TYPOGRPHERS

TYPOGRPHERS20

20th CenturyAmerican

Typographers

Herb LubalinHouse Industries

HERB LUBALIN

HOUSE INDUSTRIES

20th CenturyAmerican

Typographers

“

“AVANT GARDE WAS LUBALIN’S SIGNATURE, A DISTINCTIVE FONT THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS A POST-MODERN INTERPRETATION OF ART DECO.”

POSTMODERNISM TYPOGRAPHY

Pluralism: American Typographers

“Pluralism: American Typographers

Subject #1_Postermodernism

Subject #2_Counter Culture

Subject #3_Pluralism

P

H E R B L U B A L I N

Through the early 1960s, before the advent of digital technology, typographers used

metal type, often hand drawing on graph paper and using photocopiers or ink transfer to create typefonts. From the end of World War I until the 1960s, “Sans serif” fonts, distinguished

by their lack of feet, or “serifs” on the ends of each letter, ruled typography’s proverbial roost.During the postmodern era, culture and politics

were changing. In the midst of Marshall McLuhan’s encroaching global village, feminism, civil rights, major cultural shifts, social upheaval, the Vietnam conflict, the me and x-generations, and new technology, postmodernism was born. The most prominent

features of graphic design in this period were the established forms of high modernism, the erasing of the boundaries between high culture and pop culture, the incorporated history, Social theory, political science, and many other areas of study, including design theory. Perhaps no other art movement or philosophical positioning is more amorphous than postmod-ernism. No one seems to be able to agree upon exactly what it break and rejection of the inter-national style, Bauhaus order, tra-ditional use of typography, and the gird. It also tends to reject the tenet of arranging design el-ements and type at right angles. Some of these influenc-es may be traced back to the fu-turists and the dada movement. Postmodernist design reflects that kind of rejection of order of the established design status

“Avant Garde was Lubalin’s

signature, a distinctive font

that could be described

as a post-modern

interpretation of art deco.”

PLURALISM

1960’sCOUNTER-CULTURE

Counterism: American Typographers

Through the early 1960s, from the end of World War I, “Sans serif” fonts, distinguished by their lack of feet, or “serifs” on the ends of each letter, ruled typogrphy’s proverbial roost.

quo. Indeed, some of the initial futurist typography experiments could easily pass as postmodern designs. Postmodernism is not a description of a style; it is the term for the era of late capital-ism starting after the 1940’s and realized in the 1960’s with neo-co-lonialism, the green revolution, computerization and electronic information. During the American postmodern era, culture and politics were changing. In the midst of Marshall McLuhan’s en-croaching global village, feminism, civil rights, major cultural shifts, social upheaval, the Vietnam con-flict, the me and x-generations, and new technology, postmodern-ism was born. The most promi-nent features of graphic design in this period were the estab-lished forms of high modernism, the erasing of the boundaries

between high culture and pop culture, the incorporated histo-ry, social theory, political science, and many other areas of study, including design theory. Perhaps no other art move-ment or philosophical positioning is more amorphous than postmodernism. No one seems to be able to agree upon exactly what it is or means. Suffice to say that it’s probably easier to provide visual examples of postmodernism than to define it. One thing that is fairly clear is that it marks a clear break and rejection of the international style. Some of these influenc-es may be traced back to the fu-turists and the dada movement. Postmodernist design reflects that kind of rejection of order

Bauhaus order, traditional

use of typography, and the

gird. It also tends to reject

the tenet of arranging de-

sign elements and type at

right angles.

