Playing with Type: 50 graphic experiments for exploring typographic design principles

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98 playing with type

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30

type specimen poster

Type specimen sheets began as a way for

printers to demonstrate to buyers how a

certain typeface would look at various sizes

on paper. They developed into a way for

typographers to showcase their work using

design, color, and word combinations.

Create a poster showcasing an alphabet

you have created.

Select your text. This should include the

title of your typeface. The remaining

content could be a pangram, text from a

book, lyrics from a song, or something

funny and clever that is memorable. Look

at type foundry sites for inspiration.

Create an 18"  24" (46  5 cm) canvas and

set your alphabet. Vary the size of your text

so that you can provide an example of how

your typeface looks as a headline and body

copy. If you have more than one weight or

style in your alphabet, incorporate that as

well. Use color sparingly (remember, it’s the

type you’re showing off).

Before finalizing your type specimen, be

sure to check the kerning and letterspacing!

Pangram

One way to display all the

letters in the alphabet

legibly is through the use of

a pangram, a sentence that

contains all the letters of the

alphabet. The most common

is “The quick brown fox

jumped over the lazy dog.”

If you loved this, you’ll love these!

Modular Type, page 82; Handwriting, page 85;

Opposites Attract, page 88; 3-D Type, page 90

“I began looking at typefaces, thinking of what I liked

about them, analyzing what kind of typeface I

wanted to design: serif, sans, what would the

x-height be? Where would it be used? After

sketching for days, I finally set my sights on the

sketches for Olivia. Its quirky yet elegant features

made this typeface different and interesting to

pursue. After the digitizing process, many decisions

were made to help regularize the overall look and

character of the font. Olivia is a work in progress;

next I will be designing a bold weight and an italic.”

Designer: Isabel Urbina

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alphabet play 99

“What I like most about drawing letters is the drawing part. As a result, Alfonso

has an illustrative quality that I wanted to feature in the specimen poster. While a

traditional type specimen with varying lines of copy serves an important function,

I wanted something a little more visually arresting. And since this was made for

letterpress, there was also the selfish consideration of making something that I

could hang on my wall. I think this design highlights the character of the

individual letters, while also showing that they work well together as a system.

Plus, it looks good in a frame.”

Designer: Mark McCormick

Barker letterpress poster

Designer:

Annica Lydenberg

Photo: Juan Carlos Pagan

Alfonso letterpress plate

Photo: Juan Carlos Pagan

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