1. 22-1310: Beginning Typography
Fall 2007 | Mon 6:00 – 9:50 pm | Wabash room 907 | Shawn Calvert, instructor
Course Description
Students investigate the basic aspects of letterforms and typography through a variety of
projects. Students are exposed to the historical background, technical and aesthetic issues, and
communicative abilities of typography as individual forms and as text.
pre-enrollment Criteria
22-1210 Drawing I
22-1220 Fundamentals of 2-D Design
22-1320 Design Lab (pre-/co-requisite)
general Course objectives
n To instill in students an awareness and appreciation of letterforms and typography.
n To expose students to typography, and develop experience in using it as a communicative form.
n To make students familiar with the working practice, skills, and terminology of typography.
n To establish a relationship between typography and design from a historical basis.
n To examine the relationship between legibility, communication, typographic design, page
layout and text.
Course goals
n Students should be familiar with the individual styles of typefaces and their historical basis as
refelections of their time and culture. (Humanist, Oldstyle, Modern, etc)
n Students should know the basic terms used in describing and working with type. (Pica, points,
x-height, etc.)
n Students should understand how the various components of the alphabet work in
communication and how that effects type choice. (Uppercase vs. lowercase, lining and oldstyle
numbers, punctuation and spacing.)
disclaimer n Students should understand the basic theory and practice of using type as an expressive tool in
This syllabus is subject visual communication and the appropriateness of particular typefaces for particular texts.
to change at any time
n Students should understand the different weights, widths and forms of typefaces. (Light, bold,
during the semester. You
italic, oblique, serif, sans serif, etc.)
will be notified of any
changes or will be issued n Students should understand the different uses, kinds and appropriateness of type and how that
a new syllabus. relates to their communicative value. (Display vs. text, book types vs. advertising types, etc.)
n Students should understand good typographic practice. (Correct use of spacing, leading,
layout, punctuation,etc.)
n Students should understand typographic layout and how it functions as dynamic form and
communicative form.

2. Course D eTa i l s aT Te n D a n Ce & a B s e nC e s
Text Attendance is mandatory. If you must be absent you are
responsible for making up any work and locating any
Hill, Will. The Complete Typographer: A Manual for
information you missed. The department has a policy of no
Designing with Type (2nd ed). Prentice-Hall, 005.
more than three absences. The fourth absence will result in
ISBN: 0131344455 an automatic failing grade. Remember — 4 absences = F!
Tardiness will also be considered a violation of the absence
policy. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class.
Materials Being late to class twice (15 minutes or more) will equal an
n medium sized sketchbook (dedicated t.o this class) absence. We will go by the school clocks. If in doubt be early.
Remember — 2 tardies = 1 absence!
n pencils, pens, watercolors, markers of choice
A student’s registration form is a written contract between
n 18 in ruler with inches, pts, picas (metal or plastic) the student and the College. The student agrees to pay
n black mounting board (purchase as needed) tuition and fees for the privilege of attending classes and
using institutional facilities and equipment. Unless a
n storage media of choice (firewire/USB 2.0 hd, ipod, student voluntarily drops/withdraws from a class or is
flashdrive, CD) administratively withdrawn, the student may attend class.
Class attendance privileges, however, may be suspended
when a student’s behavior is disruptive.
Conaway Center statement
Standards of attendance and punctuality imposed by
Students with disabilities are requested to present their faculty and/or departments may be measurements of
Columbia accommodation letters to their instructor at the student performance and as such should be reflected in the
beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be evaluation of the student. A student cannot be denied the
arranged in a timely manner by the College, the department right to continue attending a class because the number of
or the faculty member, as appropriate. Students with absences or tardies that would result in a failing grade has
disabilities who do not have accommodation letters should been exceeded.
visit the office of Services for Students with Disabilities
in room 520 of the Congress building (31.344.8134/V or
31.360.0767/TTY). It is incumbent upon the student to e X pe C TaT i o n s
know their responsibilities in this regard.
To do well in this course, plan on an average of 6–8 hours of
work per week outside of class.
academic integrity
Arrive at class on time, with your materials, your projects
Academic integrity is one of the most cherished principles prepared, and ready to work. There will be two 15-minute
of the Columbia community. You must adhere to this breaks per class. Please note that late attendance, extended
principle: by understanding the nature of plagiarism and breaks and leaving early before the class is over will effect
by not plagiarizing materials; by refraining from the use of your grade.
unauthorized aids on tests and examinations; by turning
You are expected to be an enthusiastic participant in this
in assignments which are products of your own efforts and
class. Your contributions to all discussions are crucial to
research; and by refusing to give or receive information
your development and will make it a fuller experience for
on tests and examinations to or from other students. If
you and your classmates. Share, listen and do your best
you violate these principles of simple honesty, you risk
possible work.
embarrassment, course failure, and disciplinary action. It is
simply not worth it.
For purposes of this policy, violations of academic
integrity occur when work is appropriated without proper
attribution of credit or when a student gives or receives aid
on a test, examination, or other work where there had been
no explicit permission given for such action.
| beginning typography

