A-Z Type In Context - Photographs

For this brief I chose to photograph the richness and diversity of the typography in Tynemouth. This town is located on the coast of the Tyne and Wear borough and is typically known for its sea views and upper-class manor and appearance. I wanted to investigate whether this portrayed image of the town is reflected in the style of typography that is used in the surrounding shops and street signs. I would expect to see more serif typefaces used as this would reflect the classic appearance and persona of the town. 

A-Z Photographs

A - This photograph was taken on the main street of Tynemouth. The background is a black painted board that was positioned on the street advertising the food that is on the menu at the cafe. This hand rendered sans serif typography style is clear to read therefore effectively communicates to the wide audience of the general public. 

B - To add context to some of the photographs I took a zoomed out image as well as a more focused image on a specific letter. Firstly the colour scheme of the sign enhances the legibility of each individual letter and word. This is important when addressing the wide audience of the general public as it must be legible for all ages. The sans serif typeface also ensures that the wording is clear and legible from the street view.

C - This typography style is unlike what you'd expect from a hand written street sign. Using white chalk on a black background is a classic style that is used for this form of advertising as the contrasting colours stand out in all lighting. As well as this, the serif type reflects and communicates the more upper class appearance of Tynemouth therefore supporting the prediction that I originally made. This also adds detail to the design and makes the type more eye catching in its environment. 

D - This scripted typeface is legible due to its size as a shop sign as well as having the contrasting colours of grey and white being used together. The style of the typeface clearly communicates the atmosphere and style of the shop to the customer before going inside. This is an important message embedded in many typefaces so that it is appealing to the target audience. The scripted typeface is also a common trend that is being seen in the creative environment.

E - This typography was found in the window of a pub and appears to be made in a stencil like style using metal and glass together. This is a very intricate traditional style therefore reflecting the traditional pub. However, the stencil style does make it difficult to read as the outline thickness reduces the clarity of the lettering.

F - The sans serif capitalised typeface makes this street sign very clear to read. Using a sans serif typeface for this particular environment improves the legibility due to the block like shapes and cleanly cut edges. The legibility is further reinforced by the contrasting colour scheme and grid layout of the individual words. This is a modern interpretation of a chalkboard design for advertising street food and reflects the high end feel of the restaurant. 

 G - From a distance this street sign firstly strikes as unusual as it is made up of framed tiles. On closer inspection you can see that the words are printed on two separate tiles and that there are small elements of detail to the otherwise block sans serif typeface. For example the G has an unusual tale however is still in conjunction with the other letters. This small aspect of detail adds to the uniqueness of the town and the streets in it.  

H - This sans serif typefaces was transferred onto the glass of the restaurant therefore being used for a display and decorative purpose. This is further reinforced by adding the logo to the letter H. This individual letter has been modified to fit with the logo, giving a together feel to the design. This does not affect the legibility of the text which is important when considering the display purpose of the text.

I - Although the wording is capitalised the F is joined to the I through the ligature. This is unusual to see in capitalised typography however relates to the more handwritten feel of the text. When comparing this with the sans serif text above, there is a clear difference in legibility although both are still easily read. Having this contrast adds a more subconscious personal element to the text and emphasises the importance of staying safe.

J - Unlike the other letters of this sign the J stands out due to the font, colour and size change. This adds an emphasis to the word 'James' and gives a uniqueness to the shop sign. However, due to the differences to the individual letter, it reduces the legibility of the sign. This is because from a distance the stroke difference in the J is difficult to see therefore could be interpreted as a / rather than a letter, therefore leading the audience to read 'GARETH AMES'. 

 K - Looking specifically at the letter K, the tail is over emphasised by being stretched beneath the next letter in the word. This creates a natural centre to the sign as well as adding detail to the wording. Unlike other examples of detail being added, the typeface is still legible and demonstrates the character of the traditional pub. The uniqueness of the sign also makes it stand out in the street therefore drawing more attention to the business. 