1960’s

P

P LU

IRL

SMPostmodernism is not a description of a style; it is the term for the era of late capitalism starting after the 1940’s and realized in the 1960’s with the counter culture, the green revolution, comput-erization and electronic information. Coming from an anti-establishment counter-culture environment in the 1960s, companies needed to make messages and products big. Bigger was better. Plus, if it could also be in earth colors and look natural, it was even better. There were a lot of fat logos, wide lapels and ties, big shirt collars, bell-bottoms, and giant brown cars.During the period of the Counter Cul-ture, Eros and fact: played a part in the opening up of the American imagina-tion. According to the article the Quite American written by David Crowley, “the masthead of the first issue of fact: announced that this magazine is ded-icated to the proposition that a great magazine, in its quest for truth, will defy

not only Convention, not only Big Business, not only the Church and the State, but also its readers. In contrast with Avant Garde, published in 1968, the high point of the Counter Culture was off the mark. While Lubalin was not an ideologue, his work with Ginzburg illustrates his professional and personal ethos. He was a liberal in the full sense of the word, committed to freedom of speech and thought as well as the freedom of the market place. When challenging censorship and conser-vatism, the liberal agenda had clear targets. When its battles had been won, new-found freedoms could look like exploitation.Lubalin’s faith in articulate design was declared in a 1959 trade advertise-ment Let’s Talk Type, Let Type Talk pro-moting the services of one of his then employer, the advertising agency, Sudler & Hennessey.

Pluralism: American Typographers

Pluralism: American Typographers

THROUGH THE EARLY 1960S, BEFORE THE ADVENT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY,

TYPOGRAPHERS USED METAL TYPE, OFTEN HAND DRAWING ON GRAPH PAPER

AND USING PHOTOCOPIERS OR INK TRANSFER TO CREATE TYPEFONTS.

TYPE TECHNOLOGY

THROUGH THE EARLY 1960S, BEFORE THE ADVENT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY,

TYPOGRAPHERS USED METAL TYPE, OFTEN HAND DRAWING ON GRAPH PAPER

AND USING PHOTOCOPIERS OR INK TRANSFER TO CREATE TYPEFONTS.

TYPE TECHNOLOGY

02Subject #1_Hand–Lettering

Subject #2_Calligraphy

Hand–Lettering: American Typographers

HOUSE INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN EXPLORING THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF HAND-LETTERING AND THE APPLICATIONS OF ILLUSTRATIVE LETTERFORMS IN CONTEMPORARY TYPE DESIGN.

HAND-LETTERING

Lubalin’s craftsmanship on the intricate hand-lettering led him to creating “The CBS Wall” which was one of the most spectacular three-dimensional food wall in the CBS cafeteria. The idea for the project belonged to Dorfsman. After solving the problems of engineering, constructional and measurement, Dorfsman hired Herb Lubalin to execute rough layouts to scale for all of the panels on the CBS wall. The wall represented one of the most arresting deisgn creations seen anywhere. It was an eye-stop-per, a visual example of the best three-dimensional hand crafted lettering. While he was in college, he was the worst student in the school for the first two years. In the last two years, he was about the best.

Hand-Lettering.

The turning point was a class in calligraphy. The angle of the flat pen point used in calligraphy pre-scribes that the art be done with the right hand. Lubalin drew with his left hand. The instructor told Herb he’d have to learn to use his right hand on the assignment. He didn’t tell her he wrote with his right hand. Since calligraphy really is handwriting, it was easy for him. He got the highest mark in his class, because the teacher felt he’d overcome a great hand-icap. From that time on, he got confidence and did well. Lubalin always loved to experiment with something new and his personal style was reflected by all things around him.

Calligraphy: American Typographers

Lubalin drew with his left hand.

The instructor told Herb he’d have to learn to use his right hand on the assignment.

He didn’t tell her he wrote with his right hand.

Since calligraphy really is handwriting, it was easy for him.

He got the highest mark in his class, because the teacher felt he’d

overcome a great handicap.

From that time on, he got confidence and did well.

Lubalin always loved to experiment with something new

and his personal style was reflected by all things around him.

