META
“I’M OBVIOUSLY A
T YPEOM
meta 1
MANIAC WHICH IS AN INCURABLE IF NOT MORTAL DISEASE. I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT. I JUST LOVE,
I JUST LIKE LOOKING AT TYPE.” -Erik Spiekermann
ORIGINS In 1984, the German State Post Office, the Bundespost, was persuaded by Spiekermann of MetaDesign to commission a new, exclusive font for use on all of the Budespost’s printed material. Although the font was digitized, tested, and approved in the summer of 1985, the project was canceled. The Bundespost returned to using one of its many previous typefaces, Helvetica, assuming that digital type would not catch on. In 1989, after design software made creating new fonts more
efficient, MetaDesign refined the Bundespost typeface for its own exclusive use, renaming it Meta. Initially, Meta was just used for inhouse projects, but soon MetaDesign began to use it in mail order catalogs for FontShop, a digital type foundry, confounded by Erik Spiekermann. FontShop encouraged the parent company to license the face. Released as FF Meta, it has become one of the most successful typefaces available from FonFont, a subsidiary of FontShop.
origins 3
Aa Aa Aa Aa
Meta Bold Roman
Meta Bold Italic
Meta Book Roman
Meta Book Italic
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Bold Roman bold capitals Book Roman book capitals
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog (8 pt Meta Book Roman) The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog (7 pt Meta Book Roman) The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog (6 pt Meta Book Roman)
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog (5 pt Meta Book Roman)
CHARACTERISTICS As for the construction of the letterforms,
junction, and the junction of the M rests on
Meta has capitals with flat apices, similar to
the baseline, like Helvetica, except that Meta
those of Helvetica. It has a wider opening in
stems are oblique. The tail of the Q is wavy
the C, which also has angled finials. Angled
and the leg of the R is slightly curved. The
finials also occur in the top strokes of the E,
junction and base of the W are both flat. The
F, G, and on both ends of the S. The E has an
Z has angled finials on both ends, unlike the
extended base, while the base of the G has
lowercase z, which has an upright finial at
no spur and the J, no loop. The K has one
the top and an angled one at the bottom.
angled final
extended base
characteristics 5
FGSZC many capitals in Meta have angled finals
KQ single junction
curved tail
CHARACTERISTICS Several of Meta lowercase have particular traits that distinguish the face from other sans serifs. The ascenders of the b, k, h, and l are slightly bent at the top, a feature that is carried through the stems of the m, n, p, q, and the spur of the u. The finials of the v, w, and y are slightly angled, unlike the Meta family capital letters.
W
bknp ascender
stem
counter
junction
decender
characteristics 7
Ww unlike the capital W, the lowercase w has angled finals
pvyo vertex
tail
axis
ascender line
x height
baseline
COMPARISON
person perso Meta Book
Helvetica Neue Regular
Other distinguishing features include the
condensed face than Helvetica, and it has
double-storied g that has a highly unusual
only a slightly lower x-height. Both Meta
open bowl. This is a feature shared by the
and Helvetica have thin shoulders. While the
transitional typefaces Baskerville and
dots of Meta letterforms and punctuation
Cheltenham; only a few other sans-serif
are rounded, Helvetica has square dots. The
typefaces, such as Kabel, have this feature.
nuanced construction of the Meta typefaces
The l has a slight curved tail and the y has
sets it apart from Helvetica’s regularized
an offset junction. Overall, Meta is a more
structure, creating the face’s appealing
characteristics 9
nality onality gg g Futura book
Helvetica Neue regular
Meta Book roman
DESIGNER
HE CALLS HIMSELF AN
INFORM ARC Erik Spiekermann is equally comfortable
as a letterpress printer and hot metal
and prolific as a writer, graphic and typeface
typesetter.” In 1988, Spiekermann started
designer, but type is always at the epicenter
FontShop, a digital typeface foundry and
of this communication dynamo. Even as a
distributor of fonts. Spiekermann currently
child, Spiekermann was drawn to the typo-
holds a professorship at the Academy of Arts
graphic arts. “I had a little printing press and
in Bremen, is vice president of the German
taught myself to set type when I was twelve,”
Design council, president of the International
he recalls. “Years later, when I went to
Institute of Information Design, president
university to study art history, I made a living
of the International Society of Typographic
DESIGNER 11
MATION CHITECT Designers and a board member of ATypI. His
sees himself as more of a problem solver than
book, Stop Stealing Sheep, first published in
an artist. His process for beginning a new type-
1993, has sold over 150,000 copies and is cur-
face is simple and straightforward. “Identify
rently in its second edition. He withdrew from
a problem–like space saving, bad paper, low
the management of MetaDesign in 2000 to
resolution, on-screen use–then find typefaces
work on a new project: The United Designers
that almost work but could be improved,” he
Network, a collaboration of many designers
explains. “Study them. Note the approaches
he has worked with over the years. When it
and failings. Sleep on it, then start sketching
comes to the design of typefaces, Spiekermann
without looking at anything else.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES
Sweet, Fay. MetaDesign: Design from the Word
1 Fonts.com, Available at http://www.fonts.
up. New York: Watson-Guptil Publications,
com/AboutFonts/DesignerProfiles/ErikSpieker-
1999. (A&A: VNC999.6.G4 M48 1999 and Vault)
mann.htm Accessed November 1, 2005
Spiekermann, Erik and Ginger, E.M. Stop Steal-
2 Leland M. Hill. Revival of the Fittest: Digital
ing Sheep & Find out how Type Works. USA:
Versions of Classic Typefaces (New York: RC
Hayden, 1993. (Vault)
Publications), 142-143.
Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic
3 Ibid., 143, 144.
Typefaces/essays by Carolyn Annand ... [et al.];
4 Ibid., 145.
edited by Philip B. Meggs and Roy McKelvey, New York: RC Publications, c2000. (A&A: Z250 .R45 2000)
Book Designed by Emily Duncan for Typography I, Spring 2015 Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts Washington University in St. Louis Text set in Meta Bold and Meta Book with appearances of Helvetica Neue and Gill Sans
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