Post on 21-Feb-2016
description
TheRISEand fallOF
PUBLIC TYPOGRAPHY
1416 Marilee Dr
Parking Lot
A&D Building
TheRISEand fallOF
PUBLIC TYPOGRAPHY
Krista Perkins
TYPE THAT GIVES
S T A M PTHE IMPRESSION of a
As I start my journey with the push of a button, my dog on the leash, and my camera in the other hand
the sound of the garage opening leads us to take our
first steps. One foot in front of the other, looking all
around trying to find something to inspire me. The first
object I see with type on it, I snap a picture. I decide to
erase it, knowing that a trash can cannot be the thesis
of my book. Walking around the subdivision, I notice
the most type was on water appliances that are either
embossed or debossed. Little did I know that the place
that I call home during my college career is an
alternate world of typography.
The legibility of debossed type is questionable.
Many times when glimpsing at the type, it is hard to
read, especially if it’s on a very light color. One thing
about debossed type is the outline of the type tends be
lighter than the impressed letterform.
Embossed and debossed type tends to be descriptive and simple,
usually containing three or few words. The type I found
most interesting around my subdivision was debossed
type, which seemed to give the impression of a stamp.
This type seems to live in the environment that it exists
in. I like how you can run one finger over the letters,
forming an entire word when you are through.
Tim Herndon is my neighbor, friend, and the designer of the architectural structuring of the pipelines in my subdivision.
When talking to twin sisters Brittany and Alyssa Potter (who are also my roommates), they were intrigued to know that these photos were taken in our own back yard. The beauty of embossing and debossing is right under your nose, every-where you look.
As my dog leads me back to our house,
I take one last look around, sniff in the fresh
air and walk in the garage. The click of the
leash, the push of the garage door button,
and the slam of the door, ends our journey at
1416 Marilee Dr.
TYPE THAT exists in
environmentour
Five days a week, 7 months out of the year, I walk to the Art and Design building.
I step on the break, put my car in park, pull the emergency break, and take the
keys out of the ignition. I step out of the car, gather
my things, close the door, and begin my walk on a
windy, rainy day.
I continue my walk, staring at the water hitting the pavement.
As I walk over a manhole, I notice a sewer be-
tween the cracks of two cars. The sewer and the
manhole have a few things in common. First, they
both have embossed type, and second they both
have dirty rainy water running down their paths.
As I run my black and white plaid rain
boot over the embossed type, I notice
the sheen the water adds to the type.
DEBOSSED AND EMBOSSED
types exist in our environment, but in a three dimensional
way. Embossed type comes off more legible. When look-
ing at the various type on water appliances, one can see
the outlines of the text is darker than the letterform itself.
One aspect that could be problematic for embossed type
is when people walk over these various letters forms they
tend to ware down over a period of time.
I end this journey of my walk with the shiny reflec-tion of me in the double doors of the art and design building. I look up into the rainy sky through my
clear umbrella, clicking the silvers clasps. My left plaid
boot and my slightly wet right hand reach for the handle
on the door. I continue my journey into the various shops,
studios and classrooms which most people just call the
“A & D building.”
WHY is itsans serif?ALL
I Think about all the places I’ve been to discov-
er embossed and debossed,
typography: my subdivision,
the parking lot, and around
the art and design building.
One question I have is, why is
all embossed and debossed
type sans serif?
Is it because this type tends to be descriptive
and small? Or is it because it can be used for detail and or-
namentation? One conclusion we can make from sans serif
typefaces is that it is clear and concise.
Characteristics that make a sans serif successful:classic
recognizable
bold
stands out without decoration
shows importance
modern
present
simplified
direct and straight forward
catches your eye
easy to read
The crisp, clean, uncluttered lines of sans serif fonts are the favorites of many designers.
The things that I noticed during this project made me look at things in a different way.
Embossing is the process of producing various materials, designs, or patterns in relief by mechanical means. The material is pressed between a pair of dies especially adapted to its hardness and the depth of the design needed.
Now I can finally say “ I have an eye for type.” When starting this assignment,
I had no clue what I was going to photograph, but not knowing made it an
interesting journey. Finally noticing the items that I pass everyday, would be-
come very useful to me. Now on my everyday walk to class, or to the parking
lot, or even the walk from Marilee drive to my front door, I notice the items that
I never use to notice before. One never knows what will become useful to you.
CREDITSThe contents in this book are from an interview with my
neighbor Tim Herndon, and my roommates/twin sisters
Brittany and Alyssa Potter.
Web sites
http://desktoppub.about.com/classicfonts/Classic-Sans-
Serif-Fonts.htm
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Embossing
All photos in the book were taken off a Cannon
PowerShot A530