Lesson Plan
Course Title:
Printing & Imaging Technology
Session Title:
Type Basics: Introduction to Typefaces
* This is Lesson #7 if used as part of the overall unit on Printing & Imaging Technology.
However, it may also be taught as a stand-alone lesson if desired.
Lesson Duration: Approximately one to two 90-minute class periods
[Lesson length is subjective and will vary from instructor to instructor]
Performance Objective: Upon completion of this assignment, the student will understand basic
Typography terminology and concepts.
Specific Objectives:
1. Define terms associated with the lesson.
2. Understand the elements of fonts.
3. Create and draw a rough draft of a typeface from scratch.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
§130.96
(1) The student applies academic knowledge and skills in printing and imaging projects. The
student is expected to:
(A) apply English language arts knowledge and skills by demonstrating use of content,
technical concepts, and vocabulary; using correct grammar, punctuation, and
terminology to write and edit documents; and composing and editing copy for a
variety of written documents such as brochures, programs, and newsletters; and
(B) apply mathematics knowledge and skills by identifying whole numbers, decimals,
and fractions applied to measurement and scale; demonstrating knowledge of
arithmetic operations; using conversion methods such as fractions to decimals and
inches to points; and applying measurement to solve a problem.
(11) The student develops a technical understanding of printing and imaging. The student is
expected to:
(F) apply desktop publishing to create products by:
(iii) applying typography concepts, including font, size, and style;
Instructor/Trainer
References:
Lupton, E. (2010). Thinking with Type. (2 rev. exp. ed.). New York, NY: Princeton Architectural
Press.
Author’s expertise
Online search for various books on Type and Typography
Instructional Aids:
Type Basics slide presentation
Type Basics Exam
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 1
Type Basics Exam Answer Key
Gettysburg Address activity – PDF
Gettysburg Address version 1
Gettysburg Address version 2
Typeface Creation forms
Type Basics Rubric
Materials Needed:
Pencils and Erasers
Equipment Needed:
Computer and projection system with appropriate software to display slide presentation
Learner
None
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
Hand out Gettysburg Address (version 1).
SAY: Read through this version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
ASK: Was it easy to read?
Hand out Gettysburg Address (version 2).
SAY: Now read through this version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
ASK: Which one of these is easier to read and gets the information across the
best?
(Obviously, version 2)
SAY: Today we are going to learn some basics about typography typefaces and
fonts.
SAY: Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type around 1450. Since that time,
technological innovations have played a major role in printing, including
unprecedented access to pre-press work. This lesson focuses on the use of fonts for
information.
Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
I. Definitions
A. Typography
B. Typeface
C. Font
II. Three Basic Typeface Categories
A. Serif Fonts
Instructor Notes:
Note: Be sure to help the
students understand the
difference between a typeface
and a font. A typeface is a
grouping of all the characters
in multiple font weights (e.g.
Bold, Book, Italic, etc.)
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 2
B. Sans Serif Fonts
C. Special Fonts
III. Serif Font Characteristics
A. Serif is a French term
B. Small lines used at the end of a main
stroke of a character of type (feet)
C. Helps make type readable
D. Used for body copy in print
IV. Sans Serif Font Characteristics
A. “Sans” is French for “without”
B. Block type font used for headers and subheaders
C. Good for web use because there are not
enough pixels on the screen for serif fonts
to be cleanly readable
V. Special Font Characteristics
A. Script Fonts
B. Decorative Fonts
C. Dingbats
VI. Font Styles – also called Font Weights
A. Book – regular width
B. Bold – heavy emphasis
C. Black – heavier emphasis
D. Italics – light emphasis (sometimes called
oblique)
E. Narrow – use sparingly
F. Wide – for headers only
Note: Serif fonts should be
used in the body copy of
printed documents, because
printing is usually done at a
resolution of 300 dots per
inch. Serif fonts shown on a
screen are harder to read
when they are smaller
because of the screen’s
limited resolution of 72 pixels
per inch. That is why Sans
Serif fonts work better for
small lettering on screens.
