The Art & Practice of Typography / A Manual of American Printing, Including a Brief History up to the Twentieth Century, with Reproductions of the Work of Early Masters of the Craft, and a Practical Discussion and an Extensive Demonstration of the Modern Use of Type-faces and Methods of Arrangement

by Edmund G. Gress

Advertisements, business men and printers—Blame for ineffectiveness—Treating the advertisement typographically—Study of good type work, advice and judgment—Oratory—A good speaker and a good typographic advertisement—Print too small or too large—Bluntness and forcefulness—Decorative attractiveness—Emphasizing significant parts—The difference between setting type with a stick and setting it with the head—Assuming a new formation—A multiplication of small advertisements—Easily read, conversational style of advertisements—Not much to say—Popularizing zinc—A well-treated signature—One of many clever advertisements—A peculiar department-store advertisement—Problems of the country newspaper—Typography influenced by the article advertised—Text types in advertisements—Harmonious suggestion—A long list of cities and agents—Selling costly automobiles—Suggesting Roman architecture—Text group in upper right corner—Little display—Blank space well used—Interesting country-newspaper advertisement—Classified advertisements well displayed.

NEWSPAPERS

Page [147]

Neutral gray—Building suitable and harmonious typographic form—Problem simpler in early days—The ideal newspaper—The title—Distinctive in design—Text letters—Using the ends of titles—Slogans and quotations—Date lines—The text—Small type—Narrow columns—Lengthy excerpts indented—The headings—First newspaper a letter and not set off by headings—Side headings—Wars developed display—Advertising the contents—Condensed type necessary—Harmonious type lines—Italic to overcome monotony—Paneled headings—A four-deck single-column heading—The make-up—A good-looking newspaper—Alternating large and small headings—No advertisements on front page—Position of article of most importance—Paneled news—Editorials—Usual position—The sporting page—Building advertisements from the lower right corner of the page.

PERIODICALS

Page [151]

Making publications attractive—Letterer and decorator—Circus poster type—The poor always with you—Many periodicals good to look at and easy to read—The dimensions—Nine by twelve inches a favorite with technical publications—Three groups for magazines—Growing larger—Pocket magazines—The front cover—Paintings—Decorative designs—Paid advertisements on the front cover—Appropriate views in halftone—Columns—Number decided by size of type—Wide columns strain the eyes—Gutenberg used two columns—Small type in very wide measures—The margins—Proportions as in good books—Good margins spoiled in bindings—Type-faces for the text—Chosen for legibility in small sizes—Separation with one-point leads because of lack of descenders—Difference in type-faces printed on coated and antique-finished paper—Lines need to be separated by leads—Should be well-formed as well as readable—Thin lines should be cut a trifle stronger—Type-faces for the headings—Same design as type for text matter—Desirable, but not always possible—An instance—Large, black headings should be avoided—Slightly decorative panels—Editorial headings and titles—Make-up of the illustrations—A background of gray—Well balanced—Text matter between illustrations—Same style on facing pages—Arrangement of headings—They sell the contents—A well-advertised story—The captions—Centered under illustrations—In two parts—Lines of same length—The editorial pages—No standard style—Unlike other reading pages—Features—Verse in italic—Restraint necessary—The advertisements—Bold types overshadow text pages—Good taste—Not to be mingled with text matter—Treatment need not be timid or blustering—When advertisers are best served.

HOUSE-ORGANS

Page [161]

Little brother of the periodical and newspaper—Smallest and largest dimensions—Favorite sizes—Self-covers and covers that are separate—Not many pages—Published regularly-Titles—Number of columns—Margins—Type-faces—Headings—House advertising—Illustrations, descriptions and prices—Mistake to use dark types with illustrations—Ideal typographic treatment—Useful and informative—Light matter to maintain interest—Features—Borders and initials—Almanacs—House-organs on blotter stock—In newspaper style—A western printer’s expression—Specimens of actual work—Too much copy—Loose inclosures should not prove a nuisance—Return post cards—Postal regulations.