ufi3t.the.visual.dictionary.of.graphic.design

(AVA) Visual DictionaryCD0710-2 / 4269

This book is a guide to the many and varied terms used frequently within graphic design. From Abstract to Zeitgeist, snl Bauhaus to Psychedelia, via Chromaand Exquisite Corpse, this book will prove an invaluableresource to anyone interested in graphic design.Each term is explained and contextualised, giving thereader an enhanced understanding of graphic designterminology. More than 250 common graphic designterms are distilled and illustrated. From practical termssuch as Asymmetry, Hierarchy and Tints to movementsand styles such as Surrealism, Pointillism andPostmodernism, from modern terminology and conceptssuch as Bitmap, Mark Making and Vernacular to many of the traditional terms still in current usage.

The Visual Dictionaryof Graphic Design

Gavin Ambrose/Paul Harris

Gavin

Am

brose

/Pau

l Harris

The V

isual D

ictionary

of Grap

hic D

esign

ava publishing sawww.avabooks.comhttp://[email protected]@avabooks.com

Gavin Ambrose MA is a practising graphicdesigner whose client base includes the art sector, galleries, publishers andadvertising agencies. He has written and designed several books on graphicdesign, branding and packaging.

Paul Harris PG Dip Freelance writer and journalist. Paul writes for magazines,journals and newspapers, both in Londonand New York, on a range of subjects, from architecture to tourism. He is co-author and collaborator on severalbooks about graphic design.

About the authorsPublishers note

Ethical practice is well known, taught and discussed in the domains of medicine,law, science and sociology but was, until recently, rarely discussed in terms of the Applied Visual Arts. Yet design is becoming an increasingly integral part of our everyday lives and its influence on our society ever-more prevalent.

AVA Publishing believes that our worldneeds integrity; that the ramifications of our actions upon others should be for the greatest happiness and benefit of the greatest number. We do not setourselves out as arbiters of what is good or bad, but aim to promote discussion in an organised fashion for an individualsunderstanding of their own ethicalinclination. AVA Publishing aims to help a new generation of students, educators and practitioners find a methodology forstructuring their thoughts and reflections in the field of ethics.

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(AVA) Visual DictionaryCD0710-2 / 4269UK EDN

16.95

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An AVA Book

Published by AVA Publishing SARue des Fontenailles 16Case Postale1000 Lausanne 6Switzerland Tel: +41 786 005 109Email: [email protected]

Distributed by Thames & Hudson (ex-North America)181a High HolbornLondon WC1V 7QXUnited KingdomTel: +44 20 7845 5000Fax: +44 20 7845 5055Email: [email protected]

Distributed in the USA & Canada by:Ingram Publisher Services Inc.1 Ingram Blvd.La Vergne TN 37086USATel: +1 866 400 5351Fax: +1 800 838 1149Email: [email protected]

English Language Support OfficeAVA Publishing (UK) Ltd. Tel: +44 1903 204 455Email: [email protected]

AVA Publishing SA 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, withoutpermission of the copyright holder.

ISBN 978-2-940373-43-7

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Design and text by Gavin Ambrose and Paul HarrisOriginal photography by Xavier Young www.xavieryoung.co.uk

Production by AVA Book Production Pte. Ltd., SingaporeTel: +65 6334 8173Fax: +65 6259 9830Email: [email protected]

All reasonable attempts have been made to trace, clear and credit thecopyright holders of the images reproduced in this book. However, if anycredits have been inadvertently omitted, the publisher will endeavour toincorporate amendments in future editions.


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see Type Anatomy 259 see Constructivism 64

26A Apex

The point formed at the top of a character, such as the A, where theleft and right strokes meet.

27A Appropriation

Taking a style of one thing and applying it to another. Pictured is adesign created by Studio Myerscough that appropriates expressive,constructivist typography to instil a feeling of energy and immediacyinto the piece.

6 7Introduction

Welcome to The Visual Dictionary of Graphic Design, a book that provides textual definitions and visualexplanations for some of the more common terms foundin the key areas of graphic design and pertinent entriesfrom the wider world of graphic arts.

This volume aims to provide a clear understanding ofthe many terms that are often misused or confusedsuch as italics and obliques, or the difference betweenan overprint, a surprint and a reverse out. As youmight expect, The Visual Dictionary of Graphic Designprovides visual explanations, and many of these areexamples of commercial work, produced by leadingcontemporary design studios, to illustrate the correctusage of typographical elements such as the ellipsis,the rules for the handling of problems such as widows,orphans & the hypho and the correct usage of numeralsto produce accurate text.

Graphic design communicates through a range ofvisual devices including montages, collages, metaphors,rhetoric and juxtapositions, all of which, and more,are explained and illustrated.

A clear understanding of the key terms used in graphicdesign will help you to better articulate and formaliseyour ideas and ensure accuracy in the transfer of thoseideas to others.

This war poster (facingpage, far left) featuresrhetoric, the art ofpersuasion.

This spread (facing page,left) created by Frost Designfeatures a simple texthierarchy.

Pictured right, primarycolours and shapes weredefining features of theBauhaus school.

This French poster (far left)uses the text accents.

A vernacular type style isused by Studio Myerscoughfor this piece of packaging(left).

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How to get the most out of this book

This book is an easy-to-use reference to the key termsused in graphic design. Each entry comprises a brieftextual definition along with an illustration or visualexample of the point under discussion. Supplementarycontextual information is also included.

Key areas addressed in this book are those termscommonly used in referenceto typography, layout,colour, format, image and artistic movements.

Entries are presented inalphabetical order toprovide an easy referencesystem.

4

g

279278

1916De StijlDutch for the style, DeStijl was an art and designmovement that developedaround a magazine of thesame name founded byTheo Van Doesburg. DeStijl used strong rectangularforms, employed primarycolours and celebratedasymmetrical compositions.Pictured is the Red andBlue Chair, which wasdesigned by Gerrit Rietveld.

1918ConstructivismA modern art movementoriginating in Moscowin 1920, which wascharacterised by the useof industrial methods tocreate non-representational,often geometric objects.Russian constructivism wasinfluential to modernismthrough its use of black andred sans-serif typographyarranged in asymmetricalblocks. Pictured is a modelof the Tatlin Tower, amonument for theCommunist International.

1916DadaismAn artistic and literarymovement (191623) thatdeveloped following theFirst World War and soughtto discover an authenticreality through the abolitionof traditional culture andaesthetic forms. Dadaismbrought new ideas,materials and directions,but with little uniformity. Itsprinciples were of deliberateirrationality, anarchy andcynicism, and the rejectionof laws of beauty. Dadaistslived in and for the moment.Pictured is the cover of thefirst edition of Dada, whichwas published in Zrich in 1917 and edited byTristan Tzara.

1919BauhausThe Bauhaus opened in1919 under the direction ofrenowned architect WalterGropius. Until it was forcedto close in 1933, theBauhaus sought to initiatea fresh approach to designfollowing the First WorldWar, with a stylistic focuson functionality ratherthan adornment.

1925Herbert BayerAustrian graphic designerHerbert Bayer embodied themodernist desire to reducedesigns to as few elementsas possible, and repeatedlyexperimented withtypography to reduce thealphabet to a single case.He created Universal, ageometric sans serif font.Pictured is Bayer Universal,a font that has an evenstroke weight with lowcontrast and geometricforms.

1928Jan TschicholdGerman typographer JanTschichold was a leadingadvocate of Modernistdesign as expressed throughDie neue Typographie (thenew typography), which wasa manifesto of moderndesign that promoted sans-serif fonts and non-centreddesign, in addition tooutlining usage guidelinesfor different weights andsizes of type. Pictured isSabon, a font named afterJacques Sabon that typifiesthe Modernist approachpioneered by Tschichold.

