Overview
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A type specimen for the future that uses captivating content, a range of different paper stock and a new figure reference system for typographic details.

ITC Bodoni and Metro Nova

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ISTD gave a selection of typefaces to choose from for the type specimen. I selected ITC Bodoni as my choice as I found it the most aesthetically appealing. However, an aspect of the brief set, was to use a second type family within the project. After some quick testing with the allocated typefaces, Metro Nova, a humanist sans serif type family appeared to contrast and complement Bodoni better than the other choices. With the two typefaces working so well in unison, Metro Nova was used for display type and titles as well as the original intended usage on small annotations and figures.

Letterpress

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Knowing the Bodoni type family was created referencing the finest writing of the time, I explored upmarket methods of printing the type specimen and found letterpress to be the most extravagant and luxurious. Thick textured stock, deep embossed type and hairline registration give class and dignity to any possible application. I concluded that by using a variety of inks, printed on a range of different materials, I could take a further step beyond current type specimen trends.

Ted Hughes

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Bodoni was poet Ted Hughes’ favourite typeface. I decided Ted’s poetry, would be captivating content for a Type Specimen. I read about his life and found out he spent his childhood on farms. The clothing and processes of agriculture, inspired the patterns and type layouts used in the project.

Transparent Overlay

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Each page is paired with a transparent overlay. A name has been given to each page as well as a number reference for each line of type, these details can be found on the overlay, printed in red. There is a section in the back of the book where the names of these pages can be found in order, along with their number references. The number references are adjacent to the details of what typeface, typeface style, size, tracking and justification has been used on eachcorresponding line of type. An example of this is pictured below.

Referencing

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The book showcases both traditional and modern type specimen visual styles.

Chapters

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The book is divided into chapters named after the four seasons. The start of each chapter is shown by a page that uses a pattern inspired by the poem used within it. In the image above, the poem is all about harvesting crops, thus a dogtooth style pattern has been designed and implemented as many farmers wear clothes with this pattern on it.

Quotes

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I used small sections of Ted's poetry to illustrate the typographic possibilites of the two typefaces in use.

Poetry Typography

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Each chapter also includes the full poem set in a style that is found in most commercial poetry books.