092411 Eff Forces on Surface

8/4/2019 092411 Eff Forces on Surface

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Chris H. VermaasIn this paper, based on thorough design experience andlectures given in various typography courses, Vermaas pre-sents the principles in action for the layout of typographyand other visual material.

Lay/Out: Forces on a Surface


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Introduction

The French type designer Roger Excoffon said 'type isread before it is seen.' On the other hand, layout is seenbefore it is read. Layout starts when you bring one element

onto a surface; it is that simple. From that moment on,there are many possibilities, and many decisions. More ele-ments and fewer restrictions add to the possible choices,and to the difculties too. Ultimately, you must deal with

what we would like to achieve with the layout. But how doyou choose the best solution from several? Which layout

will be the answer to the question?

In printed matter, the basic elements are paper and ink.From the ink rises text - titles, headings, footnotes allplaced in such a way as to be recognised by our audience.

There is image too; if you explore, the image will tell youhow it would like to be used. And there is surface, veryoften paper of a given size. You have to bring these piecestogether in the best way.

Layout is about the elements you handle, their combina-tion, and their relationship to the surface used; it is alsoabout elements that are not used. It is about decisionsbased on knowledge, skill, and taste. To say when layoutbegins is simple. To put some words about layout onto pa-per that make sense of the subject is not simple. Describ-ing a layout as a composition is too simple. You can discuss

the subject with more variety.

Layout involves handling these elements, the possibilitiesof their combination, and the possibilities of their arrange-ment on a surface. There are forces which break down thecomplexity of composition into easier parts. These forceshave a mutual relationship or overlap since you can look atthe composition from many points of view. To understandthe visual forces active (or inactive) on a surface, you lookhow they interact.

This understanding helps you to see the choices and tomake decisions. You can use the forces to build up a lay-out, but you can also use them to analyze a composition,that whole of which everything is a part. Following is aguide meant to reduce the struggle of nding the layout

that is the answer to the question.

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Counterform

When you put an element onto a surface, you pro-duce contrasts. By producing contrasts, form andcounterform arise together. Their denitions are

interchangeable since they exist because of eachother; what they produce together is the informa-tion. The information is the shape of the edge, thatedge of contrast; it happens because of a differencebetween light and darkness, a difference in reect-ing or absorbing light.

For example, with black type on white paper, yourecognise absorbed light and consume what you

don't see. So often you dont realize the oppositeform that you really do see. In printed matter, it isalso too simple to dene everything but recogniz-able shapes as counterform.

The information is the (edge of) contrast. A solid mass doesnt inform.

Often, the shapes we recognize are black and absorb light.

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On the printed surface, I like to split counterform up intothree types. There are forms around the small - mostlytypographic - details. I call these forms counterdetail;

because of their small size, the edge of information isfragile. It has to produce enough contrast to bring themessage from the printed surface to your retina. Whenyou enlarge the counterdetail too much in relation to thedetails themselves, it will mingle with another type ofcounterform: the counterpart.

This is the form that connects and brings the parts to-gether. It claries that parts are aligned or shifted, sepa-rate or belonging to each other. It tells the sequence oftypography and image and helps you to nd your way on

the surface. it helps your audience recognize the place-ment of certain elements.

counterform:

1 counterdetail (detailform)

2 counterpart (constructionform)3 counterlayout (compositionform)

The constructionformstell us how to read

the four lines.

1. The counterdetails.

2. The counterparts.

3. The lines surrounded by the compositionform


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When you enlarge the counterpart, it connects to the thirdand last type of counterform in the layout, the counter-

layout. It is this form which produces what you want toexpress with your composition - harmony, beauty, or bal-ance, etc. This form isn't present in a 'horror vacu' solu-tion. In general, counterforms are forms around forms.because of that, you need an eye for them. The recog-nized and its opposite together form the composition.

A vacuum

An example of horror vacui

What is the form and what is the counterform?

The counterlayout

The layout

Form in form in form A composition with a cross by four squarecomposition form

A composition with two layers; two layers

of conterlayout.

Two images make three types of sur-

faces that produce three counter-lay-outs; and together they make one im-age that produces two counterforms.

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Transmission

It is because of this force that you need a surface for your message. Light makes visible the contrasts produced bythe edges of forms. Their message is brought from the surface, through the air, to your retina.

This transmission is not an endless force. Beyond a certain point the forms become too vague to be recignized byyour eyes, and even further away, they vanish completely.

Given forms of the same size but different boldness will cause a different effect over the same distance.One will vanish, one will lose its shape, and one will still be recognisable over that same distance.

Printed objects like books require a certain distance to belegible, and are often restricted to a certain size. Subjectsto be seen from the other side of the street or furtheraway need a larger size. The surface is helpful in bridgingthe required distance, but the transmission is produced bythe printing on it.