L - Unlike many of the other restaurants and bars in Tynemouth, Lola Jeans is a multiple branch restaurant. The scripted typography reflects the high end product and service that you receive in the restaurant. This is also clear through the crisp contrasting colour scheme that is used. 

M - This typography style is more of a traditional gothic font with over emphasised tails and added detail. The gothic style does not relate to the cuisine of the restaurant however stands out on the street as it is unlike any other typeface. The type is also clear to read from any distance and due to its size the detail does not affect the legibility.  

N - This is another example of scripted typography. Unlike the other examples this type has a greater flow which individualises the letters more. This improves the legibility of the text however still maintaining the italian feel of the typography. As a more modern street sign the black and white colour scheme has been taken from the traditional chalk board effect. Using the traditional chalk board colour scheme makes the more modern street sign easy to read in its environment.

O - This original typography is printed directly on the glass front of the shop. This classic style reflects that of the shop and the clothing. The western typography is clear to read and the added detail to the individual letters gives it a decorative purpose as well as informative display. The colour scheme also relates to the western theme demonstrating the classic appeal to the shop.

P - The traditional street sign font is a clear and legible serif typeface. Each letter is capitalised and to the same cap height which ensures that the sign is easy to read which is important when addressing such a large audience. 

Q - The decorativeness of this letter demonstrates the more high end feel to the business. It is clear that an appropriate typeface has been chosen to reflect the quality of the food that is served at the pub. The over extended tail on the Q adds an element of detail to the typeface and gives the serif typeface more of a scribed effect. 

R - This sans serif typeface has been used in a grid like layout which further enhances the legibility of the text. This simple font and design makes the text clear and easy to read in the street context that it is in, as well as being a neutral design to attract a larger audience. 

S -  Unlike the other street signs this board used imagery of the restaurant as the background to the board. The typeface used for the wording 'TWO SHARE' has a paint brush effect to each stroke of the letters. This relates to the hands on feel to the cuisine. The particular typeface is clear and legible from any distance and adds to the decorative feel to the street sign.

T -  This typeface maintains the qualities of writing that has been completed using a quill pen. This is demonstrate through the variation in stroke thickness, the imperfections to the strokes and the angle of each individual letters. As the sign is for an independent art shop this typography style is very fitting and embraces the style. This is further demonstrated through having the letter 't' in lowercase compared to the other two uppercase letters in the word.

U - This typography has clearly been hand drawn. It is uncommon for graffiti artists to use a serif typeface as it does not correspond with the upbeat pace of this style of art. However, the small detail of serifs reflects the high end appearance of the town and demonstrates the care that has been taken with the design. 

V- This typeface is a classic style used for street and place names. The V in particular demonstrates the difference in stroke thickness that is used throughout the typeface. This adds detail to the design therefore making it more distinctive when reading the sign. 

W - Using steel to outline lettering is a current trend typically used for individual letter display. However, used in the form of 3D signage is very impactful as it stands out against the 2D shop fronts on the street. The simple sans serif typeface increases this impact due to the straight lines and sharp edges. This makes the wording very clear and legible from a range of distances.

 X - The sans serif typeface is clear to read in the context that it is presented. The more traditional typeface includes a contrast in stroke thickness which can be clearly seen on the letter X. This adds detail and intricacy to the typeface and reflects the classic yet modern appearance of the town. 

Y - Although this is the name of the shop, no capitals have been used where you would typically expect to see them at the beginning of each word. The Y in particular is also unusual as the tail is extended beneath the previous letter. The tracking is also inconsistent therefore separating the sounds in the word. This reduces the legibility of the text however it is still clear that this is the name of the shop. It is also very unique to the style of shop and reflects the personality and atmosphere that you feel inside. 

Z - This photograph was taken of a restaurant umbrella in front of the building. Having text printed onto fabric can mean that the quality is reduced therefore using a simple typeface is important. Although the font is of a serif nature, the serifs are not over emphasised and create a grid shape around each letter. This improves the legibility of the word as each letter is distinctive.