M Metallic

A highly reflective ink or foil with metallic characteristics. Metallicinks are special printing inks, which are outside of the standard gamut of the CMYK or Hexachrome colour spaces. These colours can also be applied to a design through the use of a foil stamp.Pictured is a brochure by SEA Design that features text produced with a metallic foil.

see CMYK 54, Gamut 113

161160M Median

see Filters 100

A method of reducing the values of an image to remove detail withoutcausing pixelation.

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A timeline of graphic designhelps to provide historicalcontext for selected keymoments in the disciplinesdevelopment.

Each page contains a single entry and, where appropriate, a printers hand symbol providespage references to other related and relevant entries.

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6Introduction

Welcome to The Visual Dictionary of Graphic Design, a book that provides textual definitions and visualexplanations for some of the more common terms foundin the key areas of graphic design and pertinent entriesfrom the wider world of graphic arts.

This volume aims to provide a clear understanding ofthe many terms that are often misused or confusedsuch as italics and obliques, or the difference betweenan overprint, a surprint and a reverse out. As youmight expect, The Visual Dictionary of Graphic Designprovides visual explanations, and many of these areexamples of commercial work, produced by leadingcontemporary design studios, to illustrate the correctusage of typographical elements such as the ellipsis,the rules for the handling of problems such as widows,orphans & the hypho and the correct usage of numeralsto produce accurate text.

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7Graphic design communicates through a range ofvisual devices including montages, collages, metaphors,rhetoric and juxtapositions, all of which, and more,are explained and illustrated.

A clear understanding of the key terms used in graphicdesign will help you to better articulate and formaliseyour ideas and ensure accuracy in the transfer of thoseideas to others.

This war poster (facingpage, far left) featuresrhetoric, the art ofpersuasion.

This spread (facing page,left) created by Frost Designfeatures a simple texthierarchy.

Pictured right, primarycolours and shapes weredefining features of theBauhaus school.

This French poster (far left)uses the text accents.

A vernacular type style isused by Studio Myerscoughfor this piece of packaging(left).

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8Graphic design is a discipline that continues to evolve. The timeline (page 274) shows how changes in technology have dramatically affectedcommunications in the past, and how technologicaladvancement continues to do so. Coupled with thisis the ever changing taste and preference of society,which gives rise to numerous schools of thought abouthow information should be presented. In the twentiethcentury, for example, the rise of modernism embracedtechnological advances and adopted cleaner, lessadorned forms, and in doing so rejected the decorativenature of design in Victorian times. However, with time,this too changed and postmodernism saw a move awayfrom industrial nature as designers once again embracedmore elaborate and softer visual concepts.

This poster (right), fromtypography magazine Fuse,features a distorted, filter-inspired typeface by BrettWickens.

This poster design (far right)by Peter and Paul featurestypography that has beenreversed out.

This (facing page) slab serifcapital letter was created byVasava Artworks.

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This spread (left) wascreated by Faydherbe / De Vringer and featuresa passe partout.

Sagmeister Inc. createdthese designs (below),which feature mark making.

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Design professionals draw inspiration from innumerablesources such as their urban environment or by crossreferencing elements of contemporary life with those ofbygone days, and delving back into the rich tradition ofthe arts as a means of visual stimulation. Inspiration iskey to the generation of exciting design ideas. It is withthis in mind that we hope that this book will also serveas a source of ideas to inspire your creativity.

Pictured above is the First Things First manifesto. Written in 1964 by designer Ken Garlandit was presented as a backlash against consumer society. The manifesto was signed by over400 designers and helped place graphic design, which was at that time a relatively youngdiscipline, in a wider social context.

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PrologueHow to get the most outof this book 4

Introduction 6

The Dictionary 16

AAbsolute & RelativeMeasurements 18

Abstract Expressionism 19Accents 20Additive & SubtractivePrimaries 21

Alignment 22Ampersand 23Analogy 24Antique 25Apex 26Appropriation 27Art Deco 28Art Nouveau 29Arts & Crafts Movement 30Ascender & Descender 31Asymmetry 32Avant Garde 33BBaseline & Baseline Shift 34Bauhaus 35Bellyband 36Bible Paper 37Binding 38Bitmap 39Blackletter 40Bleed 41Boldface 42Book Detailing 43Braces 44

Brand 45Broadside 46Buckram 47CCalligraphy 48Calliper 49Canadian Binding 50Channels 51Chroma 52Clarendon 53CMYK 54Cognition 55Collage 56Colour 57Colour Fall 58Colour Systems 59Colour Wheel 60Colour Wheel Selections 61Column 62Concertina 63Constructivism 64Continuity 65Counters 66Crack Back 67Creep 68Cross Alignment 69Cubism 70DDada 71Dagger 72Deboss 73Deckle Edge 74Deconstruction 75Denotation 76Depth of Field 77Die Cut 78Dingbats 79DIN 80

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12Contents


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Diphthong 81Diacritical Marks 82Dominate & Subordinate Colour 83

DPI, PPI & LPI 84Drop & Standing Capitals 85Duotone 86Duplexing 87EEar 88Eclectic 89Egyptian 90Ellipsis 91Emboss 92Ems & Ens 93Expert Sets 94Exquisite Corpse 95Extent 96FFibonacci Numbers 97File Formats 98Filigree 99Filters 100Flaps 101Flock 102Flood Colour 103Fluorescent 104Foil 105Folding 106Fore-edge Printing 107Four-colour Black 108French Fold 109Fresco 110Frieze 111Frutigers Grid 112GGamut 113Gatefold 114

Geometric 115Golden Section 116Gradient 117Graffiti 118Grain 119Greyscale 120Grid 121Grotesque or Gothic 122GSM 123Gutter 124HHalftone 125Heraldry 126Hierarchy 127Hot Metal Type 128Hue 129Humanist 130Hyperreality 131IIcon 132Identity 133Ideogram 134Illustration 135Imposition Plan 136Ink Trapping 137Ink Well 138InterCap (Camel Case) 139ISO Paper Sizes 140Italic & Oblique 141JJuxtaposition 142KKerning 143Kiss Cut 144Kitsch 145LLayout 146Leading 147

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Lenticular 148Letterpress 149Letterspacing 150Ligatures 151Line Art 152Linocut 153Lithography 154Logos & Logotypes 155MMajuscule & Minuscule 156Mark Making 157Master Pages 158Measure 159Median 160Metallic 161Metaphor 162Metonym 163Modernism 164Moir 165Monochrome 166Montage 167Mosaic 168Monospaced Type 169Mural 170NNegative Leading 171Noise 172Numerals 173OOccams (or Ockhams) Razor174Open Bind 175Optical CharacterRecognition 176

Outline 177Overprint 178PPagination 179

Panorama & Vista 180Paragraph Mark 181Paradigm 182Parentheses 183Passe Partout 184Pastiche 185Paths 186Perfect Binding 187Perforation 188Perspective 189Photogram 190Photomontage 191Pictogram 192Pixel 193Plike 194Pointillism 195Point Size 196Postmodernism 197Prime 198Propaganda 199Psychedelia 200Pun 201QQuadtone 202RRag 203Raster 204Rebus 205Recto & Verso 206Registration 207Reportage 208Resolution 209Reveal 210Reverse Out 211RGB 212Rhetoric 213Rivers 214

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Roll Fold 215Roman 216Rule of Thirds 217SSaturation 218Scotch Rule & Scotch Typefaces 219

Semaphore 220Semiotics 221Sepia 222Serif & Sans Serif 223Shiner 224Showthrough 225Signifier & Signified 226Silhouette 227Silk-screen Printing 228Simile 229Small Capitals 230Special Colours 231Spot UV 232Standard Width Typeface 233Stencil 234Stress 235Strikethrough 236Stock 237Subscripts 238Superiors 239Surprint 240Surrealism 241Symbols 242Symmetry 243Synecdoche 244Swash Characters 245TTapestry 246Tertiary Colours 247Tessellation 248

Thermography 249Throw Out 250Thumbnail 251Tints 252Tip In 253Tip On 254Traditional Paper Sizes 255Trapping 256Tritone 257Trompe LOeil 258Type Anatomy 259Type Classification 260Typefaces & Fonts 261Typogram 262VVarnish 263Vector 264Vernacular 265Vignette 266WWhite Space 267Widows, Orphans &The Hypho 268XX-height 269ZZ Bind 270Zeitgeist 271

The DetailsThe Timeline 274Conclusion 286Acknowledgements & Credits 287

Index of Synonymsand Cross References 288

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The Dictionary

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M M M

see Ems & Ens 93

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A Absolute & Relative Measurements

The two measurement systems used in typography.

