Exercise 3: Typography

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Objective:

You will explore the process of setting movable type by choosing a quote, typesetting it in a blackletter font, and uploading your work as a JPG.

 

Materials Needed:

• Software: Adobe Express or Canva, Illustrator, InDesign, or any design software that allows manual typesetting and layout creation.

• Fonts: any Blackletter style typeface

 

Instructions:

1. Choose a Quote: Select a short passage or quote (approximately 50-75 words) for this exercise. You may choose from texts relevant to the period, or use something personal, like a quote you find meaningful. For example:

   • A line from the Gutenberg Bible ("In principio erat Verbum" – "In the beginning was the Word").

   • A historical passage or famous phrase from the 15th-16th century.

   • A quote from your favorite song, poem or book

2. Typesetting in Blackletter: Using a blackletter font, recreate your chosen quote in a design software like Adobe Express or Canva (or Adobe Illustrator or InDesign if you are already comfortable with that software). Follow these guidelines:

   • Set each line of text manually, focusing on letter spacing (tracking), alignment, and layout.

   • Create a clean, justified, or centered text block depending on your design choice. Aim for consistency in spacing between letters and lines.

   • Feeling like doing a bit more? Optionally, you can add decorative elements like illuminated initials (large, ornate first letters) or simple borders to reflect the style of early printed works.

3. Pay Attention to Legibility: Blackletter fonts are dense and ornate. Experiment with different text sizes, letter spacing, and line lengths to find the balance between visual appeal and readability.

   • Try to keep your design cohesive but readable. This will give you insight into the challenges faced by early printers in making dense, complex scripts legible.

4. Reflection:

   1. Answer the following in a word doc:

      1. Reflect on any difficulties you encountered in working with the dense, angular letterforms of blackletter. Was it challenging to make the text legible or visually appealing? How did you solve these issues?

      2. Consider the relevance of blackletter today. Can you think of any current uses for this typeface in branding, design, or other media? What makes it suitable (or unsuitable) for modern contexts?

      3. If you added any decorative features, reflect on how these elements influenced the look and feel of your composition. Did they help to elevate the text or distract from its legibility?

5. Final Output: Once you are satisfied with your typeset design, export your composition as a high-resolution JPG image for submission to Canvas

 

 

Submission Requirements:

• Submit your exercise as a jpg and your reflection as a word doc (or canvas upload comment).