Typophile

what the difference between typographer and typedesigner?

Fabiouser

Like Robin Kinross quoted (Modern typography; p.22) from Josef Moxon in his Mechanik exercises: or the doctrine of handy-works applied to the art of printing: "By the typographer, I do not mean a printer, as he is vulgarly accounted, any more than Dr Dee means carpenter pr mason to be an architect: but by typographer, I mean such a one, who by his own judgement, from solid reasoning within himself, can either perform, or direct other to perform the beginning to the end, all the handy-works and physical operations relating to typographie."

This typographer definition endures in time. But, what the definition of typedesigner? Is just someone who can preform, or direct others to perform the beginning to the end, the digital handy-works of designing a typeface? or is just a 'modern' definition of typographer?

Frode Bo Helland

The word itself is a definition. A type designer design type.

It's "typographer" that's been watered out, as people make the photographer connection and assume a typographer creates type.

Nick Sherman

Type designers are to typographers as brickmakers are to bricklayers. One makes the pieces, the other builds with them.

Typography.Guru

Type designers are to typographers as brickmakers are to bricklayers.

Really? That would make any Word user a typographer …
I understand at least the German equivalent “Typograf” as an “expert in the field of typography”.

Riccardo Sartori

I think Nick’s definition is good. And, yes, this means that any Word user is a typographer. But I wouldn’t let any simple Word user build my house ;-)

Synthview

you're not a professional football player if you play soccer on weekends
You're not a typographer if you use MS Word :p
But you can be a typographer and have to use (gosh) Ms Word sometimes.

William Berkson

Ralf, bricklayers are professionals too! But while the bricklayer is rarely a designer, the typographer these days is generally an expert in both designing and setting the page, both macro and detail typography. In the analogy that would be both the designer and builder of the structure, with pre-fabricated materials, the bricks or type.

Typography.Guru

typographer these days is generally an expert in both designing and setting the page

To me, that describes the job of a graphic designer. What's the difference between a typographer and a graphic designer then?

Maybe then someone wants to edit this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_type_designers

William Berkson

>What's the difference between a typographer and a graphic designer then?

To me, the difference is that graphic design involves photos, charts and illustrations as well as type. "Typography" refers only to the arrangement of type on the page, not the other elements. So I would put it more accurately:

Typography: the craft and art of laying out and setting text on the page or screen.

A typographer is someone with expertise in typography. Will that do?

Typography.Guru

Will that do?

Sure, I understand all of the mentioned statements. I just wonder which ones are really useful. :-)
I don't know anyone today who would just arrange type for a living. They are all graphic designers, screen designers or something like that.

A typographer is someone with expertise in typography.

This would also be my definition. (see above)

William Berkson

As I understand it, before desktop publishing there was a separate profession of typography, as graphic designers had to go to others to set their type.

Now it is an aspect of a profession, but still has its own issues that are worth talking about separately, as the book Detail in Typography shows.

Fabiouser

Fantastic answers! really thanks

– As I understand it, before desktop publishing there was a separate profession of typography, as graphic designers had to go to others to set their type.

They (the others) are not typographers?

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