Dear Students, A Full & Complete Lesson in the Use of Typography May Be Found on the Opening Page of....
It is not generally recommended that art directors cob layout tips from copywriters.
And I would hesitate to offer this one except:
1) It's an example, not advice, and,
2) If one more wannabe David Carson shows me one more unreadable headline with 5 different fonts in it without there being any reason for the 5 fonts or the lack of readability, I fear I may spit up, and so, in defense, I hold this up, the first page of the first chapter of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens; not in the belief that understanding the role of typography in our lives will entice you to treat it as something more than another new trick you can do with your Mac programs, but as fair warning should illness befall me when you return in, yes, say it with me, five weeks.
posted by Fenske at Friday, July 13, 2007
32 Comments:
I'll try not to make you puke. Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't consider you only a copywriter.
AMEN
PreACH oN MARk.
RaRe IS tHe STUdenT Art DIRectoR wHO kNOWS hOW to lAY ouT COPY WitH
GRaCE anD SEnSe.
oF CourSe I'm WRITER
sO WhAt dO i KnOW?????
But,
BOYKO HATES WIDOWS!
Maaaan, I don't get it.
How timely, I'm reading this right now.
totally agree. layout shouldn't get in the way of a layout.
Ii dunno. Not to nitpick, but nothing about humongous blocks of copy makes Dickens enticing to read. It's too daunting.
Actually, I think this is an argument for better layout. If the written word's the most important thing in a novel and Dickens can't be relied upon to make it look good (i.e., edit), an art director needs to be called in. I definitely don't want to read something where an entire page is in one or two paragraphs.
Well, as much as I am a fan of your site, and insight, I have to say that I detect a bit of art director-directed animosity in this posting. Without Carson and those of his ilk there would be precious little progress in the field of design. So don't hate- Carson's work, especially, was intended to be experimental-- but has had a huge impact on design-- much of which is very good.
As an art director, since it's my job to nitpick, I feel the need to point out that this is not an example of exceptional typography by any standard. The widow (although which in this case seems to add drama but was clearly not intentional), the "foot" marks where there should be single quotes, hyphens where there should be dashes, and erroneous spaces are things that drive a classical typographer (and any good art director) nuts.
This all said, it's great to see commentary on art direction here. The best work exists in that elusive realm where concept, copy and layout serve only to let one other shine.
I love that that entire post was two sentences.
Dear anonymouses,
What Dickens wrote is the lesson, not the typesetting.
Though, if I'm having to explain this, perhaps the fault is mine in the telling.
oh, my bad.
-- anon2
This post has been removed by the author.
Is the fact that the word "Pip" is considered an "orphan" on the page have anything to do with this?
Thanks for clarifying "wannabe" David Carsons. His work helped breathe new life into the study and use of typography and how it can, in itself, become a part of the message.
Without a solid understanding of basic typography, a copycat's attempts will always be sorely exposed.
Like that one time I tried karaoke.
WHoever "Comment Deleted" is, I don't get your comment at all.
Rags, Widows & Orphans
by Ilene Strizver
Rags, widows and orphans – sounds more like a Dickens novel than type! In spite of their odd names, these concepts are important to understand if good typography is your goal.
http://www.fonts.com/AboutFonts/Articles/fyti/RagsWidowsOrphans.htm
Maybe experimental type is the best way to hide a bad idea?
Were you really on Mork and Mindy in '82?
I want to hear more about this "Mork & Mindy" appearance??? or was it a voice over?
Oh snap! Mark's little secret.
http://imdb.com/name/nm1179540/
Dear folks,
I never been on or watched Mork & Mindy. IMDB, not unlike Wikipedia, is
not a repository of fact.
Mark also did not play fo the mid eighties football club F.C. Portland as a forward. That was Jeff Fenske. Come on people.
There is a Mark Fenske who is an actor. Mark Fenske, the poster boy for advertising, is not the ONLY Mark Fenske. IMDB is correct.
Poster boy? Okay then. I'm sure there is also a Harry Potter in the phone book, but he's probably not the one in the movie. Good one Poster boy for the obvious.
Re: real Harry Potter.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3435430
Poor guy.
So, Mark, if you were to rewrite this posting so your message actually got through my thick skull, how would you do it? Just simply: "Hey writers, make sure you write really well and art directors: make the good stuff legible?" Sorry, I don't want to let the lesson slip by me.
Dear anonymous,
Good grief, was I that obtuse in quoting the Dickens story? Am I the only one moved by Pip's conjuring up an image of his dead parents on the basis of the typeface used to chisel their names into their gravestones? Must have been a lame story if I'm having to explain it.
No, I doubt this is your fault. I guess my feeling is that I'm not moved to read it 'cause it's a huge block of copy, callng for an art director's help to make it attractive. Big flaw of mine: I'm not patient enough to read something that's poorly presented. Thanks for your patience...
For what it's worth, even fewer people read the poorly typeset bodycopy.
rcuDear Fenske,
I like your reading your blog. I agree. I disagree. Yay stuff. Nay stuff. But this whole anonymous blog thing has gotten out of control. So if its okay with you, I'd like to address your readers.
Dear markfenske.com readers,
If you are worried about what Mark Fenske or others might think of you, don't. You have something to say, so say it. Spoon it up, stick it in tupperware and tape your name on top of it. If not, I'm eating your meatloaf. For breakfast.
Love,
Butch Brown
p.s. yes, that was a threat.
Preach it.
Also, for anyone wondering, Butch will eat not only your meatloaf but anything else you have lying around. Tupperware included.
sidenote: Butch, I miss ya, man. I drink less when you're not around.
This is why I want to set the type on the tombstones of the ones I love, including me.
If you are planning to write an ad longer than 25 or 30 pages, have it set in 10-point Linotron Galliard, a face designed by Matthew Carter and based on the 16th century face Granjon. For an example, see any volume of the Library of America. At the moment I am reading the complete works of Charles W. Chesnutt, and my eyes have not rebelled.
Zach
Post a Comment
<< Home