Somebody said that before Licko?

hhp

I concur with Hrant. Licko coined it.

I always credited Licko, as well. to be sure, just send
Emigre an email; I'm sure Zuzana would be happy to
confirm or deny.

An article on Typotheque attributes the quote thusly:

p.52, Emigre, 1993, Emigre: Graphic Design into the Digital Realm, Booth-Clibborn Editions, London

Rather bizarrely, I thought it was David Carson who said it first.

I'll just get my coat and be on my way... ;)

-

I think Carson's line is (or I should say was) "Don't mistake legibility for communication."
That and "Surf's up duuuuude!!"

hhp

Eric Gill had this to say:

"Legibility, in practice, amounts simply to what one is accustomed to."
--Essay on Typography, p.44

Not exactly Licko's statement, but a similar sentiment.

Ya know, a list of great typographic quotes would be a useful resource. Who has some more?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811819345/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/202-2234356-7536651

Not purely typography, but rather graphic design in general. The graphic design inside is a bit ugly, but the quotes are great.

My personal favourite:

"It seems that one only has to be able to watch television and hold a potato at the same time in order to be equiped to be a designer these days."
- Glenn Martinez

*blush*

"Bodoni would be an admirable letter for a death notice!"
G W Ovink

Although that's spliced together from two sentences.

hhp

I rather liked Tobias Frere-Jones' slogan when he was working for Font Bureau: 'We make things suck less.'

Thanks Nathan - that is exactly the one I was referring to. I think I read it in Meggs' History of G.D. but forgot to mark the page!

I saw a bumper sticker on a big ol' american guzzler that read "If it needs explaining then you wouldn't understand."

I am still trying to figure that out...