TypographyConnor Wake

There is 4 main types of typography, these categories are serif, sans serif, script and decorative. The meanings of these are:

Sans serif - no flicks just normal writing.

Serif - with flicks on the ends of the letters.

Script - anything that is hand drawn could be used with any material from a fountain pen to chalk as long as it looks hand drawn.

Decorative - anything that isn’t of the above and looks fun usually has a unique text font too it.

Serif

Serifs are semi-structural details or small decorative flourishes on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. An example would be the Times New Roman font. Serif font is used frequently and at a regular basis without knowing it. A famous example of this is on the film title of the conjuring.

Sans-SerifIn typography, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, san serif or simply sans typeface is one that does not have the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. The term comes from the French word sans, meaning "without" and "serif" from the Dutch word schreef meaning "line". Sans-serif fonts tend to have less line width variation than serif fonts. In most print, sans-serif fonts are often used for headings rather than for body text. This has equal popularity as the serif font and is used frequently especially on applications such as word. A famous example of this is on the title of most marvel films including the like of iron man. Arial is an example of this font.

Script

Script font is totally different to the serif fonts. This is different as all serif fonts look hand written and not blocks or have flicks or serif marks on the end of the letters. An example of this font on microsoft or google applications is the Indie Flower font. Script font is the most well known of all of the fonts mainly because of the coca-cola logo that uses this font so everybody recognises the font.

Decorative

Decorative fonts is everything else except the fonts listed below. Everything that doesn’t look like handwriting, look bold and block letters or have flicks on the end of each letter comes under the decorative font type. This includes things such as pictures or other things similar than that. Most companies use the decorative font to catch the attention of people to draw them into the shops. This text type isn’t used on applications such as microsoft or google so you would need to create your own version of that font.

Book Cover Research

Book 1 - To Kill A Mockingbird This book appeals to me as it is text inside an image, this immediately brings attention to the book with the font having a decorative look. The book has white font on a black background image that is simple but effective. The white on black is regularly used and is the go to colours as it stands out and is very clear. To me the book looks like it has some action or drama involved. I think this as the image that the text is inside is a fist and also has chains on the edge of the wrist that shows imprisonment that links to jail that also appeals to me as drama. The authors title is also very thin and also uses a white text but is smaller and thin as it is not the centre of attention and is not as important so it is small so the attention isn't took off of the title of the book.

Book 2 - Burn This Book

This book has simple sans-serif block font on the front of it. This book appeals to me as it is simple and jumps out of the page at me because it is big, blocked and also it is easy to read. The book is all in capitals so it makes the letters all equal sizes and the white on black is traditional and works effectively as they are 2 colours that work well together and don't make your eyes go funny what is good when you want to know what the book is called. As well as this the book’s author is also in the same sans-serif font and is also clear to read but is opposite to the main title with it being black writing on a white background what is good.

Book 3 - Competition

This book is good as it uses a sans-serif font but it also overlaps to bring the attention of the audience to that book, this is also good as it makes the font not as boring as a normal sans-serif font bring even more attention to the book cover. Yet again it is white lettering on a black background to make the writing on the book stand out and easily readable, this makes people know what the book is called. The other information on the book is smaller writing compared to the title, the other writing is a serif font what is completely different to the title but maintain the white text throughout the front cover.

Book 4 - ThinnerThis book appeals to the audience as the writing for the author being stephen king and also the title is a mix between decorative and script. It is this because the text looks like it could be handwritten but also it has flicks on the edges of all the letters to give it more of a decorative font. The title of the book is in a white font what contrasts well with the green background making it easy for the audience to read. The author's name is in black what is bad in my opinion as that is more bolder than the actual book title making you see and look at that more than the title. There is also writing under the author’s name what is yet again black but in a sans serif font and is smaller than the other text but still visible and easy to read that is good and important.

Book 5 - Green Eggs And Ham

This book has very effective lettering for whom it is aimed at. The target market is children and the text on the cover is plain, simple and fun. The text is a serif font and had a playful twist to it with some of the letters being on an angle. The writing is bold and what what allows for it to be easily readable what is good yet again for the target market. The orange background allows the text on the book to stand out more allowing the text to stand out, be bold and also that is can be easily read. The size of the title and the author and the title is the same size what shows that they are both equally important and that you need to read them both.

Book 6 - The Sky Is Everywhere

On this book cover there is a script font. You can tell this as it looks handwritten. It is done in a white font to go with the title making the writing look like its clouds in the sky what links in with the title what has a positive effect. The title is fairly easy to read but some people may struggle with reading it what gives a negative impact on the front cover. There is also other text on the book what is the author what is a smaller size font so the attention isn't took away from the title and that text is also a sans-serif font but is also white what links in with the theme of the book.

Book 7 - Ashes

This book uses sans-serif font but uses leading to space out the words on the book. They use the white on black again to make it simple and these are traditional colours what have good contrast and also work well together so the words pop out at you. The lettering is also different sizes to show the importance of the words going from the title being the biggest to the author to saying what type of book this is. The text is very plain but very effective at the same time.

Book 8 - American Psycho

This book uses sans serif font and has one of the words at an angle. The angle on the word ‘American’ makes the viewer attracted to that word so this is a good effect to get the attention of the public to buy the book. All of the text is the same size and has a white text with a black/grey shadow in it to give it a better effect to attract the reader's attention.

Book 9 - Still Waters

This book uses a decorative font what shows waves in the writing to show the effect of rippling in water what fits in well with the name of the book. There is this decorative font throughout the cover and the text is also blue that resembles water. This attracts the reader because of the font that is good and it is also clear what the book is about that is good.

Book 10 - The Girl On The Train

This book uses a sans-serif font overlapped to make a decorative style font. This is hard to read from a glance what makes you focus on the book to read the title properly what is good as somebody would need to focus and read the book properly to see what it’s called, however this could also be a negative as if somebody couldn’t read it at a glance they could not focus on the book to read it what would be bad. The colour is also a yellow/white colour what indicates mystery what fits with the mystery value to the book making the audience think what is the book about making them want to read it to see what it is about.

Book cover I’m going to redesignThe book cover I’m going to redesign is the book called kensuke’s kingdom by michael morpurgo and It was published in 1999. This book is about a kid with a parents going through a lot and about to split up. The michael's dad decides to go out and buy a boat and sells everything for this boat so all the family could travel the world to try and keep his family together. Once set off there was an accident where Michael and his dog get swept up onto an island and from that point onwards it is a ploy to survive, they have lows and highs, they meet new friends and enemies and they want to survive and get off the island they get abandoned on.