Absolute measurementsAbsolute measurements are easy to understand as they aremeasurements of fixed values. For example, a millimetre is a preciselydefined increment of a centimetre. Equally, both points and picas,the basic typographic measurements, have fixed values. All absolutemeasurements are expressed in finite terms that cannot be altered.

Relative measurementsIn typography, many values, such as character spacing, are directlylinked to typesize which means that they are defined by a series ofrelative (rather than absolute) measurements. The basic buildingblock for typographical characters, the em, is a relative measurement.Type set at 70pt has a 70pt em. Type set at 40pt has a 40pt em.

The em

70pt type gives an emvalue of 70pts.

Reducing the typesize to40pt reduces the emvalue to 40pts.

Further reducing thetypesize proportionallyreduces the em value.

The em

The em

100mm

2 inches

200 points

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see Dada 71

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A Abstract Expressionism

An American art movement that developed in New York City following the Second World War, and featured forms not found in the natural world as a means of emotional expression. Abstractexpressionist works were characterised by large canvases withuniform, unstructured coverings that projected power due to theirscale. Leading figures in this movement include Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still.

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see Diacritical Marks 82see Diacritical Marks 82

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A Accents

AcuteAn accent above a vowel angledupwards to the right, which indicatesthat it is close or tense, has a high orrising pitch, a long pronunciation, orthat the syllable in which the vowelappears is stressed. From the Latinacutus, meaning sharp.

GraveAn accent above a vowel angledupwards to the left, which indicatesstress or special pronunciation. Fromthe Latin gravis meaning heavy.

CircumflexShaped like a pointed hat, acircumflex sits above a vowel toindicate that it has a long sound.From the Latin circumflexus,meaning bent around.

Umlaut / DiaeresisTwo periods over a vowel, whichindicate that the sound changes byassimilating the vowel sound of thefollowing syllable. Typical in Germaniclanguages. From the German um,meaning around or alteration, andlaut, meaning sound. Also calleddiaeresis.

BreveA v shaped symbol that indicates ashort sounding of the letter. From theLatin brevis, which means short.

TildeA wavy bar placed above a letter toindicate a more nasal pronunciation,such as the Spanish , which hasthe same sound as the ny incanyon. From the medieval Latintitulus meaning title.

A range of diacritical marks and symbols which indicate that thesound of a letter is modified during pronunciation. While accents arenot a common feature of English, they are relatively common in otherlanguages such as Spanish, French, German and Slavic languages.

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21

The red, green and blue (RGB) colours are the primary constituentparts of white light. These colours are called additive primariesbecause, when added together, they produce white light. Cyan,magenta and yellow are called the subtractive primaries and areused in the four-colour printing process.

Colour reproduction is based on the same principles as the three-colour vision of the human eye. The eye contains three differenttypes of receptors, each of which are sensitive to one of the primaryRGB colours of light. Any two additive primaries will create one ofthe subtractive primaries (as can be seen where the colours overlapin the diagrams above). Similarly, any two subtractive primariescreate an additive primary. This is the principle behind the separationprocess used to reproduce colour images.

A Additive & Subtractive Primaries

Additive primaries Subtractive primaries

see CMYK 54, RGB 212

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see Measure 159

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This text is centre aligned andis characterised by being

aligned through a central point.The ragged left edge may

impede easy reading as thiscan distract the eye and makeit difficult to find the start of

a line. Equally, awkwardshapes can also be formed by

the text block.

This text is justified andextends fully to both sides of thetext block or column. This isachieved by varying the wordspacing, which may result inugly spaces and several brokenwords (when hyphenation isused).

This text is forced justified, which means that even if there is only oneword in the last line of the paragraph, it will be justified across themeasure (the width of the text column) producing an ugly result, ass h o w n .

This text is range left, raggedright and is characterised bybeing aligned left, allowing aragged right edge, and the even,unforced spacing betweenwords.

This text is range right, raggedleft and is also characterisedby the even spacing between

words. The ragged left edgemay impede easy reading asthis can distract the eye and

make it difficult to find thestart of a line.

The positioning of text in relation to the area or text block withinwhich it is contained. In the horizontal plane text can be right, left orcentre aligned, or justified.

22A Alignment


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A Ampersand

A ligature of the Latin word et, meaning and. The name ampersand is a contraction of the Latin phrase and per se and, which translatesas the symbol for and by itself means and. The earliest usage of theampersand symbol dates back to the first century AD and it is nowfound in many languages that use the Latin alphabet.

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24A Analogy

A comparison between one thing and another, made for the purposeof explanation or clarification. Often refers to the seemingly impossibleor surreal for extra emphasis. For example, a task that appearsimpossible is analogous to obtaining blood from a stone. The successof an implicit analogy in a design is dependent upon the ability of thetarget audience to interpret exactly what the analogy is. Analogiesoften use the vernacular language in common usage. Pictured above isa poster created by Sagmeister Inc. that features a headless chicken.This is an analogy for making a lot of effort and noise, but yieldinglittle gain.

see Surrealism 241, Vernacular 265

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see Serif & Sans Serif 223, Type Classification 260, X-height 269

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A term used to describe fonts with bracketed slab-serifs and littlestroke weight variation. Confusingly, antique is also used to describesome sans-serif fonts as well.

Antique Olive was created by French typographer Roger Excoffon inthe 1960s. This font has a large x-height and open letterforms, whichmake it very readable and ideal for smaller point sizes.

A Antique

Antique Olive

BookmanITC Bookman was created by Edward Benguiat in 1975. Thisfont features a large x-height and moderate stroke contrast foroptimal legibility.


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see Type Anatomy 259

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26A Apex

The point formed at the top of a character, such as the A, where theleft and right strokes meet.


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see Constructivism 64

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27A Appropriation

Taking a style of one thing and applying it to another. Pictured is adesign created by Studio Myerscough that appropriates expressive,constructivist typography to instil a feeling of energy and immediacyinto the piece.

28A Art Deco

Named after the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Dcoratifs etIndustriels Modernes, which was held in Paris, Art Deco describes a

decorative design style that celebrated the rise of technology and speed viageometric designs, intense colours, and the use of plastic and glass. Forms

became streamlined as the principles of aerodynamics became betterunderstood resulting in an elegant style in both architecture and objects.

see Geometric 115

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29A Art Nouveau

Rooted in romanticism and symbolism, art nouveau (the new art)describes a richly ornamental style of decoration, architecture and

art that developed during 18941914. Art nouveau is characterised byundulating lines, sinuous curves and the depiction of leaves, flowersand flowing vines and is embodied in the work of protagonists such

as Gustav Klimt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Antonio Gaud andHector Guimard, who was the architect and designer of the Paris

metro entrances.

