From: Hans Aberg (haberg@math.su.se)
Date: Tue Nov 25 2008 - 17:12:44 CST
On 25 Nov 2008, at 19:25, John Hudson wrote:
> Hans Aberg wrote:
>
>> I choose the Caledonia from 1967 as example because it is well
>> before any electronic typesetting. The latter may have changed
>> things. For example, traditional typesetting principles may simply
>> have been skipped over.
>
> 1967 is not 'well before any electronic typesetting' (I believe
> that was the year that Linotype introduced the Linotron).
The page
http://www.linotype.com/49-14025/19631972.html?
PHPSESSID=38e27f4a890d3d1919e23704535f8c4e
says that although the government machine was installed in 1967, a
company started design fonts in 1968. So it is unlikely, the design
typeface in question was influenced by this machine.
> In any case, it is not a period generally associated with
> 'traditional typesetting principles': for that you need to go back
> much further.
So electronic typesetting influenced the design of typefaces before
it even existed?
> All the feedback I've heard from my Scandinavian colleagues
> indicates that the ring should not merge with the top of the A
> unless the weight and height of the design absolutely require it, ...
A book from 1965, "Njals saga", same company, a song book from 1955,
and a psalm book from 1929 all do it.
> ...and reducing the height of the A, or other capital letters, to
> fit marks above is not done in standard (book) typography, but only
> in e.g. telephone books, where vertical space is a premium and
> there is very little gap between lines.
That seems to vary. The encyclopedia was in 8 points, but "Njals
saga" may have larger points, and at least plenty of space between
lines, though a difficult to measure. The song book does not do it,
though. Probably depends on the typeface.
Hans
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