![]() ![]() Typefaces made between 1960s-1990s almost entirely ignored optical sizes because photocomposition allowed unprecedented possibilities of mathematical scaling. Type produced by pantographic reproduction (scaling a master drawing to many different sizes), and the later technologies of photocomposition and digital type, allowed working from a single master design regardless of the size of the final application. Subsequent technological discoveries perhaps allowed typographers to forget the great invention of optically-adjusted type sizes. Fournier was the first to introduce a standard of producing and using type, sugesting a typographic unit called ‘point’. ![]() Pierre Simon Fournier’s printed scale of his point system, from Modèles de caractères de l’imprimerie, 1742. The first mention of types being organized into ‘families’ also originates with Fournier’s work. This new system also became the adopted standard in the English-speaking world, and in 1742 Fournier published his Modèles de caractères de l'imprimerie, in which he further systematised the body sizes of printing types, and suggested names for the most commonly-used sizes. Fournier related type size to the 'pouce' (a French version of the inch), and subdivided the ‘pouce’ to 72 'points'. In 1737, Pierre Simon Fournier published a table of graded sizes of printing types, introducing the first-ever standardized system for producing and using type. In the age of the enlightenment, there was a clear need to organise and rationalise these differing sizes of printing types. Note the difference in contrast between the thick and thin strokes, and overall differences in details between the two versions. Below is 7pt sample scaled 425% to match the 36pt version. Garamond’s caracterès de l’Université from the 1530s includes 15 optical versions ranging from 6 to 36 points. Earlier typographers would therefore choose various sizes, just as we might choose various weights of a particular typeface today. When photographically scaled to the same size, it is easy to see significant differences between the different designed sizes. Each size was drawn, cut and cast separately characters were designed specifically for the optical appearance of the printed text, with optimised letter widths and contrasts between the thick and thin parts of the letterforms. Claude Garamond's type from the 1530s (also known as the caractères de l'Université), included 15 versions ranging in size from 6 to 36 points. History as a continuous series of discoveriesĮver since the earliest use of movable metal type certain typefaces have included versions cut for specific point sizes. Of course these ‘superfamilies’ benefit from the inventions of the past centuries an ongoing series of typographic innovations that broke new ground for generations of designers to come. United, type family of 105 fonts designed by Tal Leming, published by House Industries in 2007. ![]() In terms of sheer size, Chronicle comprises 106 fonts and beats the rival United by a single stylistic variant. For a further example of this trend, Hoefler & Frere-Jones have just released their Chronicle type family (2002-2007), the range of which extends through widths (from regular to compressed), weights (from extra light to black), and optical size (from text to headline). It takes a couple of minutes just to scroll through all the variants listed in the font menu. The family includes 105 fonts composed of three styles (sans, serif and italic), available in seven weights and five widths. Look, for instance, at United, a recent release (2007) from House Industries. The size and complexity of recently-developed type families has reached unprecedented levels. ![]()
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