The Characteristics of Text and Display Sizes in 16th Century Flemish Roman Type

comparative analyses of seven types cut by Hendrik Van Den Keere in the period 1570 – 1580

Authors

  • Krassen Krestev

Keywords:

letterform, font design, research methods, legibility, readability, typography

Abstract

This project attempts to bring more insight to the approach of designing type for different sizes in western Europe during 16th century by making a comparative analysis of seven different sizes of roman type (three display and four text sizes) cut for the print-house of Christophe Plantin in Antwerp by the Flemish punch-cutter Hendrik van den Keere in the period between 1570 - 1580. The aim of the comparison is to gain knowledge about the historical design of small/text and large/display type sizes that might be useful in the production of type today.

Author Biography

  • Krassen Krestev

    Krassen Krestev (Sofia, Bulgaria, 1971) is a typographer, type designer and lecturer. He holds the following degrees: 2018 – Expert class Type design (Plantin Institute of Typography, Antwerp, Belgium); 2004 – TypeMedia (MDes, KABK, the Hague, the Netherlands); 2003 – Graphic Design (MDes, St. Joost Academy, Breda, the Netherlands); 1998 – Book and printed graphics (MFA, National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria). Currently he works as brand consultant, lecturer and runs his type-design studio TypeFarm (Sofia, Bulgaria). Krassen has done workshops and presented on conferences like ING Creative Festival (Dubai), Sofia Design Week (Sofia), Typo Berlin (Berlin), Typo Fest (Sofia) etc. He took part in graphic
    design and typography exhibitions in Belgium (Antwerp), Bulgaria (Sofia), Czech Republic (Prague), Germany (Dusseldorf ), Netherlands (Breda, the Hague, Rotterdam), Russia (Moscow), Sweden (Uppsala).

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Published

2021-09-28

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 3 (2020): December 2020

Section

Journal Article