May 29, 2009
You Can’t Handle the Type
Son, we live in a world that has type and that type need to be kerned by men with keyboards. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Brand Manager? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Times Roman and curse Helvetica; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Times Roman's letter spacing, while tragic, probably saved eyes and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves eyes.
You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at meetings you want me kerning that type, you need me kerning that type. We use words like leading, x-height, ligature. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent trying to perfect something. You use them as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who reads and studies the page of the very type I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a keyboard and set some type. Either way, I don't give a damn what font size you think you are entitled to.
You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at meetings you want me kerning that type, you need me kerning that type. We use words like leading, x-height, ligature. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent trying to perfect something. You use them as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who reads and studies the page of the very type I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a keyboard and set some type. Either way, I don't give a damn what font size you think you are entitled to.
Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 03:10 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
1
When I was much younger I learned the art of type setting; on a small scale, but very labor intensive work. Thank goodness for computer software that does all that for us automatically.
Posted by: T F Stern at May 29, 2009 08:11 PM (Ruh11)
2
Automatically?
Even with the aid of computers, type, good type, has not reached the Ronco stage of "set it and forget it."
The computer is a tool. Nothing more. It is a different means of creating the same results and it requires just as much skill and dedication to get it right as it ever has.
What you get from automatic is text.
Type is art.
Even with the aid of computers, type, good type, has not reached the Ronco stage of "set it and forget it."
The computer is a tool. Nothing more. It is a different means of creating the same results and it requires just as much skill and dedication to get it right as it ever has.
What you get from automatic is text.
Type is art.
Posted by: Stephen Macklin at May 29, 2009 09:01 PM (R7LgM)
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