Called Jugendstil (in Germany), Sezessionstil (in Austria), andModernismo (in Spain), art nouveau rejected historical references

in favour of creating a highly stylised design vocabulary that unified allarts around man and his life. Architecture was the focus for art nouveau

as it naturally encompasses and integrates every art, butthe style was also used extensively in posters and jewellery design.

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30A Arts & Crafts Movement

A late nineteenth century decorative arts,furniture and architecture movement that

sought to reverse the demise of beauty at thehands of the industrial revolution, and re-

establish the link between the worker and artthrough an honesty in design. This movement

is typified by leading protagonists such asWilliam Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti

and Frank Lloyd Wright.

This font is ITC Rennie Mackintosh, which wascreated by Phill Grimshaw in 1996. It is based on

the handwriting and drawings of Scottishdesigner Charles Rennie Mackintosh (18681928)

who created highly original buildings,interiors and furniture with quirky flair.

ITC Rennie Mackintosh was designed followingresearch and collaboration between the

International Typeface Corp. and the GlasgowSchool of Art. This font family is unusual and

off beat, and a good choice for productpackaging, advertising, and graphic designs

with a period flair.

see Typefaces & Fonts 261

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see Baseline 34, X-height 269

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31A Ascender & Descender

Ascender

Descender

x-height

Baseline

The parts of a letterthat extend above theX-height (ascender) orbelow the baseline(descender).


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see Recto & Verso 206, Symmetry 243

32A Asymmetry

A grid used for pagelayout that is the same onboth the recto and versopages. Asymmetric gridstypically introduce a biastowards one side of thepage, usually the left, aspictured here. Theadditional margin spacecan be used for notes andcaptions.

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33A Avant Garde

An artistic work that pushesthe established limits of what

is considered acceptable.Avant garde works often

have revolutionary, cultural,or political connotations.

This page is set in AvantGarde, a font based on the

logo designed for AvantGarde Magazine in 1967by Herb Lubalin and Tom

Carnase. The font wasredrawn in 1970 to include

lower case characters.


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34B Baseline & Baseline Shift

see Subscripts 238, Superiors 239

The imaginary line upon which all upper and

most lower case letters are positioned. The

baseline is a valuable reference for accurate

and consistent text and graphic positioning.

The baseline can also be shifted for accurate

placement of superscript and subscript

characters. Here, the baseline has been

shifted by 5pts.

Baseline shift is used to alter the position of

subscripts and superiors so that they sit

comfortably with body text1.

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see Geometric 115

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35B Bauhaus

In 1923 Kandinsky proposed that there was a universal relationship between the threebasic shapes and the three primary colours (above). He believed the yellow triangle tobe the most active and dynamic through to the passive, cold, blue circle.

an Art and design school opened in 1919 under thedirection of the renowned architect Walter Gropius.the bauhaus aimed to provide a fresh approach todesign following the First World War. Bauhaus styleis characterised by economic and geometric forms.Teaching staff included Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinskyand Marcel Breuer.

This page is set in Bayer Universal, a geometric fontthat is typical of the Bauhaus style.


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A plastic or paper loop that is used to enclose the pages of a publication.Bellybands are typically seen on consumer magazines, and often includeinformation about the publications contents. Typically bellybands are acontinuous loop, but can also be a strip of stock that is wrapped around apublication.

36B Bellyband

see Stock 236

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see Buckram 47, GSM 123

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37B Bible Paper

A thin, strong, opaque and lightweight paper that helps reducethe weight of a publication, so named for its predominant use inbible production. Also called India paper. Pictured is a spread from13 Typo-Snden (13 typographic sins) by Hans Peter Willberg,which was produced for German typography and design studio VerlagHermann Schmidt Mainz and is printed on woodfree white 50gsmbible paper. The vampires in the image represent the erroneoususe of inch marks instead of quotation marks.


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see Canadian Binding 50, Perfect Binding 187, Z Bind 270

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38B Binding

Any of several bonding processes using stitches, wire, glue or other media to hold togethera publications pages or sections to form a book, magazine, brochure or other format.The most common binding methods are pictured below.

Burst bindingThe backs of signatures are slitand held together with a flexibleadhesive that is allowed topenetrate rather than beingremoved (as in perfect binding).

Side stabbingWire staples are inserted near thespine from front to back.

Saddle stitchSignatures are nested and boundwith wire stitches applied throughthe spine along the centrefold.

Z bindA z-shaped cover that is usedto join two separate text blocks,typically with a perfect binding.

Canadian and half CanadianA spiral-bound publication with a wraparound cover and an enclosed(Canadian) or an exposed spine (half Canadian).

Perfect bindingThe backs of sections(signatures) are removed andheld together with a flexibleadhesive, which also attaches a paper cover to the spine,and the fore edge is trimmed flat. Commonly used forpaperback books.

see Pixel 193

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39B Bitmap

An image constructed of a fixed number of pixels (or dots).The more frequent and finer the dots are, the sharper and moredetailed is the image produced. Bitmap images can easily be colouredto create dramatic graphic statements, as the example shown heredemonstrates. Bitmap colouration (of the background or the object)can be altered without the use of an image-manipulation program.


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B Blackletter

BA version of the roman font developed through the 11501500 period that is

based on the ornate writing style prevalent during the Middle Ages.

Also called Fraktur,Black Letter,Gothic and Old English,these fonts may nowappear heavy and difficult to read in large text blocks due to the complexity of

their letters and the fact that they seem antiquated and unfamiliar to us.

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41B Bleed

Bleed refers to the informationthat extends past the point

where the page will betrimmed, and allows colour orimages to continue to the very

edge of the cut page.

Trim marks printed aroundthe image show where the

page will be cut.

The image needs to extend3mm past the trim marks to

ensure that once the pages arecut, the image bleeds off

the page.

However, this extra 3mm isnot needed at the binding

edge* as any bleed here will belost in the tightness of the

bound book.

* This is the binding edge


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Mason Super Bold

95 Helvetica Black

Poster Bodoni

Univers Extra Black

Univers Black

GillSans Ultra Bold

Eurostile Demi

42

A version of theRoman font witha wider stroke.

Most fonts have aboldface version that should be used inpreference to the fakebold option that manydesktop publishingapplications provide.Software applicationssimply fatten a font ratherthan giving a true bold.A true bold will havebeen crafted to ensure it prints correctly and,more importantly, is inproportion to otherweights in the font family.

Boldface is also calledmedium, semi-bold, black,extra, super or poster,and is represented by anumber in Frutigers Grid.

B Boldface

Poster95

Super

ExtraBlackUltraDemi

see Frutigers Grid 112, Typefaces & Fonts 261

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43

see Extent 96, Flaps 101

B Book Detailing

Text blockThe pages that contain the contentof a publication.

SpineThe backbone of a book,which is formed by thebound sections.

FlapsThe part of the cover thatwraps around inside thebook.

EndpapersThe heavy cartridgepaper at the frontand back of a bookthat join the textblock to ahardback binding.Also calledendsheets, theysometimes featuredecorative designs.

ExtentThe number ofpages in a book.

Head and tail bandsPieces of cloth tape that coverthe top and bottom of thespine to protect it and add adecorative touch.

