There's Only Make: TypeTypeType

Type 1

Project 04- Font Mannerisms (continued from previous post)

Part 2: Digitally handset descriptive words
Choose two descriptive modifiers for each of the four family members. Hand-set and hand-kern (move the letters individually as an image) the eight words in the respective typefaces.

Part 3: Visual analysis
Select appropriate type aspects to compare and contrast family members, one aspect to one composition. Using letters in outline form, create four compositions documenting comparisons across family members.

stroke variable:

Cap-height vs. x-height:

Serifs:

Bowls:

Ascenders:

Descenders:

Part 4- Expressive compositions (last part)
Select two of the eight descriptive words from part 2. Create one composition of each to successfully express the connotations.

Project 05- Wood type book
Each person submitted sentences about type to be used as the sentence in the book. The sentence chosen was "These are images not words."
In your designer team, design the "designer spread" using your assigned typeface corresponding to your assigned word in the sentence. In your print team, typeset the "printer spread" corresponding to one-half of two designer spreads on letterpress. Print 30 copies of the spread. Bind the pages into a book.

My group was assigned the word "are" and the typeface "don".... something. Lame typeface. The teacher said she gave it to us because it was THE advertising typeface of the 70's. bad reason, i say. Also, we only had one point size available (everyone else had like 3 including a large one) ours was tiny. Anyways, we made do with what we had. We didnt want to make our spread to bold because our word was "are" and it was not the most important word of the sentence, probably the least important. Its like being a backup singer for a famous pop singer. You cant out shine the lead singer, but you still gotta be good. So we decided upon this little mixture of letters and thought it fit quite nicely with our ideas. The we got together with our printing team and spent a total of 8 hours in the letterpress (2 one night, 6 the next night). And on a weekend of course! Then during the next class we all binded our 11.5 x 17" books (which include every groups spreads) with the saddle stitch machine.

To be honest, i didnt really enjoy this project. Which makes me sad because the letterpress is cool. And i do like letterpress, and i love the final product of this project. There were just a bunch of things that added up to me disliking this project. From its timing (Hunters birthday weekend, forcing me to stay in raleigh instead of going to kville for his bday. but being the person he is, he came to raleigh and was in the letterpress with me for all 8 hours), the math involved, the typeface/word assigned to my group, and the disorganization. 30 kids printing in a 3 day period having to print on the backs of each others pages with each page having to dry for 24 hours and no one knowing when anyone else is printing = HEADACHE.

printing spread 1

printing spread 2

Cover of book. (.918 is "type high" the height of the metal or wood letters) The two guys that did the cover designed that paintbrush image and cut it out on the laser cutter onto a block of wood and used it as a block print. awesome, i know.