INTRODUCTION

363 Gafe for the door of the Berlin City Li¬
brary, using the letter A. Designed by Fritz Kühn.
(Photo by Fritz Kühn.)

There are a great number of practical
applications for type and lettering, in¬
cluding many areas of graphic art, archi¬
tecture, and crafts. Even the appearance
of our streetscapes is affected. The de¬
signer has to choose among materials,
techniques, typefaces, and layouts for
each individual situation. The final deci¬
sions depends on his or her skill, experi¬
ence, and personal taste, and not least on
the available materials and circumstances.
No rules can be followed mechanically.
A proverb says, "From simple matter
comes the wisdom of the simpleminded."
Our space is limited, and we cannot con¬
sider all possible situations.

This book is not an applied graphics
or a typography text. Lettering has many
more applications than can be discussed
here: they range from postage stamps to
posters, from birthday cards to utilitar¬
ian signs, and let us not forget the calli¬
graphic elements that adorn books on
typography. The last section of Chapter
4 is by no means complete. I have dis¬
cussed only applications where the printed
or drawn letters not only visualize a
message but are the prime medium of
design. We touch on the logotype, the
poster, packaging, and the book jacket
only in their connection with the written
word. This book was not intended as a
replacement for the necessary studies
that every designer who uses type and
lettering has to undertake, nor does it
concentrate in any detail on special tech¬
niques, such as lettering on plaster,
unless the technique is essential to the
design process. The information given
here is intended only as a jumping-off
place: further study and practice is
necessary for mastery.

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