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{ }

44B Braces

The curly brackets used to enclose any words or textlines that are to be considered together. Pictured here is a design by BIS that features braces in Bodoni (the

favourite font of Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dal) to form Dals distinctive moustache.

see Surrealism 241

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45B Brand

A symbol, mark, word or phrase that identifies and differentiatesa product, service or organisation from its competitors. Brands are

created to help us distinguish between similar product offeringsthrough perceptions of quality and value. The brand then becomes a

recognisable symbol for a certain level of quality, which aids our buyingdecision. Brands often craft a personality that represents a set of

values which appeal to their target consumers such as foods that arehealthier, cosmetics that are cleaner or ketchups that are saucier

than their competitors.

see Identity, 133

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46

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47B Buckram

A coarse cotton fabric, sized with glue, which is used to stiffen garments and toproduce cover stock for book binding. In printing and publishing buckram isused to provide a hard, tactile long-lasting material for case binding. Pictured is abuckram-bound book produced by Studio Thomson that mimics the format of aMoleskine notebook, complete with elastic closure and page-marker band. Thebooks cover also features a gold-foil block of the title.

see Binding 38, Foil 105

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48C Calligraphy

The art of writing by hand, typically with flowing lines and varyingstroke thickness, which is achieved by using a chiselled nib or

paintbrush. Can also refer to highly stylised and artistic writing styles.Many script fonts try to imitate the calligraphic style, but none result

in the same authentic effect as true handwritten letterforms.Pictured is a poster created by Sagmeister Inc., which features handwritten

text over an image of musician Lou Reed for an authentic and emotive effect.


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C Calliper 49

The thickness of a stock or sheet used in printing. The calliper of astock has an impact on the feel of a publication, although this does not always imply a precise relationship to the weight of the stock. Athick calliper stock may add a more substantial feel to a publication,while a thin calliper can add a delicate touch. Generally speaking thincalliper stocks tend to have lower weights than thick calliper stocks,but there are papers that have been developed to give added bulkwithout the weight.

see Stock 237

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see Binding 38

50C Canadian Binding

A book binding method in which the pages are bound with ametal or plastic spiral with a wraparound cover. The spiral

of a half-Canadian bind is exposed through the cover while thatof a full-Canadian bind is not. Canadian binding effectively combinesthe convenience of ring binding (pages can be added/removed) with

the flat, square spine of perfect binding.

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C Channels

Greyscale information that represents each of the individual colours inthe RGB and CYMK systems. Each colour is represented by a separatechannel that can be independently altered, replaced or omitted. RGBimages have three channels and CMYK images have four.

The unaltered image Swapping the magenta channel for theyellow one, which produces an effect thatis similar to printing the CMYK platesout of sequence

Running the black channel as yellow Swapping the magenta with cyan


51

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52C Chroma

see Hue 129, Saturation 218

The colour variation of the same tonal brightness from none to purecolour. Chroma or saturation is the strength, purity or amount of greyin relation to the hue.

Pictured here (top row, left to right) is a desaturated image, the unaltered image anda fully saturated image. The bottom row shows more subtle variations (left to right);slight desaturation, slight saturation and heavy saturation, but without the distortionof full saturation.

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Century Schoolbook (Bold)

Clarendon

see Point Size 196

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53C Clarendon

A type of slab-serif font that appeared in Great Britain in 1820.Clarendon is characterised by clear, objective and timeless forms,

and is legible in small point sizes.

Clarendon

d noneralC


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C +M +Y C +M +Y +K

C C +M


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54C CMYK

Cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K) are the subtractiveprimary inks, which are combined to reproduce the red, green and blueadditive primaries in the four-colour printing process.

see Additive & Subtractive Primaries 21, RGB 212

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C Cognition

Understanding, knowing or interpretation based onwhat has been perceived, learned or reasoned. Thecognitive interpretation of an image depends uponhow it is presented. At a denotive level, all thesepictures show a man. However, our interpretation of the man alters as the presentation of the imagechanges.

The first image (left) is bright and in colour andthe man appears unthreatening, but when the imageis reproduced as a dark monochromatic (centre), we interpret it differently, perhaps as being moresinister. The third image (right) is reproduced witha coarse halftone dot. Does this make the man appearfriendly or unfriendly?

This text is set in Crud Font, a typographical choicethat adds a cognitive value to the text and affectsour interpretation of it.

see Denotation 76, Halftone 125, Monochrome 166

55

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C Collage

An image creation technique characterised by the sticking together ofpaper, fabric, photographs or other media in unusual or surprisingways. Collage was popularised by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso inthe early twentieth century. Pictured is a design created by Why NotAssociates that features a collage of text and colour blocks.

56

see Montage 167

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C Colour

see Chroma 52, Hue 129, Saturation 218

57

Different wavelengths of visible light. This broad definition of colour isfurther refined for graphic designers into the three characteristics thatcan be controlled and manipulated: hue, saturation and brightness.

HueHue refers to the unique characteristic of a colour that helps usvisually distinguish one colour from another. Hues are formed bydifferent wavelengths of visible light.

SaturationSaturation (or chroma) refers to the purity of a colour expressed by theamount of grey it has. At maximum saturation a colour contains nogrey and such colours are described as vivid or bright. At lowersaturation levels a colour contains increasing amounts of grey, whichresults in subdued and muted tones.

BrightnessBrightness of value refers to how dark a colour is. Brightness changescan be achieved by mixing a colour with different amounts of white orblack.

Fonts can also be said to havecolour due to the density of text ona page. Bookman occupies morewhite space and gives a dark colourwhile Helvetica Narrow occupies less spaceand gives a far lighter colour.

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see Imposition 136

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58C Colour Fall

Describes those pages of a publication that will be printed with aspecial colour or varnish as shown by colour coding on the impositionplan. The use of different paper stocks can be shown on the impositionplan in the same way.

Pictured below is a handbook created by NB Studios for Tate Modern.The colour fall is restricted to those sections that printed on high-glosswhite stock and these are spliced between sections of uncoatedcoloured stock, which print black and white to produce contrastingtactile qualities.


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C Colour Systems

PantoneThe Pantone Colour Matching System (PMS) isa means of accurate colour reproduction withinCMYK and Hexachrome printing processes, andallows designers to match specific coloursthrough the use of Pantone colour guides. ThePMS system comprises a reference system fora gamut of colours that can be reproduced bycombining various amounts of the processcolour inks. PMS colours can also be appliedas specially mixed spot colours.

HexachromeA six-colour process created by Pantone in1994 that produces more effective purples,greens, oranges and flesh tones for accurate,vibrant and saturated colours. The Hexachromesystem adds orange and green to the standardCMYK process colours. Hexachrome canreproduce 90 percent of the PMS colours.

CMYKA four-colour process using the threetrichromatic subtractive colour primaries (cyan,magenta and yellow) and black to reproducecolour images. CMYK can reproduceapproximately 50 percent of the PMS colours.

RGBRed, green and blue are the additive primariesthat correspond to the primary colours of light.Graphic designers tend to use RGB images intheir work in progress as images with threecolour channels result in a smaller file sizethan those with four-channel CMYK. RGB filesare then converted to CMYK upon completionof the design.

LabA colour model developed by the InternationalConsortium on Illumination that defines colourvalues mathematically in order to facilitateconsistent colour reproduction, regardless ofthe device producing it. The RGB and CMYKcolour space systems do not define colour assuch, but offer a mixing recipe for light or ink.

8-bit and 16-bit colourThe 8- and 16-bit colour systems are bothmethods for storing colour image informationin a computer or image file. In the 8-bitsystem, each pixel is represented by one 8-bitbyte that gives a maximum display of 256colours at any one time (selected from a muchwider palette). 16-bit colour allows up to65,536 colours to be displayed at any one time.

59

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Pictured is a fan of PMScolour matching cards


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60C Colour Wheel

Warm

Cool

SecondaryRed

TertiaryRed-orange

TertiaryYellow-orange

PrimaryMagenta

SecondaryGreen

TertiaryBlue-purple

TertiaryYellow-green

SecondaryBlue

PrimaryYellow

TertiaryRed-purple

TertiaryBlue-green

PrimaryCyan

A circular representation of the colour spectrum. The colour wheelhelps to explain the relationship between different colours withincolour theory. The colour wheel also illustrates the classification ofcolours and provides a quick reference to the primary, secondary andtertiary hues, which can help a designer successfully select functionalcolour schemes.

see Additive & Subtractive Primaries 21, Tertiary Colours 247


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61C Colour Wheel Selections

MonochromeAny single colour onthe wheel.

