Another typeface from Goudy, Old Style

With its beautifully rounded serifs and unique appeal, we can safely see the intricate details of Goudy Old Style’s form. As all letters of a typeface should be considered a part of a whole and not seen individually, Goudy Old Style makes up a very formulated and thought out typeface. Slender is its form with little contrast between the thick and thin lines that make up this typeface. Like a song dancing on a page, Goudy Old Style is choreographed ever so meticulously. Its almost as if the font itself is held to such high standards that it must be perfectly presented every time. Its beauty has graced the covers of Harper’s Magazine and is proudly presented as text on Western Union and Heritage Bank’s logo. It’s use has also been the face of prestigious universities such as Emory and Kellog School of Management .

Primarily, Goudy Old Style is seen in companies with a reputable image. It’s no doubt that this font is of noble birth as being born into the Old Style font family in 1915. The font is held in high regard and with good reason. Being one of 115 typeface products of Mr. Frederic W. Goudy, it’s percision takes on a very traditional stance Mr. Goudy is considered to be an artist of typography having studied it for many years. The better part of his life was spent publishing and designing typefaces such as Camelot Old Style and Cooperplate So how did Goudy Old Style come to be? After continuously examining the inner workings of a typeface and how to correctly formulate one, Frederic Goudy had it down to a science. He studied masters of font creators such as 15th century graphic artist, Albrecht Dürer who formed letters using graphs, lines and circles. The process of breaking down a letter’s form into a mixed hand made of unicals and capitals gave way to a new style of writing. Letters were now being employed with more rounded curves to emulating handwriting due to new materials letters were being placed on such as parchment and vellum .
There are a few variations to Goudy Old Style font family worth mentioning. They are Goudy Old Style BT, Goudy Old Style Bold, Goudy Old Style Italic, Goudy Style Bold Italic, Goudy Style Extra Bold, and Goudy Heavyfaced. Other decorative variations of this font are GoudyText, GoudyMedieval, Goudy Handtooled, and Goudy Stout.
The main characteristic that sets itself apart from the rest is the distinguished diamond shape diacritic which rests above the letters, “j & i,” and lies at the end of a sentence. It’s captivating diamonds are just one attribute that set it apart from the rest. “All writing or lettering is a form of drawing- Simple of course. The characters of our alphabet were originally pictures or symbols…” was proposed by Mr. Frederic W. Goudy. Its serifs stick out like a sore thumb. The typeface consists of rounded and slopped serifs, spurs and ears. Its design carries a unified theme as well when comparing the stem each letter. The uppercase “w” also forges its way apart from other old style fonts as its form contains a crossbar rather than an apex. It resembles two “v’s” who have overlapped rather than connected.
Other characteristics of this typeface are the thin hairlines and stroke to height ratio. In examining the uppercase “P” of the font, the bowl is left open and exposed therefore almost creating a counter. As mentioned briefly, the typeface also contains raised and slopped features. One example is that of the lowercase “t.” Unlike Egyptian or slab serif fonts, the filets and serifs of the letter are curved upward at an angle.
The typeface consists of a short beardline but has a medium x-height which can almost visually exaggerate the typeface’s ascenders leaving less focus on its descenders. Because the typeface contains curved and wavy serifs, it leaves for an uneven looking baseline. It also leaves no terminals in the typeface. Oddly enough, the arms and legs of Goudy Old Style are straight. Also, the “&” (ampersand) of this typeface is created with an open bowl rather than a closed one as more commonly seen in Old Style typefaces.
Upon researching it, one might believe that Goudy Old Style was created under this same philosophy as that of Albrect Dürer’s geometry of lettering: rounded curves and less right angles for an easier flow of writing. So why is it that out of 115 typefaces created, this particular one carries the name of its creator? It was neither the first nor the last typeface created by Mr. Goudy. One theory serves that this typeface must have more of his personality implied in it over any other one created by him. It’s quite possible that this is his proudest typeface every created.

Copperplate Typeface

Copperplate typeface is as much common today as it was in past history. Although it was a very common typeface, it has many unique characteristics that separate it from the more modern typefaces. It’s also an essential typeface that many present day designer should learn about. Its main strength in design is for it to be used in context situations such as business or an elegant, traditional, and serious instances. With further study of its history, characteristics, pros and cons, opinions, and exploration of notorious and honorable trends of the typeface.