3. graD es Co u r s e w o r k
Each project will be graded on completion of a phase if Each project will be provided along with a detailed project
designated and upon completion of a project. Failure to sheet. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Reread
show work-in-progess where designated will result in a 10 the directions prior to handing in your projects. Failure to
pt reduction on the final project grade. A project will be comply with these instructions will effect your grade.
evaluated by the following criteria: following instructions,
Thumbnails and Roughs are graded separately and as
accurately and the ability to translate basic concepts covered
requested must be provided as part of an assignment. If not
in class, appropriateness of solution, uniqueness of solution,
provided then a project will not be considered completed
ability to meet deadlines, craftsmanship and presentation.
and will be graded as such.
Students will be evaluated on class participation, reading
We will critique work-in-progress as well as finished projects.
discussions, presentation skills (when applicable) and verbal
You must present your work-inprogress in class, as described
communication skills during class discussions and critiques.
on your project sheet or in class, in order to receive full credit
All grades and comments will be posted through Oasis. for each project. Failure to do so will result in a drop in grade.
You are expected to present your work verbally during
There will be two quizzes. These are indicated on the calendar
critiques and are expected to discuss it intelligently.
and any changes will be announced well beforehand. Quizzes
cannot be taken at a later date. If absent an “F” will be issued. All projects must be presented as printed materials, work on
paper or as requested per assignment, not as work on disks
or on screen. Unless printed out they will not be accepted
for review, class viewing or grading.
grade Breakdown
Six projects — 60% (weighted according to difficulty)
projects vs. exercises
Exercises — 30%
Throughout the course, we will have around 10-13 in-class
Quizzes — 10% exercises that will be graded on a credit/no-credit basis.
These exercises will submitted to me at the end of class as
pdfs only. The exercises are intendended to build specific
skills that will be needed for projects, or to reinforce topics
graDe DesCripTion graDe poinTs and/or typesetting techniques as dictated by class progress.
A excellent 96-100
A- 91-95 late work
B+ 88-90
B above average 84-87 All work will be due at specific dates as outlined in the course
B- 80-83 schedule. If your work is due at the beginning of class and
C+ 77-79 you don’t turn it in until the middle or end of class your
C average 73-76
project will drop 1/2 grade. One week late, your project will
C- 70-72
drop 1 full grade, two weeks late, your project will drop 2
D below average 60-69
grades. Assignments will not be accepted after two weeks.
F failure below 60
Don’t miss class because you haven’t finished your work —
class discussion/critiques are a major part of your grade.
FX failure for non-attendance
P pass
I Incomplete (not given) Backing up your Files
R course repeated
Losing work due to failed media or overwritten files is
W withdrawal
not an excuse for late work. Students are expected to
have an effective backup strategy for all of their files. It is
suggested that this strategy includes dupicate back-ups of
all working and final files. Please note that lab computers
are completely erased at the end of each day.
If you have any questions or doubts about backing up your
work, please do not hesitate to talk to me.
beginning typography | 3