ComplementaryColours that face eachother on the wheel.These provide strongcontrast and so theiruse will result in a morevibrant design. Alsocalled contrastingcolours.

TriadsTriads are any threecolours that areequidistant on the colourwheel. As all three colourscontrast with one another,this provides a visualtension. The primary andsecondary colour spacesare triads.

Split complementsThree colours thatcomprise the twoadjacent colours tothe (unselected) colourthat is complementaryto the principal colourselection.

AnalogousThe two colours on eitherside of a principal colourselection. Analogouscolours provide aharmonious and natural blend.

Mutual complementsA triad of equidistantcolours together withthe complementary colourof the central one ofthe three.

Double complementsAny two adjacentcolours and their twocomplements.

Near complementsA colour adjacent to thecomplementary colourof the principal colourselection.

A colour wheel can be drawn for any colour system (such as CMYK or RGB). They areused by artists, designers and other creatives to guide colour mixing.

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62

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C Column

see Layout 146

An area or field of a page layout into which text is flowed. Pictured is aspread created by Frost Design in which the columns are used to makea strong visual statement that is integral to the overall design.


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63

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C Concertina

see Folding 106

Two or more parallel folds that alternate in opposite directions andopen out like an accordion (a concertina is also called accordion fold).

Pictured here is a self-promotional calender created by Struktur designstudio, which features a series of sections that are bonded together toform a concertina fold.


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64C Constructivism

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A modern art movement that originated in Moscowaround 1920. Constructivism is characterised bythe use of industrial materials, such as glass, sheetmetal and plastic to create non-representational,often geometric objects, and its wide rangingcommitment to total abstraction. Russianconstructivism was influential to modernism throughits use of black and red sans-serif typography, oftenarranged in asymmetrical blocks. Leadingconstructivist practitioners include WassilyKandinsky, Alexander Rodchenko and El Lissitzky.

Pictured above is a self portrait by Russian avant-garde artist El Lissitzky (left); a posterfor the Russian Exhibition in Zurich (centre), and Beat the Whites With the Red Wedge, a1919 lithograph also by Lissitzky (right).

see Asymmetry 32, Bauhaus 35


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65

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C Continuity

An implied uninterrupted connection between a given set of items,or items that form part of a coherent whole. Visual continuity means

that image elements are grouped together and presented in a waythat clearly shows that there is a connection between them, or that

they are all representative of the same values. Continuity can beachieved through the use of colours and numerals as the pictured

example shows.

see Colour 57, Identity 133, Numerals 173

66C Counters

The empty space inside the body of a stroke that is surrounded by thebowl. The counter is also called an eye for e, and a loop for the bowlcreated in the descender of a lower case g. A counter can alsodescribe the shape of the negative space within an open character, forexample an upper case C.

Pictured is a catalogue created by Why Not Associates for a show at the Royal Academy, which features title lettering with filled-in counters.

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see Type Anatomy 259


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67C Crack Back

An adhesive-backed stock that has been kiss cut with a die so thatelements of the design can be cracked and separated from thesubstrate. Crack back is commonly used for sticker production.

Pictured is a publication created by Hat Trick Design that features acrack-back cover. Users are encouraged to remove the cover stickersand place them within the book.

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see Kiss Cut 144

68C Creep

When the inner folded pages of a publication (or printed section)extend further than the outer folded pages. Usually caused by the bulkof the paper or the extent of the publication.

Creep may not be a problem in saddle-stitched publications that areuntrimmed, but information near the trim edge in perfect-boundpublications may be lost if creep occurs so design elements need to bepositioned away from the fore edge to ensure they are retained.

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see Perfect Binding 18, Binding 38


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69

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C Cross Alignment

see Baseline & Baseline Shift 34

The means by which text

of varying sizes aligns to

the baseline grid. Pictured

here, both texts, although

different point sizes, cross

align as they snap to the

same grid. This main text

is set on every other baseline

while the secondary text

is set on every baseline.

The advantage of this

system is that all lines

align horizontally.

However thedisadvantage is thatin the main text,the leading is tooloose, and in thissecondary text it is too tight.


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70C Cubism

An art movement developed in Paris (19081914) and led by PabloPicasso and Georges Braque. Cubism is characterised by the rejection

of the single viewpoint. Subjects were fragmented and presentedfrom different viewpoints at the same time. The movement also

incorporated elements from African native art that was popular atthe time and the new scientific theories of the age.

The second stage of cubism, called The Synthetic Phase (19131920s)saw a reduction of form to fewer elements with brighter colours used.

This stage was typified by the works of Fernand Lger, Juan Grisand Piet Mondrian.

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D Dada 71

An art movement (19161920) of European writers and artists led byFrench poet Tristan Tzara. Characterised by the element of anarchicrevolt and the role of chance in the creative process. Outraged by thecarnage of the First World War, Dadaists aimed to shock people out of

complacency with irreverence for the established norms.

Pictured is an interpretation of Marcel Duchamps LHOOQ, a copy ofLeonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa embellished with graffiti, an act thatencapsulates the Dadaist rejection of societys sacred cows. Leading

Dadaists included Marcel Duchamp, Hans Arp and Andr Breton.

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72D Dagger

One of five typographical symbols (above) used to indicate a footnote.There is a governed order for the use of these symbols, and the daggeris the second in the sequence. Once all five of the symbols in thefootnote hierarchy have been used, they can be doubled to indicateadditional footnotes.

Doubled double daggerThis is the eighth footnote symbol and it is used when the original fivesymbols and the doubled dagger have been referenced.

Asterisk Dagger Double dagger Pilcrow Section

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see Hierarchy 127


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73

see Emboss 92

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A design stamped into asubstrate, without ink orfoil, to give a recessedimpression.

Pictured is a fashionshow invitation createdby Studio Thomson. Itfeatures a geometric fontthat is debossed intoa textured stock, whichprovides defined, stylisedshadows.

D Deboss

74

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D Deckle Edge

The ragged edge of the paper as it leaves the papermaking machine.The deckle edge can be used to great decorative book detailing effectwhen not cut away. Machine-made paper has two deckle edges whilehandmade paper has four. The effect can be imitated by tearing theedge of the paper by hand. Note the uneven, textured edge on the

pages of the example pictured. Also called feather edge.

see Book Detailing 43


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this ispage 75

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D Deconstruction

A term coined by French philosopher JacquesDerrida in the 1960s, deconstructiondescribes a method of critical enquiry thatexamines how meaning is constructed bychallenging prescribed values which arepresented to us. For example, why shouldfolio numbers be small and in the corner of apage? Why cant they be large and in thecentre of a page? Other creative movementssuch as modernism and postmodernism havealso questioned how we look at the world andapportion meaning to things.

see Modernism 164, Postmodernism 197


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76D Denotation

The literal and primary meaning of an image or graphic. The denotationof the image above is a picture of a woman, and nothing more or less.The cognitive interpretation is a secondary level within which we canextract more from the meaning of the image, such as what she is doing,how old she is, or where she is situated.

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see Cognition 55


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77

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D Depth of Field

see Perspective 189

The zone of sharpest focus in front of and behind the main subject of apicture. Depth of field creates a sense of distance or perspective in aphotograph. The above image has a very narrow depth of field, withonly the foreground in focus.The depth of field will vary depending onthe focal length of a camera lens, which is measured in millimetres.The shorter the focal length, the greater the depth of field. A cameralens includes a dial with settings (or F-stop numbers) that representfractions of its focal length. These values determine how much lightwill enter the lens by increasing or decreasing the diameter of theaperture as illustrated above. Also called depth of focus.

