This chapter was really difficult for me. It was fascinating to hear about all of the old typographic machines and how they worked, but I couldn't understand it. I wanted to badly to see how they worked, and I couldn't grasp to concepts just by reading them. I wish there had been a few more realistic models, not just concept models.
I was fascinated to read about the role of photography in the development of type. I never knew that was such an effective way of capturing letters forms, but it makes perfect sense when I think about it. If it can capture something as complex as scenery, why not letter forms?
Something I was surprised by was the concept of snap on serifs from the Walker Art Center. I always categorized different serif patterns into different fonts all together, and that you had to pick the complete font you wanted to use. It is a curious idea to me to just snap on a serif. Yes, you get the illusion of different fonts, but then the contrast, weight, and base are exactly the same for all of them. It's like putting on a disguise, but you are still the same person. I am not a fan.
Reading about the digital age was very amusing to me. I realized that believing in magic is part of my everyday life. I expect my computer to do exactly as I say, even though it doesn't speak English. I expect my keyboard to transfer my kinetic energy into bits into letters. I expect my mouse to move things I cannot touch. I also have no idea how a laser jet printer works, but I expect the words I type to magically appear in ink on paper. In fact, the only typing concept I actually understand is a typewriter, which is very outdated. So is my knowledge, I guess.
No comments:
Post a Comment