serif development

missgiggles30 November 2006 · 16:27

what major events/parts should be looked at when it comes to the development of the serif?
1) how it came to be i.e. stone chisseled by Romans etc and then the Gothic period and how it dissappeared until renaissance
2) roman numerals
3) Trajans column
4) Renaissance
5) the guy who developed serif from the human proportions of the body...forgot his name, sorry.
what about after renaissance period? what happened to the serif from then until now and how has it developed? any major events that i have missed out from the above list? i can look at how garamond and other classical typefaces have extended through out centuries but dont know much about who did them and why and how though. what about how is it developing today? are people designing their own SERIF fonts and why serif and not san serif? is it possible to design a serif font with such precision like Romans did today and why is it still used?

Chris Lozos30 November 2006 · 17:06

“The Origin of the Serif” by Edward M. Catich

ChrisL

missgiggles1 December 2006 · 03:27

“The Origin of the Serif” by Edward M. Catich- i know, i have ordered it but it will be 2 weeks before it comes and i dont have it in my local libraries either. i want to get a move on so it would be good if i could have a few bullet points in regards to the above. have i missed out any major events?

Chris Lozos1 December 2006 · 05:02

“5) the guy who developed serif from the human proportions of the body…forgot his name, sorry.”

“the guy” structured a proportion system for Roman capitals. He did not develop the serif.

http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/SpecialCollections/hsi350/durer.ht...

ChrisL

missgiggles1 December 2006 · 05:17

oh ok, but what major events am i missing from Renaissance to now in SERIF development? i find that bit the hardest. any ideas would be grateful.

Chris Lozos1 December 2006 · 05:42

Look up any post blackletter caligraphy and all of the early roman typefaces—pretty much the history of letterpress printing (Aldus, Jenson, Garamond, etc.)

ChrisL

missgiggles1 December 2006 · 06:28

in regards to http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/SpecialCollections/hsi350/durer.ht...
was the student of Learnardo da Vinci and Durer called Tory? but Tory Agnes or Tory Geoffroy?

Hrant H Papazian1 December 2006 · 12:41

Durer did not use body parts to make letters - he used geometry (as did many
others, including before him). Geofroy Tory, who was before Durer as well, did.
But not for serifs in particular.

> i have ordered it

Girl, spend that big money on type instead! :-)

hhp