Alphabet of Typography

Erica Gamet

Recently I’ve been trying to up my typography game—mostly to impress my type-loving friends. Being late to this game I often feel overwhelmed, so lately I’ve been trying to learn in quick visual snippets. Knowing my love of infographics, one kind-hearted typophile recently sent me a link to Pop Chart Lab’s “Alphabet of Typography” poster, which fits perfectly into my new streamlined approach. Its simple representation of the alphabet actually contains a wellspring information for the newbie or veteran of type, including myriad parts of letterforms from shoulders and ears, to beaks and brackets. Printing terms aren’t neglected either, with color bars, CMYK represented by corresponding color chips, and crop, bleed, and trim lines.

There are oodles of information on the 18 x 24-inch poster, without going overboard. The graphic defines aspects as minute as individual letterform parts, broadening out to relationships between letters (spacing and kerning), to encompassing overall line concepts (baseline, alignment, and column width and height). Somehow the “Alphabet of Typography” poster manages to also illustrate both upper- and lower-case characters together, without feeling too in-your-face. Printed on 100 lb. archival stock, the poster alone sells for $29 and is signed and numbered by the artists. Showcasing the poster as work of art is easy, with the option of adding a frame, panel, or hanging rails.