2021

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As Centaur was a typeface initially created during the Renaissance, I felt as if it would be appropriate to reference multiple historical elements in the design of my specimen. I included roman numerals for page numbers as many Humanist and Renaissance art pieces were inspired by the values of Antiquity. The portrait format of the book mimics a news pamphlet of the era, and this format and long columns lend itself well to reading large amounts of text (a common use of Centaur) easily.

 

Drop caps on columns of text reference the Gutenburg Bible printed in Centaur, and to the countless other novels printed in the Centaur typeface. The bookbinding technique utilised is one of multiple visual devices used to create an old-world atmosphere. Conversely, the choice to leave the spine exposed speaks to the contemporary trope of deconstruction, as if the typeface is being laid bare and its secrets revealed in this book. Along with this, I believe this detail speaks to a melding of traditional forms of publication with contemporary notions of minimalism and deconstruction seen in this booklet.

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