The typeface was created by Frederic Williams in around the year 1905. He was born in 1865 in the city of Bloomington. He moves to Chicago in his early 20’s to work in real estate. In 1895 he opened a print workshop where he started to create his many typefaces and typographical designs. He moves his workshop to Marlborough-on-Hudson in 1924. In the year of 1939, his workshop is destroyed in a fire and so he then teaches calligraphy at the University of Syracuse. He then died at the age 82 on November 5, 1947.

The typeface is a Linotype, this means that it was used in a Linotype machine that was created in 1886. The characters of the typeface would be placed in in a press which would create a single line of text. There is an AB and BC designator for the typeface to distinguish the contrast between the variations of the capital letters and small caps of the Copperplate typeface, and in front of that it has a numbering system that distinguishes the width and weigh. This makes the typeface ideal for designing with small caps because one would have more options. For instance, instead of having to create the desired size of a small cap one would have the option of using different variations of the typefaces small caps. This makes it so the entire design is in uniform and has the correct stroke and weight ratio of the characters. Frederic Williams had created 116 typefaces in his lifetime which Copperplate Gothic Bold became one of his most popular typeface fonts.

The typeface has been constructed out of capital letters and small caps. This would make it most usable for headlines and header design. It is essential to know that the small caps of the character are not just a smaller version of the capital letter. Although it has the x-height of a lowercase letter the thickness of the horizontal stroke remains the same as the capital letter of the typeface. It would not be beneficial to use it in large body copy because it would make it more difficult to read. Having the body text in all capital letter would make it difficult to read because it would give the illusion of block like shapes and it would not have the visual contras that upper and lowercase letter create to help us read more rapidly.

The typeface is classified as a serif typeface but it has similar characteristics of a sanserif. The stroke and with of the typeface is similar to sanserif, such as Univers. The typefaces serifs are bracketed and are constant trough. The serifs are not noticeable at first glance when used in smaller point sizes but can still be visible within inspection. The serifs have a design and look of letters that were engraved in actual copperplate. There is a distinctive design to the serifs that some might consider a drawback. All the serifs use are the exact same style, such as on the terminal of the character A or H, and it seems to be overused. For instance the letter J has a two sided serif where the tail is which seems to look odd compared to modern typefaces with serifs. Another thing that is odd is that the horizontal serif of characters, such as in the letter T, goes above the capline, or meanline in the instance of small caps, and below the baseline, such as the in the letter L. The serifs do work really well in some characters. For example, the letter C has a set of serifs on the end of the strokes which is pleasing to the eye and kind of makes the character resemble the look of a horseshoe to me

The serifs also seem to be overused in the glyphs and numbers of the typeface which is highly unusual for a serif typeface. The astrix symbol has serifs along every of its strokes ends which makes it not that much functional because astrix are often used in small type. The reason for this is probably to support the fact that the typeface is just not meant to be used in small type. Another glyph that is unique is the ampersand. The shape of the ampersand is very different from other typefaces because it is more of the shape of the number eight and, as usual to any character, it has a set of serifs at the end of its strokes. Not all the glyphs had serifs which is something I was glad about although there where only a few. Some of these where glyphs like quotation marks which look like any other ordinary ones but where designed to be used with the typeface. The number 5 has three sets serifs and a single serif on the top left of the number. One of these serifs are in a unique area. The area is between where the horizontal stroke meets the curve of the number 5. At first glance it seems to be overdone because not only does it have serifs, which no other different professional typeface has, it is in a strange area of the number. Although that is a very unusual area to have a serif, it makes the number more unique and elegant in my opinion. Another number that catches ones attention is the number 1. Its design is very unusual because it looks like the character I with the extending stroke just below the top of the character, which is not that uncommon, but it does not have a curve to connect the two different strokes. This makes the number seem unfinished and not too pleasant to the eye. Most serif character would have limited or no serifs at all on their numbers and glyphs. It seems that the serifs of the typeface is at almost every visible end of the numbers, glyphs, and alphabetical character. Although this is the case, that is what makes the Copperplate typeface most unique and distinguishable.

