January 25th, 2006
Five Simple Steps to Typesetting on the web: Introduction
It’s been quite a while since the last Simple Steps series, but this new series of articles has been brewing for a while. Before I go into the first installment I’d like to clarify what exactly I mean by Typesetting and how that differs from Design, Typographic Design or Typography. Each ‘Simple Step’ will be just that, clear simple rule(s) to follow.
I feel that Typographic Design is such a large field in the practice of design that some of the constituent parts need a bit of attention. Take Type Design for example. The font industry is big business, and rightly so, but to many people this is what typography is; choosing a font. That’s it. My typography is done, move on to the colours. Hang on one minute. You’ve forgotten Typesetting.
Typesetting, as defined by Dictionary.com, is:
To set (written material) into type; compose.
Not very enlightening, but the word ‘compose’, used in this context is an important word.
Composition. Take a look at the definition. Typesetting is in some pretty impressive company, but I like this one: Arrangement of artistic parts so as to form a unified whole.
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Typesetting has a rich history in the craft of the printing trade where compositors grafted, by hand and later by machines, to produce printed material. Then, along came desktop publshing and things changed slightly. The basic principles (I’ll get onto some of them) remained the same, but something was lost in translation. Typesetting was no longer being done by skilled tradesmen—Compositors—But by Graphic Designers, who arguably didn’t have the skills, but were cheap because they worked on labour saving computers. And so, from the late 1980’s onwards, Typesetting suffered and as a result Typography suffered.
This all may be a little melodramatic for the print based world, but things are a whole lot worse on the web. True, there are technical constraints on which font you can have, but as I said, there’s more to typography than the font.
Tomorrow, I’ll get onto the first Step: The Right Glyph for the Job.
Oooooh looking for this one!
Correction: Looking forward to this one — the excitement must have got to me!
Cool!
Me too!
What about textile in your comments? Would be a lot handier to just type bq. to get a blockquote.
Cheers,
Julian
Great introduction. It’s funny though, because just yesterday I was thinking about this. I am also looking forward to this series.
I like the seriousness that you’re approaching this series with. Keep bringing the melodrama!
Sounds like a great Series. I am looking dorward to it.
This promises to be a series worth reading. We will all be back for tomorrow’s installment.
Typography has suffered since the introduction of computerized typesetting. Remember when kerning was “discovered” by designers in the early 80’s? It seemed that every other magazine ad had type so squeezed together you couldn’t read it. Just so they could make the type size larger.
It’s only relatively recently that type is starting to look as good as old-fashioned foundry type (or Monotype) set by someone with some experience. Modern software has eliminated enough of the need for technical knowledge to allow designers to do their thing without too much trouble. Anyone remember Compugraphic? (A pioneer in “phototypesetting” here in the US.)
I look forward to your series.
Can’t wait, bring it on!
Can’t wait Mark.
As a designer and developer eager to learn about type, I’ve been reading your blog since the “5 Steps To Better Typography”.
It still amazes me that so many designers out there have very little knowledge as regards type so, good job and keep up the good work!
Looking forward to this one Mark.
You make a pertinent comment about the choose it then use it, attitude.
For a while now I’ve been intending to reduce the amount of fonts I have and use the ones left better.
So teach me!
I’ve been a big follower of your Simple Steps series, and I really cannnot wait for this one :)