– Herb Lubalin

CALLIGRAPHYLubalin drew with his left hand. The instructor told Herb he’d have to learn to use his right hand on the as-signment. He didn’t tell her he wrote with his right hand. Since calligraphy really is handwriting, it was easy for him. He got the highest mark in his class, because the teacher felt he’d overcome a great handicap. From that time on, he got confidence and did well. Lubalin always loved to ex-periment with something new and his personal style was reflected by all things around him. He drove the new-est imported sports cars and enjoyed the admiration of passing motorists when stopped in traffic. He worked and lived in refined ambiance. He was fond of Victoriana, and accu-mulated Art Nouveau posters before it became fashionable. He loved or-nate furniture and natural wood, and he responded to the craftsmanship of carpentry. In his working environment and in his houses, he was surrounded with taste. His offices in the building vacated by Hook and Ladder Com-

pany #7, his small mews in the city, and his rambling house in the country all projected his graceful control of space. His sense of form and texture was apparent in the glistening wood, the brass trim, beveled glass, the art and selective found objects displayed on the walls. In addition to the hand-lettering tech-nique from Herb Lubalin, House Indus-tries have been exploring the creative process of hand-lettering and the ap-plications of illustrative letterforms in contemporary type design. They cre-ate sophisticated and unsophisticated letterforms, and digitize and vectorize analog lettering by hands-on tech-niques. House Industries is an amer-ican type foundry and design studio based in Yorklyn, Dela-ware. The company was cre-ated in 1993 in Wilmington, Delaware by co-founders Andy Cruz and Rich Roat. Delaware-based firm takes its cues from a different place.

Pluralism: American Typographers

Calligraphy: American Typographers

CALLIGRAPHY

Pluralism: American Typographers

Calligraphy means beautiful writing. Calligraphy is fun. Calligraphy is an art. a type of visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of let-tering with a broad tip instrument or brush in one stroke.

Calligraphy means beautiful writing. Calligraphy is fun. Calligraphy is an art.

BibliographiesSnyder, Gertrude, Herb Lubalin, and Alan Peckolick. Herb Lubalin: Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Ty-pographer. New York: American Showcase, 1985. Print.

Ryan, William E., and Theodore E. Conover. Graphic Communications Today. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2004. Print.

Cruz, Andy, Ken Barber, and Rich Roat. House Industries. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2004. Print.

Ryan, William E., and Theodore E. Conover. Graphic Communications Today. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2004. Print.

“Herb Lubalin âTypographer Extraordinaire Voices of East Anglia.” Herb Lubalin âTypographer Extraor-dinaire Voices of East Anglia. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.voicesofeastanglia.com/2012/09/herb-lubalin-typographer-extraordinaire.html>.

Heller, Steven. “My Favorite Lubalin.” ImprintThe Online Community for Graphic Designers RSS. Imprint, 6 Aug. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://imprint.printmag.com/daily-heller/my-favorite-lubalin>.

Keedy, Mr. “Graphic Design in the Postmodern Era.” Emigre Essays. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.emigre.com/Editorial.php?sect=1>.

“House Industries - About - House Aesthetic.” House Industries - About - House Aesthetic. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. <http://www.houseind.com/about/housestory/aesthetic/>.

Borden, Mark. “The Masters of Typography: House Industries.” Fast Company. N.p., 1 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.fastcompany.com/1007033/masters-typography-house-industries>.

Crowley, David. “Faktografiadotcom.” Faktografiadotcom. N.p., 2 Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://fak-tografia.com/2012/09/02/the-quiet-american>.

“Art-Nouveau Feeder Fetishist.” Burning Settlers Cabin RSS. N.p., 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.burningsettlerscabin.com/?p=7487>.

Colophon Course_Typography IIIInstructor_Francheska GuerreroDesigner_Soyeon KimTypeface_Avant Garde Gothic, Lubalin Graph, Chalet, House Gothic, House Paint,, Sign Painter

Course_Instructor_Designer_

Typography IIIFrancheska GuerreroSoyeon Kim