Script fonts are like
handwriting, some can be
hard to read. Decorative fonts
are sometimes called Display
fonts. Wasn’t it hard to read
the Gettysburg Address that
used a decorative font for the
body copy?
Font Styles, which are also
called Font Weights, refer to
the width (thickness) of the
strokes of the characters.
VII. Other Parts to Fonts
G. Ascender: rises above x-height
H. Descender: falls below baseline
I. Cap Height
J. X-Height
K. Counter
L. Stems
The Counter part of a font,
which is sometimes called the
Aperture, is the hole created
by closed letters (e.g. “b”, “p”,
etc…). The stems are the
vertical parts of the letter that
are neither ascenders nor
descenders.
VIII. Font Measurements
A. Points: 72 points per inch
B. Picas: 6 picas per inch
C. There are 12 points per pica
All fonts must have a point
size to be used in a
document. This is how that
point size is calculated.
IX. Vertical Positioning
A. Subscript
B. Superscript
Vertical Positioning is for
when you need to place
letters above or below the
normal line.
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 3
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Use the slide presentation to discuss typography information.
Show students how to use lined paper to create their own font.
Distribute the Typeface Creation forms and supervise students as they practice
drawing their typeface ideas on the lined paper. Remind them to create numbers as
well as uppercase and lowercase characters.
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Students will create and draw a typeface with numbers, uppercase and lowercase
characters. They should also create a name their typeface. This will be a rough draft.
Students will create the typeface using industry standard illustration software in a
future lesson.
Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Review the typography concepts.
Observe students’ progress, ask questions, and encourage creativity as they draw
their own typeface.
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
Teacher will monitor students’ progress while they draw their typeface.
The teacher will check to make sure students understand all of the criteria for
creating their typeface.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Students will take the Type Basics Exam.
The teacher will use the Type Basics Rubric to evaluate rough drafts of the
typefaces created by the students.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):
Students may wish to draw the punctuation for their newly created typefaces (e.g.
commas, quotation marks, dollar signs, ampersands, etc…).
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 4
Student name: _________________________________
Type Basics Exam
1.
Who invented the moveable type in 1450?
2.
A set of characters including uppercase and lowercase is referred to as
__________________.
3.
A French term for the “feet” on fonts is ___________________.
4.
Sans serif means ___________________ feet.
5.
Bold, italic and narrow are all examples of font __________________.
6.
The portion of the font that rises above the x-height is the
__________________.
7.
The portion of the font that fall below the baseline is the
__________________.
8.
A font is measured in __________________ or __________________.
9.
A superscript font is larger than the rest of the font. True or False
10. How many points are in a pica?
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 5
Student name: _________________________________
Type Basics Exam (answer key)
1.
Who invented the moveable type in 1450? Johannes Gutenberg
2.
A set of characters including uppercase and lowercase is referred to as
____typeface______.
3.
A French term for the “feet” on fonts is _______serif_______.
4.
Sans serif means ______without______ feet.
5.
Bold, italic and narrow are all examples of font __styles or weights__.
6.
The portion of the font that rises above the x-height is the
___ascender____.
7.
The portion of the font that fall below the baseline is the
___descender___.
8.
A font is measured in ______points______ or _______picas_______.
9.
