ure, care, and typography //
Since I was 40 years old, I have been fascinated by how type is set. It is a mixture of technology, art, culture, and, most importantly, the willingness to work hard to achieve it.
[This long post could have been made into a podcast but it doesn’t lend itself to audio.]
Labels were needed when airplanes began flying passengers. Pilots and passengers both need labels. WEAR A SEATBELT WHILE SEATED. It is in all caps. I believe that the machine that made the tiny metal signs could only handle 26 letters at the time of the advent of aviation. Therefore, they chose all caps. Although the labeling technology improved over time, we chose all caps for airplane signs because they are easier to read.
Typography is more than just a way of putting letters on a page.
Type was originally handwritten by monks before mechanical type was invented. We can see the beautiful kerning, where the letters are nestled under the W’. It takes effort, but it looks great. This is not because your brain requires kerning. It’s because the signal we associate with care and confidence is right.
It’s impossible to ignore the carelessness of those who do not use kerning once we understand its magic.
There have been many golden age of typography. But the 60s and 1970s saw high-stakes production in media and ads combined with new innovations in typesetting. Marketers could now specify whatever they wanted, instead of using handcrafted metal type. This meant that instead of one person working to create a document, a committee could spend weeks or days deciding how an advertisement would look or whether the new layout for Time magazine would convey the right message to millions.
Pundits believed that the Mac’s launch would end all progress. Anyone could type. Resumes looked like ransom notes. Comic Sans was taken seriously and set fire to type by people like David Carson.
The Mac and laser printer were able to produce the highest quality examples of type. Technology and culture combine again to create a new cycle. Small teams could be engrossed in type even if they were working on smaller projects. As beautiful typefaces became more diverse and more readily available, it was possible for more type to be set. It was possible to set type in a segment or industry that required careful expression.
A lot more good type than a lot less lazy type.
Then came the smart phone.
The type culture evolved in response. You probably aren’t being careful about typography if you don’t own a keyboard or a mouse. You only have to use what is already there. There is no time for meetings, care or awareness when people create so much content. Text to speech, type with your thumbs and take a photo, then hit send.
Culture changes. The appearance of authenticity is more important than ever. One way to achieve that is not to put on a show with fonts that remind you of craft or kerning that reminds me that I took the time to do more than the minimum.
This won’t be the end, as the cycles will continue.
Handwriting can reveal a lot about a person. My professional handwriting always included a keyboard. Even though people may not be aware of it, I know they do.
