draw the s, S, and g3m 5s
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Set keywords1m 25s
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5. Producing a Functioning Font
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Digitize3m 33s
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Print, critique, and revise1m 45s
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Complete the character set1m 39s
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Adjust the problem pairs2m 15s
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Test your font files2m 19s
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Conclusion
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Video: Proportion