But let's look at some more magical, artistic, cute, and clever ways of describing typography. While these typography quotations don't necessarily need further explanation, I've provided some commentary and my own thoughts following each one.
These are a few typography quotations found in much longer lists compiled at various Web sites. This select group focuses on the definition of typography.
Typography is Not a Font
"Typography is two-dimensional architecture, based on experience and imagination, and guided by rules and readability. And this is the purpose of typography: The arrangement of design elements within a given structure should allow the reader to easily focus on the message, without slowing down the speed of his reading." Hermann ZapfThe first sentence is widely quoted as a description of what typography is but the additional sentence in this Zapf quotation relates the purpose and how our choice of typefaces and how we place it on the page enhance the text that contains the message.
"Typography has one plain duty before it and that is to convey information in writing." Emil RuderWhat, to me, Ruder is saying is that perhaps we get just a little too wrapped up in finding the perfect font when we need to remember that it's the message, the information that is the most important part of the billboard, brochure, magazine, or Web page.
"As the saying goes, type is a beautiful group of letters, not a group of beautiful letters." Matthew CarterAgain, it's not about choosing a really cool font (although you can do that). Typography is more about how you arrange your fonts.
"Wouldn't it be interesting if there were only one typeface in the world? Designers would really have to think about the idea behind their designs instead of covering ir up with fancy typefaces. One, universal typeface would really strip away all the flashy emptiness in design. And, of course, that one typeface would have to be Helvetica." Erik KesselsThis goes well with Carter's statement about beautiful letters. If there were only one typeface (perish the thought!) how much more attention would be paid to how we arrange our words and spaces? Try designing with a single typeface.
"Typography is a hidden tool of manipulation within society." Neville BrodyExtracted from a longer statement in which Brody describes our typographic choices as a means of setting the mood for the text, the message. Consider how your choice of typeface and its arrangement combine to create a sense of playfulness, formality, urgency, or familiarity. Manipulating the typography is manipulating the reader. It's a hidden tool because, when done right, the average reader doesn't consciously notice the typeface or text composition.
"Most people think typography is about fonts. Most designers think typography is about fonts. Typography is more than that, it’s expressing language through type. Placement, composition, typechoice." Mark BoultonBoulton reinforces for us that typography isn't just about Times vs. Georgia or serif vs. sans serif. Choosing a font is only part of typography, just as choosing a paint color is only a part of decorating the living room. The font (or the paint color) are what some designers fret over the most, but just as important is how that font (or paint} is applied. How it juxtaposes with other elements on the page (furniture in the room). The space that is devoid of fonts (or paint) can make or break the design.
The phrase "expressing language through type" is also a fitting segue into our next section of typography quotations that deal with the sound, yes the sound of typography.
Typography Is Not Silent
"Typography is what language looks like." Ellen LuptonThis is one of my favorite typography quotations. If people's words appeared in speech bubbles above their heads, what fonts would they use? Would you speak Helvetica or -- ack! -- Comic Sans?
"Typographical design should perform optically what the speaker creates through voice and gesture of his thoughts."El LizzitskySimilar to Lupton's quotation, Lizzitsky is telling us that typography is the written form of what we are thinking or saying inside our heads. Are we speaking distinctly with perfect punctuation or are we throwing out words in rapid fire punctuated with pumping fists and facial grimaces?
"Typography at its best is a visual form of language linking timelessness and time."Robert BringhurstAgain, we have the connection between our typographic choices -- what we see -- and language -- what we hear. And there's the time element too. Like fashion, certain types of typography and typefaces go in and out of style while others are classic, timeless. Often books, newspapers, or advertisements visually tell us when they were created without even reading the words or noting the date because of the typographic style of the times in which they were designed.
"Typography needs to be audible. Typography needs to be felt. Typography needs to be experienced."Helmut SchmidTry substituting "the message" for "typography" in this quotation from Schmid. If you can hear, feel, and experience the message in the documents you create, chances are you got the typography right.
Sources:
As I don't have ready access to the original source materials for most of these typography quotations, I've tried to find multiple secondary sources. Most of the quotations used here are not disputed. Unlike the Frederic W. Goudy quotation about letterspacing and stealing sheep. This Typophile discussion thread on Famous Quotes From Type Designers shows how many versions are out there of the Goudy quotation and some commenters attempt to explain why.
Resources and more typography quotations:
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