5 Fonts for Gallo Nero

Notes on Helvetica

Helvetica

Helvetica: Brand names, signs, logo

The name of the company and the logo of the company are just done in Helvetica.

Helvetica is simple, neutral, it is easy of the eye, it is sans serif, the letter has uniformity to them, and there is equal spacing.

Spacing is as and more important than the font itself. Helvetica has perfect spacing.

Helvetica is modernist font, which represents modernist ideas. However, it is sans serif it is easy on the eye.

The problem of Helvetica is that it is overused.

It is ubiquitous- it is everywhere.

Helvetica is considered ‘not cool’ because it is too simple, too perfect, and too boring because it is ubiquitous.

It is corporate and artists dislike it. It is institutional.

Modern is becoming retro.

Rather than being an authoritarian, oppressive, bureaucratese, instead accessible, transparent, and accountable.

Horizontal slicing of terminals - characteristic of Helvetica

Helvetica example: Jeep, Sears, BMW, Toyota, aprilia, target, Tupperware, Nestle, Verizon, conEdison, Lufthansa, Energizer, Oral B, The North face etc.

This shows again that Helvetica is ubiquitous

A real typeface needs rhythm and contrast. Helvetica doesn’t have rhythm or contrast.

Helvetica needs lots of space and all the letters shouldn’t look the same.

Typeface is a part of branding. Branding is the projecting of quality.

Creating a font

Use h first then o and then p. h n u because you have lots of information between them.

Then you start building on go to words.

Counter cultural movement of the 1960s is what overwhelms the modernist movement.

Modernism: (objectivist)

Functionalism

Utilitarianism

Clean and simple

Post Modernism: (subjectivist)

Freeform

Chaotic

Complicated

Michael C Place: new modernist. Has a view that the context can make the piece speak in a different way though the font is the same.

Picture of Fonts

Examples of the 6 types of fonts

There were 6 types of fonts mentioned and they were:

• Old style

Old style: old styles always have serifs. Also the old styles have something called stress. This is when the thickness of the line goes from thin to thick and you can see it in curved strokes. Some examples can be Goudy, Palatino, Times, Baskerville, and Garamond.

• Modern

Modern: modern typefaces have serifs, but the serifs are now horizontal instead of slanted, and the serifs are very thin. Moderns tend to have a cold look and the stress is vertical. Some examples of modern fonts can be Bodoni, Times Bold, Onyx, Fenice, Ultra, and Walbaum.

• Slab serif

Slab serif: many slab serifs have a thin/thick contrast and are readable easily. These fonts are used in children’s books because they look clean. Some examples are Clarendon, Memphis, Memphis Extra Bold, and New Century Schoolbook.

• Sans serif

Sans serif: this font is fro creating eye-catching pages and there are no visible thin/thick transitions in the strokes. Some examples of sans serif are Antique Olive, Helvetica, Avant Garde, Formata, Folio, Franklin Gothic, Futura, Condensed, and Syntax.

• Script

Script: scripts can be good when they are large and some examples of script is Arid, Shelly Volante, Legacy, Cascade, Linescript, and Zapf Chancery

• Decorative

Decorative: these fonts are easy to indentify but their powerful use is limited. Some examples can be Party, Potrzebie, Improv, Pious Henry, Juniper, Juice, Fajita and Scarlett.

Chapter 9: Categories of Type

There are mainly six groups to divide the font and they are:

•        Old style
  
•        Modern
  
•        Slab serif
  
•        Sans serif
  
•        Script
  
•        Decorative
  

Old style: old styles always have serifs. Also the old styles have something called stress. This is when the thickness of the line goes from thin to thick and you can see it in curved strokes. Some examples can be Goudy, Palatino, Times, Baskerville, and Garamond.

Modern: modern typefaces have serifs, but the serifs are now horizontal instead of slanted, and the serifs are very thin. Moderns tend to have a cold look and the stress is vertical. Some examples of modern fonts can be Bodoni, Times Bold, Onyx, Fenice, Ultra, and Walbaum.

Slab serif: many slab serifs have a thin/thick contrast and are readable easily. These fonts are used in children’s books because they look clean. Some examples are Clarendon, Memphis, Memphis Extra Bold, and New Century Schoolbook.

Sans serif: this font is fro creating eye-catching pages and there are no visible thin/thick transitions in the strokes. Some examples of sans serif are Antique Olive, Helvetica, Avant Garde, Formata, Folio, Franklin Gothic, Futura, Condensed, and Syntax.

Script: scripts can be good when they are large and some examples of script is Arid, Shelly Volante, Legacy, Cascade, Linescript, and Zapf Chancery

Decorative: these fonts are easy to indentify but their powerful use is limited. Some examples can be Party, Potrzebie, Improv, Pious Henry, Juniper, Juice, Fajita and Scarlett.