F-stop settings on a camera


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78D Die Cut

A print finishing process to cut away a part of the substrate using asteel die. Mainly used for decorative purposes, a die cut can enhancethe visual impact of a design through the creation of interestingshapes, apertures or edges.

Pictured is a bookmark created by Studio Myerscough for a propertydevelopment company that is die cut to the shape of a floor plan ofone of the companys projects. Its abstract shape helps make astriking and distinctive product.

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ornornornornornornornornornornornornornornornornornorn

79D Dingbats

Various utility characters, symbols, bullets and graphic ornamentsused in typography, including the printers hand that is usedthroughout this publication to indicate references to other entries.

Woodtype Ornaments are decorative characters.

Symbol includes Greek characters that are often used in mathematical formulae.

Textile are symbols used for washing instructions.

Hoefler Ornaments are decorative characters that can be used to form borders.

Zapf Dingbats are a range of bullets and other symbols.

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80D DIN

see Diacritical Marks 82, Reverse Out 211

A specially drawn typeface for use on German roadsignage, which is printed in yellow and reversed outof black. The DIN-Schrift letterforms were lateradjusted to improve clarity under adverse weatherconditions. Alterations included making the counterof the o more oval, lengthening letters to improvevisual impact and changing the umlaut into acircular form rather than square. Pictured below arepanels showing the typeface before and after theadjustments, and how these look under adverseviewing conditions (below right).

Before

After


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81D Diphthong

A special form of ligature in which two vowels are joined to form a single character such as the ae that may be used in formulae. Most fonts typically contain common diphthong characters.

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see Ligatures 151, Typefaces & Fonts 261


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``

..

Hacek

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82D Diacritical Marks

see Accents 20

A type of punctuation typically placed above or below a letter toindicate modified pronunciation. Pictured are the main diacriticalmarks used in European languages.

BreveTilde

Ring Cedilla

AcuteMacron

Ogonek

DotGrave

Circumflex Diaeresis / Umlaut


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83

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D Dominant & Subordinate Colour

see Colour Wheel Selections 61

Pictured is aninterior created by Claire GordonInteriors. Note howthe dark, dominantcolour attractsattention first, andcontrasts with theaccent colour, whilethe subordinatecolour fulfils abalancing andsupporting role.Colour schemes areoften chosen throughthe use of colourwheels.

AccentA colour that is used toprovide a sympatheticvisual detail.

SubordinateA visually weakercolour thatcomplements orcontrasts with thedominant colour.

DominantThe principle colourthat is used to capturethe viewers attention.


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84D DPI, PPI & LPI

The level of detail in the reproduction of an electronic image dependsupon its resolution; the amount of information that it contains. Withmore information, the higher the resolution, and the better the qualityand the more detailed the reproduction will be. Although similar, DPI,PPI and LPI refer to separate measurement methods, although inpractice they tend to be used interchangeably. For example whenpeople refer to a 300dpi image they usually mean a 300ppi image.

DPI (dots per inch)A measure of how manyink dots a printer candeposit within an inch.For offset lithographicprinting, a resolution of300dpi is standard,although higher qualityprint jobs will demandhigher values.

PPI (pixels per inch)A reference tothe number of pixelsdisplayed bothvertically andhorizontally in eachsquare inch of adigital image. This isa reflection of howmuch informationan image contains.

LPI (lines per inch)A measure of thenumber of cells in ahalftone grid, which isused to convertcontinuous tone images(such as photographs)into halftone dots forprinting. The more linesan image has the higherthe level of detail it willcontain. A low LPI valueimplies fewer cells andthe halftone dots willappear more obvious inthe printed image.

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85

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D Drop & Standing Capitals

D rop capitals create a strong visualstarting point for a paragraph dueto the hole they punch into the textblock. This paragraph begins with a three-linedrop capital.

D ecorative capitals can be formedby using a different font for the dropcap, such as the swash characterthat starts this paragraph. The use of decorative capitals was common in medievalilluminated manuscripts.

standing or pop capitals are enlargedinitial capitals that sit on the baseline of thetext. They create a strong visual point at thestart of a paragraph due to the white spacethat they generate.

Enlarged initial capitals that drop down a specified number of linesinto a paragraph.

see Swash Characters 245


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86

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D Duotone

A tonal image producedusing black and one ofthe other subtractiveprimaries. In essencea duotone is akin toa black-and-whitephotograph in which thewhite tones have beenreplaced by anotherprocess colour.

Reducing colour detailto two tones allowsimages with differentcolour information tobe presented in aconsistent manner.As the colours can bealtered independentlyresults can vary fromthe subtle to the verygraphic.

see Additive & Subtractive Primaries 21, Quadtone 202, Tritone 257

Duotone of black and yellow in equal amounts

Saturation of yellow Duotone of yellow andmagenta

Duotone of cyan andmagenta


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87D Duplexing

A PROCESS WHEREBY TWO DIFFERENT MATERIALS ARE BONDEDTOGETHER TO PRODUCE A SUBSTRATE THAT HAS DIFFERENT

COLOURS ON EACH SIDE.WHILE A DUPLEXING EFFECT CAN BEACHIEVED THROUGH DUPLEX PRINTING (PRINTING ON BOTHSIDES OF THE PAPER) THE END RESULT DOES NOT HAVE THE

SAME COLOUR QUALITY AS USING DIFFERENT COLOUREDSTOCKS. THE USE OF DUPLEXING ALSO ALLOWS SUBSTRATE

WEIGHT TO GO BEYOND THAT OF STANDARD STOCKS. THESEPROMOTIONAL CARDS WERE CREATED BY PARENT DESIGN.

DUPLEXING WAS USED SO THAT THE STOCKS AND PRINTING INKSMIRRORED EACH OTHER. THE INKS USED WERE PMS SPECIALS

RATHER THAN STANDARD PROCESS COLOURS

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see Special Colours 231


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88

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E Ear

see Serif & Sans Serif 223, Type Anatomy 259

An extending serif stroke that thickens at the terminal. Found on thelower case g and r on most serif typefaces. Pictured are letters

with a dot-style ear, although they can also be chiselled.


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89

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E Eclectic

AN IMAGE THAT IS COMPOSED OFELEMENTS DRAWN FROM VARIOUSSOURCES. DERIVING FROM THEGREEK EKLEKTIKOS, WHICHMEANS TO SELECT.

ECLECTIC DESCRIBES THE USE OFSEVERAL INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS,FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES,SYSTEMS, OR STYLES TO CREATEAN IMAGE. THIS IMAGE WASCREATED BY STUDIO OUTPUT FORA MANCHESTER NIGHTCLUB.

THE IMAGE IS REMINISCENT OFDUTCH PAINTER HIERONYMUSBOSCHS STYLE (14501516)WHOSE IMAGES INCLUDEDWONDROUS, UNNATURAL ANIMALSAND OTHER SURREALISTCONSTRUCTIONS.

see Surrealism 241


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90

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E Egyptian

A sans-serif typeface style that developed after the introductionof William Caslons Egyptian. Caslon introduced his typeface inresponse to public interest in Egypt following the campaign ofNapoleon Bonaparte in 17981801. Arguably the first sans-seriftypeface, Egyptian was not well received by the public and wascalled grotesque and gothic (a style of architecture going througha revival at the time). Egyptian has since become a term thatrefers to a range of slab-serif typefaces, perhaps because theslabs mirror the lines of the pyramids.

This page uses Memphis, a slab-serif Egyptian font.

EGYPTIAN



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91E Ellipsis

A punctuation mark formed by a series of three periods or dots. Usedin text to indicate an omission or incomplete statement, such as whencontracting a quotation. From the Greek ellipsis that means a fallingshort or defect. Used at the end of a sentence, the ellipsis is followedby a full stop. A true ellipsis has tighter points than a generatedellipsis and as it is a single unit, it will not split like the generatedversion. The dots may be square or round depending upon the font.

