Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The Anatomy of Typography
2
Typographic design is a complex human activity, requiring a
broad background for informed practice. This chapter explores
the basic language of typography. Letterforms, the fundamental
components of all typographic communications, are carefully
examined. Nomenclature, measurement, and the nature of
typographic font and family are presented.
The alphabet is a series of elemental visual signs in a fixed
sequence, representing spoken sounds. Each letter signifies
only one thing: its elementary sound or name. The twenty-
six characters of our alphabet can be combined into hundreds
of thousands of words, creating a visual record of the spoken
language. This is the magic of writing and typography, which
have been called “thoughts made visible” and “frozen sounds.”
