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Amber Lin’s Publication
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Peng Ke’s Publication

Introduction to Western Typography (Condensed)

西文字体应用原理

This course is an introduction on the principles and techniques surrounding the practice of typography for latin characters. Most presentations in the class will be mainly focusing on teaching the use of a layout software. We will do multiple comparision with Chinese and also demonstrate equivalent techniques for similar approaches of grid-making with Chinese characters. The knowledge in this course is mainly taught in English with the possibility of consultation in mandarin.

Goals
  • Build/enhance student’s typographic acumen;
  • Develop grid making skills in both English and Chinese;
  • Play + experiment within strict constraints.

  • Requirements
  • Students who took a previous course in Chinese Typography;

  • Credits
    4 credits

    Required Materials
  • Laptop: preferably a Macbook
  • Adobe InDesign software
  • Easy access to a laser printer (Buy together)
  • Easy access to an inkjet printer
  • Electronic mouse
  • Digital storage device
  • Stapler
  • Metal ruler
  • T-Square
  • X-acto knife and blades
  • Cutting mat
  • Bone folder (折纸工具)
  • Variety of white cardstock and papers

  • Attendance
    Attend to all classes is essential. Un-excused absences will result in faults to the participation evaluation. Keep me updated if you need to miss class. In any case, the students are responsible for being up-to-date. Being late will be perceived the same way.

    Evaluation
    You will be evaluated according to your overall engagement in the projects. Your active participation during the semester will also be taken in account.

  • Project (70%)
  • Class participation (20%)
  • Match the font (test) (10%)

  • Assignment Criteria (General)
  • Autonomy, authorship
  • Attitude in class
  • Formal approach
  • Execution shows technical skills
  • Progression
  • Participation

  • Schedule
    WEEK 1 (MAY 20)

    Monday
  • Course introduction
  • Syllabus overview
  • Presentation: Case Studies (You Will Learn This)
  • Useful translations

  • Presentation: Design: What is it?
  • Presentation: Anatomy of the Letter
  • Video:Punchcutter

  • Share the fonts / Type exam (last week)
  • Fonts: pretty ones and less pretty ones



  • Wednesday
  • Presentation of homework (first step, * * * * DUE FRIDAY * * * *)

  • InDesign Teachings
  • Notions:
  •    looking at an English text: basics
  •    approach the blank page (page composition)
  •    paper format and binding
  •    start a new InDesign file (typography MUST be in InDesign)
  •    units: picas/points/cm/inches
  •    setup your rulers

  • Notions: Choose a typeface
  •    size (font-size) on a grid
  •    leading (line-height)
  •    weight (font-weight)
  •    How to setup inDesign in order to properly print at scale

  • Notions:
  •    kerning, tracking (letter-space)
  •    word-space
  •    justified text, ragged text (align left)
  •    color of the text (gray)
  •    InDesign styles
  •    How to make a layout and a grid?
  •    grid (margins /columns /gutters)
  •    master pages
  •    page numbers

  • Fonts: pretty ones and less pretty ones
  • Presentation: Typographic examples
  • Work in class

  •         Homework
  • Place a text block on the page in a place you deem suitable
  • Pick your chosen typeface and adapt it to the text block
  • Only choose one paragraph from the original text
  • Work on your text block
  • Delivery Friday: one print-out at scale, and one pdf at the right size.



  • Friday
  • Deliver first text bloc on one-pager to the professor
  • Corrections in class

  •         Homework
  • Over the weekend: correct your design according to feedback
  • Add page numbers
  • WEEK 2 (MAY 27)

    Monday
  • Notions:
  •    uppercase /lowercase /capitals /small caps
  •    adding pages and linking their text blocks
  •    em /en
  •    em dash / en dash / hyphens
  •    real apostrophes
  •    ligatures
  •    figures (typography)
  •    folio (typography)
  •    thin-space, hair-space
  •    indent/first-line indent
  •    paragraphs
  •    quotations
  •    glyphs and diacritics
  •    color swatches
  •    file types: opentype, wopp, truetype
  •    baseline
  •    object styles

  •         Homework
  • Now repeat your layout on subsequent pages and enter all of your text
  • Apply these new notions to your layout



  • Wednesday
  • Notions:
  •    layers
  •    mix images and text
  •    add images in the flow of text with anchors
  •    notes and footnotes

  • Open session
  • One-on-one meetings with students
  • Print single pages and trim to size

  •         Homework
  • Apply these new notions to your layout
  • Continue your homework: prepare a pdf file for tomorrow’s review


  • Friday
  • Teacher reviews homeworks

  •         Homework
  • Progress with your project

  • WEEK 3 (JUNE 3rd)

    Monday
  • Open session
  • One-on-one meetings with students

  •         Homework
  • Progress with your project
  • Start your covers
  • Looking at cover inspo
  • One-on-one meetings with students

  •         Homework
  • Progress with your project



  • Wednesday
  • Chinese typography comparision
  • Our personal typesetting technique for Chinese characters

  •         Homework
  • Start your back cover and progress with your project



  • Friday
  • Open session
  • One-on-one meetings with students

  •         Homework
  • Progress with your project
  • Prepare for your small type test
  • WEEK 4 (JUNE 10)

    Monday (NO CLASS)


    Wednesday
  • Examination: Recognize the type
  • Teaching book imposition
  • One-on-one meetings with students

  •         Homework
  • Prepare the imposition of your booklet
  • Prepare your booklet for printing



  • Friday
  • Project Delivery
  • Last day: critique
  • Projects coming in late will be losing 5%