Most of the Copperplate typefaces are more wide than tall compared to many other different typefaces. Usually the lighter fonts are less wider than the bolder fonts. There are no other variations like italic or oblique with this typeface which is understandable because it is not required for its unofficial purpose to be used in context such as headlines and business cards. The opinion of some people is that the typeface could benefit with an italic font which is very much possible because the typeface has a simple design to begin with.
There are mixed emotions and opinions about the Copperplate typeface. It is notorious because many people use it incorrectly. For instance, there is a trend of people using it to name their business which can work if it is used in the correct context and not overused. An example of using it in a correct context is using it to name an classic and elegant restaurant or the name of a fraternity and not something like a toy store. Most people think that the typeface works best for business cards because of its successful history of doing so. I believe that the typeface sometimes works best when used with combination of other different typefaces. Using a combination of typefaces can escalate the design and make the typeface look better. The typeface could work with either another serif or sanserif because of its unique design of having characteristics of both kind. The typeface can occasionally seem bland and boring in large context besides body text. For instance, a restaurant menu designed in all Copperplate would not be too appealing. Another reason the typeface is infamous is because its a standard typeface, like Times New Roman, in most programs. This means that people tend to use it more often when they desire an old style typeface which leads to people misusing it in design.

A typeface that I personally admire that is similar to Copperplate is Copper Penny. The typeface is inspired by the original Copperplate Gothic design and was recently released in 2008. It is designed with the similar serif design and it comes with a set of lowercase letters which is what makes the typeface most admirable. It also uses the design of other typefaces of the time period. For example, having a diamond shape in the counter of the letter O, which was a common trend in that early time period. This gives the typeface more flexibility in design and can be use more than just headlines. I was not to fond of the typeface in the first time I saw it. It had an unusual design and I though that the serif where overdone in my opinion, but after further exploration I saw that the typeface had lots of potential and can be successful if used in the correct context.

Analyzing Gill Sans

Gill Sans is among one of the unique typefaces we have in typography. Gill Sans is a true hybrid, carrying characteristic of both serif and san serif fonts. A further exploration into the history, characteristic, pros and cons and personal opinions will allow for further understanding of this typeface and its uses in our society even in the present day.

Gill Sans is the product of an artist turned typographer Eric Gill. The font was released through the Monotype Corporation in 1928. During this period in time, many fonts of Gill Sans similarity were being produced such as Futura and Kabel, which are both san serif fonts. Gill Sans is classified as a humanist san serif font. San Serif fonts are fonts that are void of having small features at the end of the stroke. However, a slight serif is evident in Gill’s lower case and uppercase letters. This is what allows for this font to be a hybrid font incorporating classical versions of Roman Type. An apprentice of Edward Johnston, designer of the London Underground font, Gill Sans is practically a mere reflection of Johnston’s typeface.

Characteristics of Gill Sans are unique to the artist himself. Containing hard-sculpted forms, this is also a likely representation of Gill carrying his artistic sculpting knowledge and applying that basis to the creation of this typeface. There is also a pronounced contrast in the strokes. This is seen primarily in the letter “r” and “a”. Gill Sans contains over 14 different variations with this typeface including Gill Sans Light, Light Italic, Regular, Italic Regular, Book, Book Italic, Bold, Heavy, and Ultra Bold are among the few that can be easily discussed. The lighter of these fonts is seen to be the best example of Gill Sans. This is mainly due by the legibility factor of the stroke weights within the font. The Bolder the font becomes the more illegible the font is. There is a complete juxtaposition of letterforms from Gill Sans Regular to Gill Sans Bold. There are stark contrasts between Gill Sans Regular and Gill Sans Italic. For instance, the counter on the lowercase letter “a” is completely different. Notice this is the letter “a” in Gill Sans Regular; this is an example of the letter “a” in Gill Sans Italic. Notice how the there is no swooping stroke at the end of the letter “a” in Italic and how the counter is much more prominent. Also the lowercase letter “f” in Gill Sans Italic goes below the baseline of the font itself. The Italic “p” actually overlaps each other where the counter and stem meet. This could possibly be another reason why people felt it had a more human feel to it. Among other examples is the Alt of Gill Sans, which numerals contain a different capline; as well the numerals become descenders. In the Bolder faces of this type the lowercase “r” loses its stroke to a more bulbous rounded end. The signature elongated uppercase “R” and lowercase “g” resembling eyeglasses are exemplary of the Futuristic movement in which Gill was a part of. There is a rule in determining whether or not a typeface is considered to be legible. Gill Sans defies the standard because the x-height of this font face is slightly smaller than your average face that’s awarded on the fact of legibility alone. Probably one of the greatest qualities Gill Sans has is that it is space efficient when used in body text therefore giving the designer knowledge that they can work well incorporating this font into wordy body copy.

