Study Task 2 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Typeface Choices

Typeface Choices

Adjectives such as Innocence, Oppression and Intolerance were key words used to choose the typefaces for the book cover.

General thoughts

A bold typeface would be larger and more dominant, allowing visible overbearing over other elements, which would better reflect the intolerance and oppression within the book.
Harper Lee was a tomboy but quite shy (e.g. she didn't like doing interviews) and saw herself as Scout in the novel . With this in mind a typeface that was quite strong but thin would best reflect this idea. A sans serif would be more boisterous in comparison to a serif typeface which could be seen as quite feminine. A thinner typeface will create a sense of fragility which evokes a softer more innocent feel allowing the authors type to also reflect the age of Scout, who the author identifies with. Using the same type of typeface, in this case sans serif ,will make reference to the concept of people. This is supposed to imply that we are all people (sans serif) but within the book groups are seen differently , with whites more dominant and blacks and people like Boo Radley are belittled by society. 

Franklin Gothic

- Grotesque Sans Serif 

- used in advertisements and newspapers

- contrast in stroke weight  

- enlarged x height makes the characters look more open and larger

- traditional double storey g 

- can be used at small and large point sizes because of spacing

- tapering strokes near junctions

- ear on g

Trebuchet MS 

- Humanist Sans Serif

- based on proportions of Roman inscriptional letters

- more legible than other sans serif typefaces - make it better in text 

- similar characteristics and proportions to serif typefaces - calligraphic influence - traditional feel

- M has 10 degree angle - similar but thinner version of M in Univers

Berthold Akzidenz - Grotesk

- Grotesque Sans Serif  

- squared quality 

- thick strokes make it bold even in its regular form - almost equal horizontal and vertical strokes

- single storey g 

- display type

- small x height makes it much squarer looking - blocky 
- Personality - Cool form, clear, legible, practical, neutral

Trebuchet MS is a sans serif typeface but has calligraphic qualities giving it a more human written feel which could provide a good contrast between the other more blocky sans serif typefaces.

Franklin Gothic has a thin but sturdy form when compared with Berthold Akzidenz -  Grotesk making it useful in creating contrast between the solidity of the two typefaces. 

Berthold Akzidenz has a similar feel to typography used in the opening sequence of the film. Its bold structure will be effective in standing out against both black and white backgrounds. As sometimes white text can be lost on a black background.

Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk has a straight leg on the R which is similar to that in Franklin Gothic Book creating consistency across the two typefaces. Both typefaces also share square tittles.

Franklin Gothic Book is effective in smaller point sizes which will make it useful for body text especially for the blurb on the back.