Higher contrasts, larger and simpler forms, and especiallythe combination of these on a given surface will throw

the message over a greater distance. If you enlarge orreduce the size of the printing, you enlarge or reduce thetransmission by the same proportion. And because ofthe transmission, you print on matter.

The size and maximum transmissiondistance of the given element with a givencontrast always have the same proportion.

The size of the printing, not the size of theused surface, produces the distance of themaximum transmission.

Changing the size of the same element is changing

the maximum distance; and, reducing the contrast isreducing the maximum transmission distance.

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Gesture

When you look at a composition, you get an impression. Such a gesture in printed matter has to be simple and clear.A person has to get the gesture in one general view, quick survey, or maybe one saccad (that eye xation of one quar-ter of a second). This gesture expresses a statement, a simple graphic solution to the composition which is recognized

by your audience; it is not always necessary to please them with it. If your gesture is strong, your layout can attractattention and survive in this crowded and noisy world.

A composition lled with text.

Motion

The layout of printed matter can give impressions.It can also produce the idea of motion. This isabstract; the knowlegde is borrowed from every-day life. An element itself can suggest motion. Itsposition on the surface can fortify it or expressmotion as well.

To understand this, compare the surface to a window ora screen; when you look at these, you can see an object

move within them.

When looking through a camera, you can move the win-dowas well, even while the objects you see are also inmotion.

A composi tion with large grey type. A composit ion which is empty

except for a small image in the

A composition with a cross of images

and text.

An objectwith motion

toward theright.

An objectwith mo-

tion towardthe left.

A motion on asurface towardthe left.

Motionless on asurface.

Down on a surface.

Up on a surface.

Elements falling down.

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Reading in the opposite direction (Arab, for example), theviewer perceives up, up-and-out, and down.

On the printed surface, the direction of reading and thegeneral direction of consuming printed matter inuence

the perception of motion. Because of this, all objects ap-pear and disappear, go up and out, come in and down.

Dynamic solutions, such as diagonals, curves, raggedcolumns and asymmetry, are what make the compositionrestless. Printed matter never moves by itself.

The text is the object; he surface is the window.

Because of their placement on a surface, elements start to move; the direction of reading denes the viewers perception of direction.

Up Up and out.

Coming down. Falling down.

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Rhythm

You look at images. You read text. You feel rhythm. Thisis also an active force on a surface and in printed matter.

It starts with more than two of the same elements placedin an ordered alternation. This repetition of related ele-ments produces a rhythm or a pattern, and many thingsare possible.

Five types of rhythm build up with the same element;one uses another element..

They can give order, regularity, arrangement, or struc-ture to the composition. Rhythm guides the eyes of the

viewer. With different types of rhythms, you can separateseveral types of information because you feel the rhythmand see the change. If you would like to make a changefrom what has been established, it can be interesting tokeep in touch with the original rhythm, to feel the base

where you came from. Even an interruption like a word-space or linespace tells us something and gets attention.

Rhythm in and around type characters.

A motion by perspective.

Motion by a diagonal.

Motion by curves and depth.

A motion by a curve of two opposite forms.

A motion because of a rough rag.

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Some disturbed rhythms which could be typography.


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Different rhythms for several pieces of typography.

Rhythm is a game of building up and breaking down atthe same time; it is meant to keep your audience awake.Become aware of the possibilities of rhythm on a surface.

Rhythm is a force you can explore.

Is a rhythm with other elements still considered the same rhythm?

On the dark side of rhythm, you must be careful. Astrong, very regular rhythm can begin to tremble up onyour eyes. Also, forcing images into the same shapes re-peatedly is often painful for their messages. Rhythm canbe a positive force on legibility, but you must be carefulnot to overwhelm the image or the message.

A horizontal rhythm that locks

two pages to a spread.

Rhythm three times: of the

line, of the column, and ofthe spread

A rhythm for the text and

a rhythm for the images.Two rhythm changes: one is usedto separate the introduction from

the text; another to separate theimages. .

The rhythm for the typographydoes not need to be used forthe images.

Twice, a rhythm disturbed

A rhythm and its interr uption explain something.

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Depth

Another phenomenon of everyday life that will not hap-pen literally on a printed surface is depth. Its shadow,however, can be made visibe through the use of perspec-

tive, or in representation with images (photos, for exam-ple). You know depth from your everyday life; you perceiveit in printed matter.

From your daily life, you have other awarenesses aboutdepth: you perception of background and foreground tellsyou that shadow, sky blue, and interrupted shapes have tobe background. On the other hand, forms that produce ashadow or interrupt other forms have to be foreground.Dimmed greys and vaguer colors, if used on a whitesurface, are background when compared with darker orbrightly colored forms. Elements which match their sur-face produce less depth compared to elements which havea higher contrast with the surface.

