Consequently Positioning the Rhythm in Type Based on the Letters' Longest Continuous Black Mass

Letters play a game of black and white. In that game, the continuous repetition of black and white creates a steadily progressing vertical and rhythmical stripe pattern, referred to as the rhythm in type. Readers conceiving the letters can perceive the rhythm as visually stressful. However, research...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inVisible language Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 32 - 47
Main Author Renckens, Maarten
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cincinnati University of Cincinnati on behalf of Visible Language 01.12.2020
Subjects
Alliances
Computers
Definitions
Design
Designers
Influence
Reading
Reading Processes
Research Methodology
Rhythm
Visual Impairments
Word Recognition
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Summary:Letters play a game of black and white. In that game, the continuous repetition of black and white creates a steadily progressing vertical and rhythmical stripe pattern, referred to as the rhythm in type. Readers conceiving the letters can perceive the rhythm as visually stressful. However, research into the rhythm in type is limited. The rhythm is only vaguely defined and there is no consequent way yet to exactly determine its position in letters. In this article, I point to the less often discussed aspects of the rhythm. To advance research regarding the rhythm, I consequently position the rhythm with the new definition 'The rhythm in type is the sequence of the longest continuous black masses within the letters, in any direction.' This definition defines exactly where the rhythm in letters can be found and allows for more accurate comparisons of different rhythms within different letters, fonts and typefaces. This article provides an overview that summarizes how type designers can influence the shape of the rhythm.
ISSN:0022-2224