Italics redefined: influences and approaches in the design of contemporary secondary text typefaces

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1 RESEARCH PROPOSAL James Victor Gaultney / February 2015 Italics redefined: influences and approaches in the design of contemporary secondary text typefaces ABSTRACT The growing complexity of documents and the broad availability of typesetting software have resulted in an implicit assumption that all text typefaces have a secondary, or italic, counterpart. Italics have changed from a historic, typographic ornament to a production requirement. However, designers have almost no guidance for their design, nor any framework for description and discussion, particularly regarding how the concept of italic applies to non-latin scripts. This research aims to establish such a framework by analyzing how designers approach the task, what influences that design, what tools and technologies are used, and how tradition and culture informs the design process. It will enable designers to look critically at existing designs and make better-informed decisions about future ones. It will give the design community a model for discussion, and encourage language and cultural communities to take an active role in shaping their typographic future. The end results will be greater understanding, increased discussion and more confident and effective italic design. 1 Introduction & context Ever since the I button began to appear in word processors and typesetting applications there has been an implicit assumption that pressing that button would activate a special secondary font an Italic that could be used to present special content. That text might be a quote, a foreign word, or a phrase that required emphasis or differentiation. Every font was expected to have an italic counterpart, and if such a counterpart was not available many applications would mathematically synthesize one on demand often resulting in deformed and distorted letterforms. This forced the typeface design industry to design secondary counterparts for upright Latin-script fonts even when that face was intended to stand alone. Some designers embraced the creative opportunity. Others made them only out of necessity. The 400-year transition of italic from a historic, typographic ornament to a production requirement was completed. The pressure extended even further to non-latin typefaces, to scripts that did not share European typographic traditions, and may have had no historical or cultural precedent for using slanted or calligraphic variants for secondary text. These language communities continue to struggle today to discover what an italic should look like in their script. Because there is no terminology or framework for discussion the overwhelming Latin tradition of a right-slanted counterpart has easily become the default. Yet these scripts often have rich calligraphic and typographic traditions that could inform and inspire design. The need for these italics has not diminished in the current transition from print to digital content. The complexity of data structures and sources, along Research proposal / Italics redefined / James Victor Gaultney / 21 Feb 2015 / p 1

2 with flexible, device-driven layout, has increased the need for content differentiation. Even singular texts may have complex hierarchies. Multilingual content multiplies this challenge exponentially, as such hierarchies must then be implemented in the typographic context appropriate for each language. New webfont technologies and presentation models enable greater creativity and innovation, and high-resolution devices make use of secondary faces more practical. However there is no clear guidance for designers on how to design them. More importantly, there is no language to frame such guidance or discussion. Italics for Latin-script typefaces have a well-documented history, but the literature focuses mainly on their production and use, not on the design task itself. Nor is there any reference to how italics are relevant for the hundreds of language communities in Africa, Asia, and the Americas that use extensions to the Latin script, including a wide variety of diacritical marks and accents. Without a framework for description and discussion the typographic future of italics could be stifled, and strong cultural treasures both Latin and non- Latin could be lost or abandoned. 2 Research aims The goal of this research will be to establish that framework for describing and discussing the design of these secondary italics. It will look at the typographic context for their development and build on the foundation of Latin-script italics, but will extend further into how the concept of italic is applied to non-latins. Because the contemporary concept of italic is being radically redefined, the overarching questions are: How do designers approach the design of italics? What influences these designs? What creative techniques and processes do they employ? How do practical considerations of production and use inform the design? What is the role of culture and tradition? Further, more detailed questions fall into seven categories: Usage: What is the purpose of italics? How are they used typographically and semantically? Have the conventions for use changed over time? Design: How do contemporary italics commonly differ from their upright companions in proportion, rhythm, weight, and other aspects? How does this differentiation balance with harmonization within a typeface family? History: How can historical designs inform current practice? To what extent do italics reflect the same historical influences as their upright counterparts? Tools: What influence does the calligraphic tradition have on design? Do italic designs always need to relate to the marks made with a specific tool? How does a typographic italic differ from a calligraphic one? Technology: Are the limitations of previous technologies inherent in contemporary practice, and are they still relevant? Has the freedom of digital type resulted in greater creativity, or more uniformity? What new opportunities do recent technologies offer? Multilingualism Are the conventions for modern European italics applicable for language and design communities that use the Latin script elsewhere in the world? How does the presence of diacritical marks and extended Latin letters affect design choices? Research proposal / Italics redefined / James Victor Gaultney / 21 Feb 2015 / p 2

3 Non-Latins Are traditional italic characteristics relevant for non-latin scripts? What are alternative options? How are contemporary designers addressing this need? How can cultural traditions of secondary styles inform the design of italics? The resulting framework will enable future research, analysis, and discussion beyond the duration of this project. It will give designers a way to look critically at existing designs and make better-informed decisions about future ones. It will give the design community a model for discussion, and encourage language and cultural communities to take an active role in shaping their typographic future. The end results will be greater understanding, increased discussion, and more confident and culture-sensitive italic design. 3 Methodology and source material Primary sources for this research will include what designers have written or said about the way they approach italic design. This includes their explicit guidance formal and informal as found in books, journal articles, published talks, and web sites. The amount of this material is limited and would not alone be sufficient. See section 7 regarding available printed materials. Further material will be gained from personal interviews with designers and design educators, particularly those who have experience in multiple technologies or serve both the print and digital publishing industry. Designers with experience in both Latin and non-latin design will be consulted, as well as educators who teach typeface design at established institutions (the University of Reading, the Royal Academy of Art/KABK, the Cooper Union, University of Buenos Aires, and elsewhere). The third research source will be a body of typefaces chosen for their variety in how they demonstrate different italic design aspects. These will be examined within the context of complex print and digital documents and be used to identify, develop, and illustrate framework elements. The final source will be the tools, both manual and digital, that are used to produce italic letterforms. Consideration of these writing tools and digital techniques will help to define the boundary between calligraphic and typographic letterforms and identify the relationship between tools and design qualities (rhythm, speed, weight, and contrast). Many of these sources, including written material and information on the design of specific italic typefaces, are accessible through the following collections and archives: The library and collections of the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, The University of Reading The Monotype archives, Salfords, Surrey The Type Museum, London The British Library, London The Typographica, Typophile and Typedrawers websites and forums 4 Expected outcomes This research will provide what the design community has never had before a well-documented, thorough framework through which typeface designers can approach and discuss the design of these secondary italics. This will enable Research proposal / Italics redefined / James Victor Gaultney / 21 Feb 2015 / p 3

