Typography Essentials

THE LETTER5 Historical connotation

TYPEFACES ARE A PRODUCT OF THEIR ERA. A good design may be well served with a historically appropriate typeface choice when possible. For example, traditional or old-style typefaces imply timeworn wisdom, authenticity, integrity. Another example is the circles, squares, and triangles underlying the design of geometric sans serifs—a response to the revolutionary zeitgeist of the Bauhaus—convey a feeling that is modern and sleek. The historical implications of typographic forms remain part of their essential identity, though they may be used quite effectively in a different era. The suggestion of a time period may be real or perceived. What matters most is how the reader will interpret the appearance of the type, ...