A photo, if framed, acts like a window which makes theimage exist beyond the surface. The photo as a cut-outseems to lie on the surface but can gain volume whenshading is added to it.

The shade is the

background.

By moving things over or under each other, you developlayering. On a newly introduced layer, you can arrange acomposition that harmonizes with, or counteracts the rst

one. With layering, you can produce economic solutionsfor the combinations of elements, but it is important howthe forms are connected to each other.

When the interesting edges of the information are com-bined together, they will interfere with one another anddiminish not only the sense of space, but also the informa-

tion itself. When layering, every level of the layout can bejudged by the forces. Depth is tricky, but it is a nice toolbecause it does not exist literally upon the surface.When layering the parts, let the interesting edges be visible.

An interruptedform is thebackground.

The elements in high contrastto the surface stand out morethan dimmed greys which

match it.

Framed photos act like win-dows; the image is beyondthe surface.

An economic solution to enlarge an image, if possible.

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A structure is not the same as a grid. A grid often pre-vents bad solutions, but more often, it prevents bettersolutions. A good structure is evoked by the given parts,serves them, and serves both the producer and the userof the layout as well.

Construction

When it is clear which structure you will use for the givenparts, and you have considered other questions concern-ing the given surface, you can start making the layout.Construction is connecting the parts or elements. With-in the dened structure, there are many ways to construct

the various parts. Often the elements or parts themselvessuggest the best solution for their connection.

A structure for the layoutby using the gutter.

Structure

Structure is an important force that holds parts together- not only in printed matter. Structure is not the parts, but

what connects them. It consists of simple lines on a surface.

These invisible lines explain how the parts are arranged, andthe route for how the composition can be used or consumed

A structure for the layoutby a cross of the text and

images.

Two structures for layout bya cross.

Two structures for layout bya cross.

A structure for the layout by

the ushes.

A structure for the layoutby a circle for the images, across for the captions, and

three ushes for the text.

A structure for the layout bya triangle for the text anda triangle for the images.

A structure for the layoutwith the picture as the axis;other elements take off

from it.

A structure is not the sameas a grid.

A construction of images by using the horizon.

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A construction of images by using the perspective in them.

1. over 2. in 3. through 4. aligned, 5. close

Three ways to connect two pages to the spread.

Construction of images and of images and their captions by a cross, a horizontal, and a vertical solution.

A construction of elements by placing them:

6. in between 7. rhythmically 8. bleeding, and with 9. a counterform.

A column is not a grey eld: it is built up of lines. A

framed photo is not only a rectangle, for it containsother graphic structures as well. There are many pos-

sibilities for bringing images and typography together;their combinations must express the other forces on thesurface. The construction is the area where at least twosubjects meet each other. It is an important, striking mo-ment in your layout. Explore that moment.

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You will never know where in the layout xations will be

made. It is possible to construct details as independent,single objects. But realize that fragments of columns andimages are details too. When the viewer develops an im-pression based upon that rst survey, he also takes into

account these fragments, overlapping bits, and isolateddetails.

Because your eld of vision is the same, large can be small.

Detail

Your position can make large things look small, andmake small things seem large. This can happen in lay-out as well. The size of the object combined with yourdistance from it can permit you to see the whole or

only parts of it; another factor is your eld of vision,which is dened by your own concentration. An eye

xation with a higher concentration narrows down

your vision, so you consume mostlydetails.

A drop letter. A part of a heading.

An isolated detail.A caption. Another saccad

A page number. A fragment of typography.

Many eye xations consume a layout.

A caption.

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Light, measure, and dimension.

Summation

Bringing together the forces onto a surface is hard. Theyact together or counteract one another, have a mutual re-lationship or are not present at all. And I cannot address

all of them completely. I worked with the forces withoutdening them. In order to explain my approach to com-position to my students, I had to describe and name theseforces. My students were helpful, and my approach washelpful for them.

I still compose with the forces. But to me it is more impor-tant to understand them than to describe them and givethem names such as counterform, transmission, gesture,motion, rhythm, depth, structure, construction, and detail.Composing is also about light, measure, and dimension; itis about darkness, proportion, and space.

In all of this there is a form which produces thoughtswhich will be drawn and set in words and printed on mat-ter; there will be text. Like this text about the forces.

Darkness, proportion, and space.

The forces on a surface.

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Chris Vermaas (text and drawings)Lay/Out: Forces on a SurfaceSpirals 91 Book Four

RISD Graphic Design DepartmentProvidence USA

2011 edition designed by Romklao Chai-arirasUtrecht, the Netherlands

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092411 Eff Forces on Surface