10 things you did not know about typography
The typographic universe is immense and fascinating, and it is not only for those of us who are part of it. In fact, whenever we tell someone what we do and the complexities that lie behind something as ubiquitous as fonts, we realize the interest it sparks and how it captivates the listener. One of our missions is to contribute to the dissemination of typographic culture. So here are 10 interesting things you didn’t know about typography:
1.FONTS ARE DESIGNED BY SOMEONE
It’s easy to overlook the fact that every font is the result of the work of one or more highly specialized designers. As Pepe Gimeno points out in this mini-documentary, it might seem like fonts grow on trees. This misconception is understandable since typography is always readily available: whether we open a text editing program like Word, create a website on WordPress, or use an online service to craft a custom product, we have an extensive menu of fonts to choose from. The world would be unimaginable without letters, a fact well understood by software and platform developers who integrate fonts and pay for them. All these fonts were meticulously crafted by typographers who spent months, if not years, creating them, having often studied the complex design process in depth.
2. MATHEMATICAL CURVES AND OPTICAL CORRECTIONS
Letters are mathematically defined vectors shaped by Bézier curves, with each letter consisting of various anchor points at specific coordinates. Typographers often possess precise and methodical minds. However, contrary to what one might assume, letters do not adhere to mathematically perfect parameters. Our eyes can deceive our perception, necessitating certain optical adjustments in typographic design to correct visual discrepancies. For instance, some parts of a letter may be made thicker than others to appear uniformly thick. In typographic design, the eye is the ultimate measuring tool, steering us away from strict mathematical perfection.
3. kerning – COSTOMIZED SPACING
The process of typographic design is extensive and requires numerous adjustments, with spacing and kerning being among the most crucial. Each letter in a typeface has a predefined space to its left and right, varying according to its shape (curved, straight, etc.). It’s all about achieving a balance between positive and negative space. Once each letter’s lateral space is defined, a series of exceptions must be addressed. These exceptions involve pairs of letters that, when placed together, create too much or too little white space. This is evident in kerning pairs like “A-V” or “T-o.” Kerning specifies the adjustments needed for each pair, indicating how much the letters should be moved closer or farther apart to ensure the correct rhythm between all the letters and facilitate smooth readability.
4. hinting – ON SCREEN VISUALIZATION
Once all the letters, numbers, and symbols are designed to work harmoniously, a very complex process begins: hinting (screen optimization). Vector outlines define letters, but on screens and printers, these curves must fit into a grid of dots or pixels. The challenge is that these curves don’t always align perfectly with the grid, distorting the letters. Without applying a correction method, text can become illegible at smaller sizes on screens. These correction instructions, known as hinting, are particularly complex because they require individual adjustments for each letter. Additionally, these parameters can vary depending on the screen, format, browsers, and even the operating system. In short, it’s quite a meticulous process.
5. TYPOGRAPHY IS SOFTWARE
As typography consultants, we understand the confusion surrounding typographic acquisition. Typefaces are considered as software and, legally, fall under this category. When we purchase a font, we’re essentially obtaining a license to utilize it based on the terms we’ve agreed upon or those stipulated by the manufacturer. For example, the cost of a license may vary depending on factors like the number of computers where we intend to install the fonts or the level of web traffic our site receives.
6. WIDOWS, ORPHANS, AND RIVERS
Typefaces are crafted to be used, and proper utilization is as crucial as selecting the right one. In editorial design, we refer to “widows” or “orphans” as the last line at the end of a paragraph when it’s too short, creating excessive white space that disrupts the flow of text blocks. Additionally, imbalances in white spaces can occur when justifying text, as the spacing between words varies, leading to what we call “rivers.” These excesses of white spaces are aspects to avoid and can be controlled within editing programs.
7. LETTERS, CALLIGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, AND LETTERING
The definition of typography is inherently confusing, making it challenging to grasp the concept without conflating it with other related terms like calligraphy or lettering.
Calligraphy is the art of writing with beautiful lettering, distinct from the everyday handwriting we use. Lettering refers to the design of a specific word or block of text, creating a custom composition of letters with a unique design. In this sense, typography is the opposite: it’s a system for reproducing letters. It’s a set of symbols (uniform in their repetition and designed within a predefined system) that make language visible.
It’s possible to simulate or reproduce calligraphy using typography, but for this, each letter must be mathematically defined in advance. In contrast, in calligraphy, each letter is spontaneous and unique, a product of the moment in which it’s written.
8. woff AND OpenType FORMATS
For a period, typographic font formats experienced a sort of impasse. As the early days of the digital revolution faded into memory, the typographic world found itself looking for a solution that could truly meet its evolving needs. Then came the WOFF format, heralding an end to this stagnation, particularly for the web. Following closely behind was OpenType, a format that would eventually establish itself as the foremost standard, capable of accommodating the diverse array of global languages (including emojis). It also brought a thrilling innovation to the graphic design world: OpenType features. These features allow us to incorporate alternative characters, elegant swashes, diverse number designs, or even a bespoke set of icons unique to the font, among other possibilities. This enriches our designs, infusing them with versatility and dynamism.
9. IT TELLS MUCH MORE THAN WHAT IT WRITES
Beyond the content of a text, when we use a typeface, we’re expressing much more than just words. Each typeface has its personality, much like people themselves, and they provide many clues about the values of a brand that employs them or the direction of a publication that writes with them. Without difficulty, you can discern which typeface from those shown would suit a childlike context, a fashion setting, or a hospital environment.
10. SOMOS MUCHOS LOS frikis de la tipografía
Brick Heck (de la serie The Middle) tiene su propio club y podcast tipográfico, por fin se ha personificado a un tipo de nerd que aún no había encontrado representación en la pequeña pantalla: el typefreak. Y es que ¡el mundo de la tipografía causa fascinación! Como en cualquier campo especializado, existen encuentros, conferencias, masters y festivales de este tema e incluso se organizan safaris tipográficos. Se vende merchandising, productos fetiches de impresión en plomo o tipos móviles y camisetas con juegos de palabras tipográficas. Dicen que los diseños curvos activan zonas cerebrales relacionados con la emoción y gustan más que los rectos. Aprendimos en el TypoMad 2015 de Swiss Typefaces y Production Type que el diseño tipográfico siempre busca trazar la curva perfecta, al igual que en una carrera de motos. ¡Las curvas tipográficas sin duda son increíblemente estimulantes!
Brick Heck (from the series “The Middle”) has his own typography club and podcast, finally embodying a type of nerd that hadn’t yet found representation on the small screen: the typefreak. The world of typography is indeed fascinating! Like in any specialized field, there are gatherings, conferences, masterclasses, and festivals dedicated to this topic. Merchandise is sold, including fetishized products like lead printing presses or movable type, as well as T-shirts with typographic wordplay.
The world of letters is fascinating. If you want to delve further into how to make the most of it, you can do so in our Domestika course.
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