Computer Arts Projects issue 86

Typography, more than any other area of graphic design, is about detail, and like anything which requires painstaking care and attention, getting the smallest element wrong can jeopardise the whole project.

Typographers have been getting into a lather over em dashes, counters, bowls and stems since Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of metal moveable type printing in the 15th century, and it’s a testament to the work of the type designer through the ages that the art has been in a perpetual state of evolution ever since.

In this issue of Computer Arts Projects we take a look at modern type design. Through some fantastic content offering inspiration, education and more for both the seasoned typographer and the complete beginner, we make sure you get to grips with the art of type.

From the daunting process of creating your own font to successfully dealing with typography on the web, we’ve gathered some of the type world’s most experienced practitioners to share their knowledge and skills to enable you to tackle typography with confidence and verve.

On top of this we’ve assembled a fantastic package for you on this month’s CD and secured free versions of over 20 fantastic fonts from some of the industry’s most highly regarded foundries. Hope you enjoy it!

Dom Hall, Editor

FEATURES

Showcase
Nominated and award-winning fonts from the annual Type Directors Club competition

Classic fonts
The secrets behind the enduring appeal of Futura, Bauhaus, Sabon and Frutiger

Modern typography
From Eric Gill to David Carson, 20th century typography saw some enormous changes. We lift the lid on 100 years of type and find out which fonts have stayed the distance

Global type
There's more to typography than the 26 characters of the Latin alphabet and with the economies and cultural influence of China, Russia, India and the Middle East on the rise, the time is right to discover more about type around the world

Type design secrets
Typography can take a lifetime to master – that's why we've assembled an all-star panel of type experts to share their top 20 tips and secrets on how to get the best out of type design in any situation

PROFILES

Erik Spiekermann
Erik Spiekermann is the typographers' typographer. We talk to him about railways, airports and the fonts on your phones

Andrea Tinnes
Looking to put emotion into her letterforms, Andrea Tinnes is a typographer on a mission

Si Scott
Taking typography to the next level, Si Scott uses letterforms as the basis of a highly individual graphic style

TUTORIALS

Make text move
If you want your text to be more than just static eye candy, learn how to make fonts move and develop a stunning film or video title sequence using tools such as Premiere and After Effects

Create a classic font
From pencil sketches of letter outlines to final tweaking in FontLab or Fontographer – we show you how to build a classic font from the ground up, and offer invaluable advice on weights, ligatures, ornaments and drop caps along the way

Leading and kerning
Getting type right is all about the detail. Master the basics with our essential guide to successful layout

Type on the web
Choosing typography for your website can be fraught with difficulties – we show you how to get around the problems

Create a custom font
Use Illustrator to design your own custom font for logos and branding jobs

ON THE CD

22 commercial fonts
Fontwise Fontcheck
Two electronic type magazines
Font editor software demos
...and much more!