A font for jokes
From Hacks: “I put the jokes in Comic Sans so you know they’re supposed to be funny.”
What do fonts talk about?
Elle Cordova: “Fonts hanging out.”
Typography of the young
“Italics make it look like the wind’s blowing.”
Lorem ipsum
From Jack Shepherd, a close look at the history of Lorem ipsum.
Thomas’ dots
I like to read the box at breakfast, or the carton, or the plastic bag. Thus I noticed a typographical oddity on the bag holding a loaf of Thomas’ Cinnamon Swirl Bread.
Helvetica for free
Gary Hustwit’s 2007 documentary Helvetica, now fifteen years old, is streaming free through March 30.
Garamond
Does a font make your words look better?
For those who fuss over spacing
I’m still looking for a non-breaking thin space that does not break.
Ed Benguiat (1927–2020)
“What is graphic design? Placing things in their proper order so they’re pleasing to the eye.”
Campaign typography
George Butterick (as in Butterick’s Practical Typography) considers the campaign logos of Democratic presidential candidates.
The Great Chicago Fire and type
It helped standardize type.
Word of the day: brevier
Because it’s National Dictionary Day.
Letterheads
etterheads dig letterheads. Letterhead Steven Heller offers his confessions — with samples.
Some rock
A children’s book by Roger Bradfield, Hello, Rock, with interlock lettering and a rock on the cover. Some rock!
Italic frenemy
I am cheered to know that at least one cartoon character is alert enough to notice and comment snarkily on typography.
Typography cheatsheet
❧ See?
Arial? Or Helvetica?
A quiz: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?
Recently updated
The Washington Post reports on the one-space-or-two research study.
ICYMI
The latest xkcd, “IMHO.” With the two-space, one-space debate.
One space, two spaces
Matthew Butterick of Practical Typography looks at a research study’s claim that the use of two spaces after a period makes text more readable.
An inverted B
Resistance takes many forms.
“Short Order Menus”
From 1930.
VapoRub, the earliest camel-case brand name?
It dates to at least 1920.
Typography terms, A–Z
A free PDF from Fontsmith.
The Eisenhower S
Did The New York Times really create a special skinny S to squeeze the name Eisenhower into headlines?
Rev. Robert Palladino (1932–2016)
Steve Jobs sat in on his calligraphy class.
The Clearview exit
Henry Petroski laments the coming disappearance of the typeface Clearview, used on United States highway signs since 2004.
Bad kerning
From the box for a Cosco Open/Closed Sign.
Hermann Zapf (1918–2015)
As in Optima, Palatino, Zapf Dingbats, and Zapfino.
Helvetica for résumés?
Even in the world of design, Helvetica is far from a “consensus winner,” as Gary Hustwit’s 2007 film Helvetica makes clear.