Today we will take a look at three typefaces in detail and describe their cultural impact. I have chosen to focus on three main periods of transition where both culture influenced typography and typography influenced culture.
First, let’s examine the typeface Baskerville created in England by John Baskerville in 1757. John Baskerville was a printer who lived during a period of transition from calligraphy to print. The typeface Baskerville was considered modern for the time period with level serifs and stark contrast of thin and heavy lines. (“John Baskerville”) During his time Baskerville was criticized for creating letterforms with too much contrast and detail. Later, Baskerville influenced the Didot family in France and Bodoni in Italy and is still used today. (Lupton, 17) This typeface is mainly used for body text in books.
Next, let’s take a look at the typeface Futura designed in Germany by Paul Renner in 1927. Paul Renner was a graphic designer, type designer, painter, and teacher. (Fabian) Futura is a geometric typeface with perfect circles for the O’s. Futura was created during another period of transition when typefaces were becoming commercially available and Futura was considered “experimental” during it’s time. (Lupton, 25) Nicholas Fabian states in his article that Futura “became a cornerstone of the 'New Typography' classified as Geometrical Modernism.” (Fabian) Futura is still widely used today mostly in advertising and display design.
Finally, Verdana was created by type designer Matthew Carter in 1996 commissioned by Microsoft. (Saslow, 2) Verdana was designed specifically for body text viewed on a digital display during the most recent period of transition to widespread use of the internet. (Lupton, 55) Although Verdana may not be as aesthetically beautiful as some of the older fonts designed specifically for print, it is easily read for long periods of time on screen. It is a clean font with a practical application. This typeface is used today by millions for body text on screen.
These three fonts have played important rolls transitioning the way we view printed material through major industrial developments. First the development of the printing press, then widespread industry and advertising, into digital display of written material. I consider these three examples to be some of the most influential.
Bibliography
Fabian, Nicholas. “The Bauhaus Designer Paul Renner.” CreativePro.com. 15 Dec. 2000. Web. 6 Dec. 2010 <http://www.creativepro.com/article/the-bauhaus-designer-paul-renner>.
"John Baskerville." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. Web. 6 Dec. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
Lupton, Ellen. Thinking with Type. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004. Print.
Saslow, Rachel. “A Special Type: Font Designer Enjoys 'Life Sentence' as Man of Letters.” The Washington Post. 19 Feb. 2009. Web 6 Dec. 2010 < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/AR2009021803330.html>
Full examples of font families:
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