U&lc Issue: 41.1.2

The nature of the type world keeps changing. And any online publication is, by definition, about change. U&lc Online began life as an online companion to U&lc, ITC’s award-winning magazine; from here on in, it will begin a new life, in a new format, as ITC’s online voice. Expect the unexpected. U&lc Online is ITC’s international journal of graphic design and digital media. U&lc Online needs no subscription; it’s part of the ITC web site, itcfonts.com. To read U&lc Online, just bookmark this page and check it out every month.

Type As Decoration When you select type that’s going to be read, legibility is key. But when you use type as decoration, creativity wins the day. Designing non-typographic elements out of type used to be painstaking work. Thanks to today’s robust software, you can create original ornaments by having fun with fonts.

Optima (PDF) With humble beginnings as quick sketches on an Italian bank note, Hermann Zapf refined the design that was to become the Optima® typeface into an elegant and powerful communication tool. The process of getting from rough drawings to fonts of type took years – but it was clearly time well-invested.

Hanging Characters in QuarkXPress® 8 Quark loyalists have patiently waited (and exchanged many tales of woe) for advanced typesetting features. The very good news is that Quark 8 has finally leapt up to the plate.

Arial vs Helvetica We’ve all heard of the Arial® and Helvetica® typefaces, and have most likely used them both. Graphic designers either love or hate the designs. What’s the story behind these two polarizing typeface designs? Here’s the scoop!

Continuing Studies of Typography Do you love typography? Have you ever thought about pursuing, or have you even dabbled in, typeface design? Then you might consider going back to school to further your knowledge and expand your career possibilities.

Accents and Accented Characters Have you ever needed to set an accented character in copy but couldn’t find it on your keyboard? If these characters leave you feeling naïve, you’re not alone.

Making Fractions in OT Making professional-looking fractions with OpenType is a snap – as long as you have the right font!

Discretionary Ligatures More on ligatures, those special multi-letter characters that are designed to add visual interest to your work. In Part 2 we look at discretionary ligatures, which can give ordinary text a sense of elegance, tradition, or just plain fun.

Standard Ligatures Like chocolate and peanut butter, some letters seem meant to be combined – which is one of the reasons ligatures were invented. These characters combine two or more letters into a single cohesive unit. OpenType has provided the opportunity for type designers to include many of these special characters into their fonts. Read on to learn more about them…

Automatic Page Numbering Still adding page numbers by hand? There is an easier way – and it’s automatic!

Bodoni(PDF) The Bodoni type style is not an all-purpose workhorse. It is, rather, a high-strung thoroughbred. Most interpretations are exceptionally handsome designs that perform best within a narrow range of functions, but in these they performs like few others can.

Tips for Scripts With such a variety of script fonts at our disposal, at times designers can use them incorrectly. Here are useful tips for implementing them properly in your next design – sparingly and with care.

Top 5 Type Tips for 2009 Do you have trouble remembering those pesky type conventions that seem minor to the layperson, yet keep your design projects looking professional? Here are five guidelines you can use as a quick reference to ensure your next layout is up to par.

Spacing type in Word and Pages What should you do when a boss or client demands you apply your design skills to files from Microsoft® Word or Apple® Pages® word processing applications? Although it is not the best scenario in which to exercise your typographic skills, there are ways to get around the spacing problems these programs present.

Festive Fonts Fa la la fonts! Elegant, casual or calligraphic: one of these fine script fonts is sure to set the right tone for your holiday creations. ’Tis the season to create your own cards, invitations and personalized gifts with style.

Importing Text Still stuck on the old copy and paste method of bringing text into a new design document? Save time – and formatting – by importing text instead. Whether you’re using Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress, follow these simple steps to become an importing expert.

Franklin Gothic (PDF) Although it has taken more than 100 years, what began life as a single-weight typeface is evolving into a very large – and exceptionally useful – typeface family, Franklin Gothic.

OpenType Features OpenType fonts often contain a treasure trove of typographic options. Discover some easy ways to enhance your typography by taking advantage of discretionary ligatures, swashes or titling alternates – to name just a few.

Helvetica: Old and Neue This classic has both stood the test of time and changed with the technological times. Learn why the original Helvetica® design was changed in 1983 to yield the updated Neue Helvetica® design and see how subtle differences can sometimes have a strong impact.

Nonbreaking Hyphens Take charge of your hyphens. To produce top-notch typography, don’t let your design application hyphenate phone numbers, URLs or proper names. Master these simple steps to show your hyphens who’s boss.