Typography
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Typography is the art and techniques of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing) and letter spacing.
Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.
Scope
In contemporary use, the practice and study of typography is very broad, covering all aspects of letter design and application. These include:
- typesetting and type design
- handwriting and calligraphy
- graffiti
- inscriptional and architectural lettering
- poster design and other large scale lettering such as signage and billboards
- business communications and promotional collateral
- advertising
- wordmarks and typographic logos (logotypes)
- apparel (clothing)
- labels on maps
- vehicle instrument panels
- kinetic typography in motion picture films and television
- as a component of industrial design—type on household appliances, pens and wristwatches, for example
- as a component in modern poetry (see, for example, the poetry of E. E. Cummings)
Since digitization, typography has spread to a wider ranger of applications, appearing on web pages, LCD mobile phone screens, and hand-held video games. The ubiquity of type has led typographers to coin the phrase "Type is everywhere".
Traditional typography follows four principles: repetition, contrast, proximity, and alignment.
Experimental typography