Gill Sans is feature in much of the British Culture. It is the font used for all the street signs in the United Kingdom. The font was practically adopted by the U.K. as the type of the mid 19th century. Terror Island an online magazine uses this font as its cover and body text. Among more notable things Gill Sans is also featured as the Title for Wine and Dine Magazine (Ultra Bold), Popular children’s animated film Chicken Little (ultra bold), Local Retail Eyeglasses store Eyeglass World they incorporate the “g” and use it as eyeglasses, Popular British Act Bloc Party use Gill sans as their main text in the first two album release as well as making it the font to signify the band Bloc Party. Among others include Mega hardware store HOME DEPOT which use the font in various signage around the store. Lionardo DeCaprio directed Environmental Documentary :An Inconvenient Truth which contained Gill Sans Bold. Gill Sans has played a significant role this year especially in the two thousand and nine presidential election. President Barack Obama used Gill Sans for his presidential logo during the running of his campaign for presidency.

I feel personally that yes! Upon further examination of the font, Gill San’s bold typeface needs to be reworked. It is true what they say, the font is unique and a hybrid amongst a plethora of futuristic typefaces. However there are still qualities about the bold typeface that do work. In a more signage design format the font has it’s playful qualities. Moreover, the term novelty could be used for the bold typeface of this font. I think it is also very interesting how many different variations of the font there are out for the public to ascertain. That is why the font should be reworked. I do not know to what extent. There is a great discrepancy in the typeface that needs to be corrected perhaps changing the bulbous lower case “r”, even condensing some of the typeface or creating a proper x-height instead of it’s slightly smaller size, these are simply three ideas to try and work out. So the question is why is there not a corrected or updated version? With the amount of fonts circulating today could it be fair game that if someone considered reworking the bold face of Gill Sans they could they call it Gill Sans Neue? Would Eric Gill get all the credit or would the other designer also be accredited to the contribution of the advancements in timeless typefaces. Also, I am not a fan of the italic “p” that whole crossing over strokes is not pleasing to the eye. Sure it looks like a person would make the stroke but seriously this font could be amongst the great like Avant Garde, Futura, and Frutiger. The “g” resembling eyeglasses is genius on the part of Eric Gill.

Through examining this font I have gained a greater knowledge of a font that on paper looks amazing, yet with a closer look you see that there are significant flaws in the design. However, conceptually, understanding what Gill was trying to do lends Gill Sans to be a great font for design. Gill Sans Regular and Light are the choices I would use the font in poster design as well as for body type. Considering all the factors the typeface with the flaws is the most efficient in space. With the intentional shortening of the x-height which has managed to create a much more condensed body copy. It would be fair to say that if the whole world used Gill Sans as body copy we would technically be helping the environment by saving on paper waste. Even the hard sculpted strokes create the dominance of an aesthetically pleasing font, but also a legibility factor that pulls from both classical and futuristic styles. The “melting pot” font is what I like to call Gill Sans. Sometimes breaking the rules makes the rules.

Reference:

An Essay On Type- Eric Gill

The Lettrforms and type by Eric Gill- Eric Gill

Name This Font- Thomas V. Skrivan

San Serif- Cees W. de Jong

Identifont.com

Blogs.telegraph.co/uk/ukcorrespondents/chrisopherhowse

Terrorisland.net

BarackObama.com

Typculture.com/academic_resources/Eric_Gill

Underconsideration.com/speakup/archives/0020706

www.blocparty.com