Comments on: History of typography: Transitional http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:41:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: A Brief History of Type—Part 5 | i love typography, the typography bloghttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8953 A Brief History of Type—Part 5 | i love typography, the typography blog Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:05:46 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8953 [...] Type History 3: Transitional [...] […] Type History 3: Transitional […]

]]> By: johno (iLT)http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8052 johno (iLT) Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:49:07 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8052 <strong>Will</strong> Welcome to iLT! See you around. I post an roundup of all things type on Sundays, then another article like mid-week. Will
Welcome to iLT! See you around. I post an roundup of all things type on Sundays, then another article like mid-week.

]]> By: Willhttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8050 Will Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:55:24 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-8050 I found this site today, and it is awesome. I found this site today, and it is awesome.

]]> By: A Brief History of Type | i love typography, the typography bloghttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-7798 A Brief History of Type | i love typography, the typography blog Fri, 30 May 2008 00:10:47 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-7798 [...] Type Terms 3: Transitional [...] […] Type Terms 3: Transitional […]

]]> By: eXtreme Type Terminology | i love typography, the typography bloghttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-6039 eXtreme Type Terminology | i love typography, the typography blog Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:08:43 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-6039 [...] Transitional type refers to typefaces such Baskerville, by English printer John Baskerville, and Philippe Grandjean’s Romain du Roi, which was created for the exclusive use of presses allied with the French Crown and then declared the only legal typeface. Transitional typefaces have more vertical stress than old style type, they stand taller, with slighter more contrast between the thick and thin strokes, and feature, not insignificantly, horizontal serifs. Transitional type, named in hindsight, was part of an evolution towards the typefaces of the late 1700s and early 1800s. [...] […] Transitional type refers to typefaces such Baskerville, by English printer John Baskerville, and Philippe Grandjean’s Romain du Roi, which was created for the exclusive use of presses allied with the French Crown and then declared the only legal typeface. Transitional typefaces have more vertical stress than old style type, they stand taller, with slighter more contrast between the thick and thin strokes, and feature, not insignificantly, horizontal serifs. Transitional type, named in hindsight, was part of an evolution towards the typefaces of the late 1700s and early 1800s. […]

]]> By: Face to Face | i love typography, the typography bloghttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4671 Face to Face | i love typography, the typography blog Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:59:03 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4671 [...] built and controlled like Grotesques, built as a system, but something already more controlled like Romain du Roi or Baskerville…compared to Caslon or Garamond. With Baskerville and Romain du Roi this sort [...] […] built and controlled like Grotesques, built as a system, but something already more controlled like Romain du Roi or Baskerville…compared to Caslon or Garamond. With Baskerville and Romain du Roi this sort […]

]]> By: johno (iLT)http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4215 johno (iLT) Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:10:29 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4215 <strong>Jacob & Leah</strong> I think it's great that you have a go at these exercises; they're not easy, and I find that the screen has some kind of neutralising effect on type. Perhaps neutralising is not the best choice of word; perhaps 'sanitizing' is better. When these types are printed (even at small sizes) the character of the type is much more evident. Jacob, for the so-called <em>Moderns</em>, the types that followed <em>Transitional</em>, yes, stroke contrast is an important factor. You may have noticed that along with stress--which over time became more perpendicular (took on a more <em>rationalist axis</em>--the contrast of the thick and thin strokes also increased. Great job, BTW. Jacob & Leah
I think it’s great that you have a go at these exercises; they’re not easy, and I find that the screen has some kind of neutralising effect on type. Perhaps neutralising is not the best choice of word; perhaps ‘sanitizing’ is better. When these types are printed (even at small sizes) the character of the type is much more evident. Jacob, for the so-called Moderns, the types that followed Transitional, yes, stroke contrast is an important factor. You may have noticed that along with stress—which over time became more perpendicular (took on a more rationalist axis—the contrast of the thick and thin strokes also increased. Great job, BTW.

]]> By: leahhttp://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4209 leah Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:38:33 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4209 <b>Jacob A,</b> I know what you mean. I like these exercises too! Searching around for the fonts and comparing them definitely teaches me about typography. I love it. Jacob A, I know what you mean. I like these exercises too! Searching around for the fonts and comparing them definitely teaches me about typography. I love it.

]]> By: Jacob A.http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4199 Jacob A. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:17:00 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4199 The only one I was really sure of was Sabon. To be clear, what distinguishes them from a transitional font is that their thick and thin strokes are even more contrasting? These exercises are pretty great (and enlightening for a newbie like me :) ). The only one I was really sure of was Sabon. To be clear, what distinguishes them from a transitional font is that their thick and thin strokes are even more contrasting? These exercises are pretty great (and enlightening for a newbie like me :) ).

]]> By: johno (iLT)http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4193 johno (iLT) Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:43:14 +0000 http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/17/type-terms-transitional-type/#comment-4193 Solution to the imposters exercise: Those struck through are not generally considered to be Transitional types:(a) ITC Zapf International | (b) <strike>Sabon</strike> | (c) Times Europa | (d) Melior (e) <strike>Bodoni</strike> | (f) <strike>Caledonia</strike> | (g) Old Style 7 (Linotype)Bodoni and Caledonia are marked by higher contrast between thick and thin strokes (more about them in part 4). Tschichold's Sabon and Jean François Porchez's <a href="http://www.typofonderie.com/alphabets/view/SabonNextLT" target="_blank">Sabon Next</a> are Old Style (think Garamond), though the stress is almost vertical; take a look at those head serifs: <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://ilovetypography.com/img/sabon-head-serifs.gif" alt="sabon-head-serifs.gif" /></p>Thomas and Leah: very close. Jacob, Old Style 7 is a tricky one because of how it's named. Confusing isn't it. Solution to the imposters exercise:
Those struck through are not generally considered to be Transitional types:

(a) ITC Zapf International | (b) Sabon | (c) Times Europa | (d) Melior
(e) Bodoni | (f) Caledonia | (g) Old Style 7 (Linotype)

Bodoni and Caledonia are marked by higher contrast between thick and thin strokes (more about them in part 4). Tschichold’s Sabon and Jean François Porchez’s Sabon Next are Old Style (think Garamond), though the stress is almost vertical; take a look at those head serifs:

sabon-head-serifs.gif

Thomas and Leah: very close. Jacob, Old Style 7 is a tricky one because of how it’s named. Confusing isn’t it.

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