what we do
Out of context: Reply #64
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- gramme0
@ jimbo: I grant that 99% of the people in the world can't see the difference between say, Times and Mercury, but if you set a logotype using both and show them side by side, you can easily point out to people the differences, which are then immediately apparent: Mercury has higher contrast, firmer footing, sharp serifs, exaggerated ball terminals, and more even color; Times is thinner, narrower, and has bracketed serifs. Mercury feels stronger and possibly more masculine because of these characteristics; Times is more delicate and perhaps feminine. There's a time and place for each, although on a personal level I hate Times.
The reality is that even with such comparisons and solid bullshitting tactics, good typography matters a lot more than choosing Times vs. Mercury or Arial vs. Helvetica. In an airport, for instance, it can determine whether a traveler misses their flight because they can or can't find their way around.
A painter is judged by his skill, not the quality of his brushes. That being said, a good painter doesn't choose brushes arbitrarily; he picks sable over synthetic, brass over tin, lacquered over untreated wood. He picks brushes using criteria that allow his work to be done without any technical snafus. There are personal affiliations with brands, heft, size, etc.; but there is a level of objectivity in choosing quality over commodity.
At the end of the day though, mediocre designers use good fonts, and good designers use good typography.
- I dislike Times b/c it lacks personality, and seems poorly balanced going from uppercase to lower.gramme
- i second the balance sentimentversion3
- i agree what gramme said, but i disagree that $1400 goes to buy a type family instead of helping the poor. as a church. it's your faulttypist
- and the tight arse eula from H&fj, means the church can't even use it for pdf to publictypist
- I hear you typist, but to be fair, the church spends way, way more than $1,400 per year in helping the poor.gramme