A superscript font is larger than the rest of the font. True or False
10. How many points are in a pica? 12 points per pica
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 6
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 7
The Gettysburg Address
FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO OUR
FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH, UPON THIS
CONTINENT, A NEW NATION, CONCEIVED IN
LIBERTY, AND DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
NOW WE ARE ENGAGED IN A GREAT CIVIL
WAR, TESTING WHETHER THAT NATION, OR ANY
NATION SO CONCEIVED, AND SO DEDICATED,
CAN LONG ENDURE. WE ARE MET ON A GREAT
BATTLE FIELD OF THAT WAR. WE HAVE COME TO
DEDICATE A PORTION OF IT, AS A FINAL
RESTING PLACE FOR THOSE WHO DIED HERE,
THAT THE NATION MIGHT LIVE. THIS WE MAY,
IN ALL PROPRIETY DO. BUT, IN A LARGER
SENSE, WE CAN NOT DEDICATE, WE CAN NOT
CONSECRATE, WE CAN NOT HALLOW, THIS
GROUND. THE BRAVE MEN, LIVING AND DEAD,
WHO STRUGGLED HERE, HAVE HALLOWED IT, FAR
ABOVE OUR POOR POWER TO ADD OR DETRACT.
THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE, NOR LONG
REMEMBER WHAT WE SAY HERE; WHILE IT CAN
NEVER FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE.
IT IS RATHER FOR US, THE LIVING, —
WE
HERE BE DEDICATED TO THE GREAT TASK
REMAINING BEFORE US —
THAT, FROM THESE
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 8
HONORED DEAD WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION
TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY HERE, GAVE
THE LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION. THAT
WE HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE THESE DEAD SHALL
NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN; THAT THE NATION
SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM, AND
THAT GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE
PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE,
FROM THE EARTH.
SHALL NOT PERISH
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 9
The Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth, upon this continent,
a new nation, conceived in liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men
are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or any
nation so conceived, and so dedicated,
can long endure. We are met on a great
battle field of that war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting
place for those who died here, that the
nation might live. This we may, in all
propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we
can not dedicate, we can not consecrate,
we can not hallow, this ground. The brave
men, living and dead, who struggled here,
have hallowed it, far above our poor
power to add or detract. The world will
little note, nor long remember what we
say here; while it can never forget what
they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, — we
here be dedicated to the great task
remaining before us — that, from these
honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they here, gave the
last full measure of devotion. That we
here highly resolve these dead shall not
have died in vain; that the nation shall
have a new birth of freedom, and that
government of the people by the people
for the people, shall not perish from the
earth.
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: The Gettysburg Address
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
Version 10
TYPE BASICS RUBRIC
Criteria
Completeness
(10 points)
Application of
Typography
Concepts
(30 points)
Design
elements –
Criteria
(30 points)
Creativity
(20 points)
Professional
Appearance
(10 points)
Comments:
Exceptional
Above Average
Below Average
Unacceptable
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Work is
complete and
presents a
unified whole.
Work is
complete, but
lacks unity in the
composite.
Work is
incomplete.
No attempt was
made to produce
the document.
25-30 points
12-24 points
1-11 points
0 points
Demonstrated
knowledge of
Typography
Concepts is
exceptional.
Typography
Concepts are
used, but more
practice is
needed to
demonstrate full
knowledge.
Attempt is made
to use
Typography
Concepts, but it
is evident that
knowledge is
very limited.
No evidence of
knowledge of
Typography
Concepts.
25-30 points
12-24 points
1-11 points
0 points
Design
elements are
successfully
applied.
Design elements
are applied but
need refinement
to achieve
success.
Design elements
are poorly
applied.
No evidence of
application of
design elements.
17-20 points
8-16 points
1-7 points
0 points
Design ideas
are original in
thought and
exceptionally
creative.
Design ideas are
somewhat
original and
creative.
Limited
evidence of
creativity and
originality in
thought.
No evidence of
creativity or
originality in
thought or
execution of
project.
9-10 points
5-8 points
1-4 points
0 points
Professional
project.
Final product is
neat and
professionally
presented.
Good
presentation of
project. Only
minor corrections
are needed
Fair
presentation of
project. Several
errors are
evident.
Project is
unprofessional.
Errors distract
significantly from
the content.
TOTAL
POINTS:
AAVTC: Print and Imaging Technology: Type Basics: Introduction to Typefaces
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. All rights reserved.
12
Points