News Gothic has a square ellipsis

while Baskerville has a round version

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E Emboss

A design stamped into a substrate, without ink or foil, to give a raisedimpression.

Pictured is a spread created by design studio Thomas Manss &Company for Circle Press that features an emboss of a reclining femalenude. This adds a tactile element and gives the book a feel ofsculptural beauty.

92

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see Deboss 73


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93E Ems & Ens

HyphensBoth the em and en are very specific pieces of punctuation and shouldnot be confused with a hyphen, although they are all linked. An en ishalf of an em while a hyphen is one third of an em.

EmsA typographical unit used for relative measurements. An em is aunit of measurement derived from the width of the square body ofthe metal cast majuscule M, and equals the size of a given type.For example, 10pt type has a 10pt em.

EnsAnother relative measurement, an en is half of an em. Neither ems norens have anything to do with the size of the M or N characters assome characters extend beyond the limits of both measurements.

Em En Hyphen

M N

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see Absolute & Relative Measurements 18


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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456790!@$%^&*(),.?::

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz123456790

94E Expert Sets

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An extended set of special characters that accompany a particulartypeface. Expert sets include a range of characters that are not partof the usual typeface set such as ligatures, fractions, small capitals,the dotless i and lining numerals. The addition of an expert setgives a designer greater control over text presentation and helpssolve some of the common typographical problems that standardcharacter sets present. This text is set in Janson, which has its ownset of expert characters.

Janson

Janson Expert

see Numerals 173, Small Capitals 230, Typefaces & Fonts 261


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95E Exquisite Corpse

From cadavre exquis; a surrealist technique that uses chance andaccident in the creation of text or pictures. Pictured is a brochurecreated by KesselsKramer for the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel inAmsterdam. The brochure features cross-cut pages that can beindependently turned, and works as an exquisite corpse by thejuxtaposition of images, which depict how guests appear before and after their stay at the hotel.

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see Juxtaposition 142, Surrealism 241

96E Extent

The number of pages in a printed publication. Typically the number ofpages is determined at the start of the design stage so that print costscan be calculated in advance and the content is then made to fit. Thisvolume for instance has an extent of 288 pages and the content hasbeen developed to fit this specification. Book manuscripts are oftencast-off whereby the content is roughly flowed into a layout to providean estimate of what the extent will be.

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see Layout 146


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0+1=11+1=21+2=32+3=53+5=85+8=138+13=2113+21=3421+34=5534+55=8955+89=14489+144=233

97

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F Fibonacci Numbers

Pictured is a Fibonaccispiral, which can becreated by drawingquarter circles througha set of Fibonaccisquares. The ratio ofthe sides of Fibonaccisquares is 8:13, whichare two consecutivenumbers in theFibonacci sequence.

see Golden Section 116

A numerical series where each number is the sum of the preceding twonumbers in the sequence. Fibonacci numbers are named aftermathematician Fibonacci, or Leonardo of Pisa who observed thissequence in the proportions of the natural world. Numbers from theFibonacci sequence are used in the golden section to produceproportionally beautiful page sizes.


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98

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F File Formats

Any of several methods for storing digital images. Common file formatsinclude bitmap, EPS, JPEG and TIFF.

ScalabilityEncapsulated PostScript (EPS) is a picture file format for storing vector orobject-based artwork and bitmaps. EPS files can be resized, distorted and colourseparated, but no content alteration can usually be made. Above left is an EPSimage file that has been enlarged with no degradation in image quality. The TIFFimage file (shown above right), suffers pixelation at the same enlargement value.

SharingJPEG images are compressed to discard image information, which reduces theirfile size and makes them easier to send to other people via email. They aresuitable for images with complex pixel gradations, but not for flat colour.

AlteringA TIFF file is a flexible method for storing halftones and photographic images andcan be easily manipulated by appropriate software. Simple adjustments can alsobe easily made to bitmap images, as the examples below demonstrate.

see Bitmap 31, Pixel 193


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99F Filigree

Intricate ornamentalwork that is typicallyproduced in gold, silveror other fine wire.Pictured is thepackaging for theRolling Stones Bridgesto Babylon CD createdby Stefan Sagmeisterand Hjalti Karlsson. Itfeatures an illustrationof an Assyrian lion byKevin Murphy that isemphasised by a filigreeslipcase, which outlinesthe drawing in intricatedetail.

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see Outline 177


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100F Filters

SolarisationA photographic effectwhereby some tones of animage are reversed, andhighlights are added tooutlines for emphasis.This effect can beachieved in photo-editingsoftware, or by briefly(over-) exposing the imageto light, then washing andredeveloping it.

SpherizeThe edges of an image canbe warped into a circularconstruction through theuse of a fisheye, spherize,or warp filter in mostphoto-editing programs.This approximates theeffect that can beobtained with a fisheyecamera lens.

Colour halftoneA halftone filter simulatesthe halftone dots that areused for photographicreproduction in theprinting process. Thisfilter can be used tocreate various graphiceffects.

A device used to filter light of specificwavelengths in order to change thepresentation of a final image, whether aphotograph or digital file. A filter can make anadjustment that is so subtle, the viewerbarely recognises the enhancement (such asrefining an image to create an opal blue sky orcoral sand beach). But filters can also be usedto make dramatic and graphic interventions,as can be seen in this image (left). A plethoraof filters are available as part of imagemanipulation and photo-editing programs,and some can produce some interesting andstartling graphic effects as shown below.

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see Halftone 125, Noise 172


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This book is a guide to the many and varied terms used frequently within graphic design. From Abstract to Zeitgeist, snl Bauhaus to Psychedelia, via Chromaand Exquisite Corpse, this book will prove an invaluableresource to anyone interested in graphic design.Each term is explained and contextualised, giving thereader an enhanced understanding of graphic designterminology. More than 250 common graphic designterms are distilled and illustrated. From practical termssuch as Asymmetry, Hierarchy and Tints to movementsand styles such as Surrealism, Pointillism andPostmodernism, from modern terminology and conceptssuch as Bitmap, Mark Making and Vernacular to many ofthe traditional terms still in current usage.


Gavin Ambrose & Paul Harris

The

Visu

alD

ictionary

of G

raphic D

esign

US$24.95

ava publishing sa

[email protected]

www.avabooks.ch

Gavin Ambrose MACentral St MartinsPractising graphic designer. Gavins current commercial practice includes clients from the arts sector, galleries, publishers and advertising agencies. He is the co-author/designer of several books on branding, packaging and editorial design.

Paul Harris PG DipLondon College of PrintingFreelance writer and journalist. Paul writes for magazines, journals and newspapers, both in London and New York, on a range of subjects, from architecture to tourism. He is co-author and collaborator on several booksabout graphic design.

About the authors

Ambrose & Harris


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101F Flaps

The extensions of the cover stock or books dust jacket, which are folded backinto the publication to add additional support and rigidity. Flaps often containnotes about the book or its author. Shown here is the original cover of this bookwith its flaps as a flat artwork. Note that the flaps are slightly shorter than the text box so that they can fold in without causing bowing on the cover.

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see Book Detailing 43


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102F Flock

Fine woollen refuse or vegetable fibre dust that is fixed with glue orsize to a substrate to provide a velvety or cloth-like appearance.

Flock adds a tactile and alternative visual element to a design andwhile it does not provide a good surface to print upon, it can be usedto good decorative effect with foil-blocking, as this example shows.

Pictured below is a catalogue created by Faydherbe / De Vringer for thetype

ufi3t.the.visual.dictionary.of.graphic.design

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