4 them to evaluate their designs and the work of others. Such a framework also aims to stimulate discussion of the topic and so refine the work of the whole community. Because this research will bring together historic influence, current practice, and new technology, the results may inform and improve the design of italics for the digital context including web, mobile, and tablet platforms. It is hoped that this will also establish a renewed interest in italic design as a venue for creativity and innovation rather than a minimal technical requirement. The emphasis on multilingual contexts both extended-latin and non- Latin will open up discussion within and between language communities regarding how their culture can most effectively represent secondary text. It will provide a foundation for further in-depth study of italics for specific scripts. Finally, the research hopes to slow the rapid Latinization of non-latin italics and promote original and culturally appropriate design. 5 Relevance for The University of Reading The University of Reading remains the foremost research institution in the area of typographic communication, and the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication has been growing in its research related to the design process. It is uniquely equipped to support broad research into both extended-latin and non-latin script typography. This research fits well into the Department s strengths in practical multilingual typography and type design education. It will draw on the unique resources and staff of the Department and bring further depth to its body of design research. This project will also significantly enhance the content of the MA Typeface Design course, in which I currently teach as a Sessional Lecturer. I mentor the students in italic design, and the results of this research will inform my teaching. The students will also benefit directly from the documentation of contemporary design practices as they consider their own work. 6 Experience and background The research will benefit from my experiences and resources as Director and Senior Type Designer with SIL International s Non-Roman Script Initiative, and Founding Editor of the ScriptSource website. This background will provide a solid understanding of linguistic and cultural issues and apply over twenty years of experience in designing typefaces for minority languages and writing systems around the world. My research and dissertation produced as part of my MA Typeface Design (Reading 2002, with Distinction) looked at the design of diacritics and extended Latin characters. The proposed project takes that design research further, and builds on that foundation. Two decades of experience in the type industry has provided me with many relationships and colleagues who respect my existing body of work and have expressed interest in contributing their experience to my next research endeavour. I also regularly speak at type conventions and would likely have an open platform to share the results of my research with a broad audience. Research proposal / Italics redefined / James Victor Gaultney / 21 Feb 2015 / p 4

5 7 Preliminary literature review and references Most of the existing literature falls into four categories: Accounts of the historical development and use of italics (Clayton 2013, Knight 2012, Lawson 1990, Dowding 1961, Fournier 1973, Beier 2012). These are useful in establishing a historic and typographic context, but do not discuss specific design aspects in detail. Advice regarding the contemporary typographic use of italics (Bringhurst 1996). These provide some documentation of current usage, but are generally prescriptive and do not address non-print media and the relevance of italics in digital media. Philosophical and conceptual treatises on italic design (Morison 1926, Gill 1931, Krimpen 1957, Noordsij 2006). These tend to be dogmatic and establish only general philosophical ideals. Direct, step-by-step techniques (Moye 1995). These cookbook-style instructions are limited and are intended for those who have no experience in italic design and want a simple procedure to follow. The most balanced of the existing literature is Letters of Credit (Tracy 1986), which seeks to blend all of these purposes. However, the section pertaining to italics is only five pages in length and focuses heavily on sloped Romans. None of these works, however, address extended Latin or non-latin issues, nor do they attempt to discuss specific design aspects in the light of contemporary design practice. The proposed research will fill this void, and will be an original addition to the field of typeface design. Beier, Sofie, Reading letters: designing for legibility (Amsterdam: BIS, 2012) Bringhurst, Robert, The elements of typographic style, 2nd edn (Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks, 1996) Clayton, Ewan, The golden thread: the story of writing (London: Atlantic Books, 2013) Dowding, Geoffrey, An introduction to the history of printing types (London: Wace, 1961) Gill, Eric, An essay on typography (Sheed & Ward, 1931) Knight, Stan, Historical types: From Gutenberg to Ashendene (New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2012) Krimpen, Jan van, On designing and devising type (The Typophiles, 1957) Lawson, Alexander S., Anatomy of a typeface (Boston: Godine, 1990) Morison, Stanley, Towards an ideal italic, The Fleuron, 5 (1926) Moye, Stephen, Fontographer: type by design (New York: MIS:Press, 1995) Noordzij, Gerrit, The stroke: theory of writing, trans. by Peter Enneson (London: Hyphen Press, 2006) Fournier, Pierre-Simon, Fournier on Typefounding, trans. by Harry Carter (New York: Lenox Hill, 1973) Tracy, Walter, Letters of credit: a view of type design (David R. Godine, 1996) Research proposal / Italics redefined / James Victor Gaultney / 21 Feb 2015 / p 5