4. so FTwar e Tr a i n i n g r e Co M Me n D e D r e aD i n g
Design Lab is required to be taken prior to or at the same Baseline (magazine)
time as Beginning Typography.
Bierut, Micheal, et al. Looking Closer (series). Allsworth
Please note that while there will be some software tutorials Press.
covered in this class, it is not the primary focus. If you lack
Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style.
the basic skill levels for Adobe CS (InDesign, Illustrator and
Hartley and Marks Publishers, 2004.
Photoshop) tutors can be scheduled through the Graphics
Lab on the 9th Floor, 623 South Wabash Street or tutorials Cheng, Karen. Designing Type. Yale University Press, 2006.
CDs can be taken out on loan. Please become familiar with
InDesign as soon as possible as this is the primary program Communication Arts (magazine)
you will be using for all your typography studies. Dot Dot Dot (magazine)
Elam, Kimberly. Grid Systems. Princeton Architectural
Press, 2004.
oasis
Eye (magazine)
As Adjunct Faculty I’m off-site most of the time so please Felici, James. The Complete Manual of Typography. Adobe
be sure to check your Oasis email (or whichever email you Press, 2002.
provide to me on the first session) on a constant basis.
French, Nigel. InDesign Type: Professional Typography with
This will be our most consistent communication vehicle.
Adobe InDesign CS2. Adobe Press, 2006.
I will be contacting you via email with reminders, changes
or any other pertinent information. Please check it at least Friedl, Fredrich. Typography. Black Dog and Leventhal
24hrs before class or more often. Be sure to check that your Publishers, 1998.
email is not overloaded and discard unnecessary mail. It is
your responsibility to manage your mailbox so that lines of Hochuli, Jost and Robin Kinross. Designing Books: Practice
communication are open and available. and Theory. Hyphen, 2004.
I will also be posting up-to-date project handouts, Lupton, Ellen. Thinking with Type. Princeton Architectural
presentation pdfs, and the syllabus/calendar with any Press, 2004.
updates on Oasis. If you misplace your project handouts Müller-Brockmann, Josef. Grid Systems in Graphic Design.
you will find them on Oasis for the duration of the project. Arthur Niggli, 1996.
Print (magazine)
Samara, Timothy. Making and Breaking the Grid. Rockport,
ConTa CTi n g M e
2002.
The best way to contact me is through email; however, I Shaughnessy, Adrian. How to be a Graphic Designer
only check my personal email after 6 pm on weekdays. If it Without Losing Your Soul. Princeton Architectural Press,
is an emergency, please call my cell. 2006.
University of Chicago Press Staff. The Chicago Manual of
Style, 15th ed. University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Various. Type Director Club Annuals. Watson-Guptill
Publications.
Weingart, Wolfgang. My Way to Typography. Lars Müller,
2000.
White, Alex. Thinking in Type. Allsworth Press, 2004.
Wotzkow, Helm. Art of Hand-Lettering: Its Mastery and
Practice. Dover, 1980.
4 | beginning typography

5. Course sCheDule
9/10 Introductions
Exercise InDesign/Suitcase/PDF intro
for next week
Project 1 type prototype
Project 2 photo/drawing of found type
Reading Hill ch 1, entire chapter
9/17 Historical Overview/Letter
Exercise drawing letterforms
Project 1 type prototype due
for next week
Project 2 roughs of phrase in found type
Reading Hill ch 2, pgs 22–35
Hill ch 3, pgs 61–83
9/4 Letter/Measurements
Exersise selecting the right typeface
for next week
Project 2 phrase in found type final
Reading Hill ch 3, pgs 84–159
10/01 Word
Project 2 phrase in found type due
Exercise letterspacing, outlining fonts
in Illustrator
for next week
Project 3 masthead roughs
Reading Hill ch 2, pgs 36–41
Hill ch 3, pgs 160–183
10/08 Paragraph
Quiz 1
Exercise typesetting rules
for next week
Project 3 masthead revisions
Reading handouts
10/15 Numbers and Tables
Exercise table of contents/page heirarchy
for next week
Project 3 masthead final
Reading Hill ch 2, pgs 42–49
beginning typography | 5

6. 10/ Intro to Grids/Page
Exercise style sheets pt 1
Project 3 masthead due
for next week
Project 4 magazine spread roughs
Reading handout
10/9 Page
Exercise style sheets pt 2
for next week
Project 4 magazine spread final
Reading Hill ch 2, pgs 50–59
11/05 Type as Image/Poster
Project 4 magazine spread due
Exercise type as image
for next week
Project 5 type specimen poster roughs
Reading handout
11/1 Poster
Quiz 2
Exercise type image
for next week
Project 5 type specimen poster final
Reading handout
11/19 Book
Project 5 type specimen poster due
Exercise structure of the book, setting up project 6
for next week
Project 6 book roughs
11/6 Book
Project 6 in-class lab
for next week
Project 6 book revisions
1/03 Book
Project 6 in-class lab
for next week
Project 6 final
1/10 Final Presentations
6 | beginning typography