Russo Loco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tank Smith Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In the olden days of Linotype machines and
> molten
> > leaded type, a typeface (i.e. a font) was
> designed
> > by the ar-teest with specific glyph (letter)
> spacings;
> > a lot of the leaded type terminology has been
> car-
> > ried over to modern electronic typography.
> Some
> > glyph pairs are moved closer together for
>
ascetics
> > æsthetics, readability, etc., like pairs
> beginning with
> > with ‘V’; this is called negative
> kerning. Early com-
> > puter typesetting could not do kerning at all,
> so a
> > ‘V a’ {or L V} pair always looked
> odd.
> >
> > OTOH, positive kerning increases letter
> spacing.
> > What you aptly demonstrated is that the
> D & R G
> > lettering artists applied positive kerning to
> the big
> > tender numerals.
>
>
> Close, Tank -
>
> But not exactly. Ever since studying
> typography as part of my WebMaster Certificate
> studies at UCSB more than two decades ago I've
> used 'letterspacing' to describe "spreading out" a
> long string of characters (letters, numbers, etc.
> — aka glyphs) and used 'kerning' to describe
> the adjusting of space between specific pairs of
> characters, whether previously letterspaced or
> not. Thus I would describe the big tender
> numerals in the old D&RG photos as having been
> 'letterspaced' but not necessarily 'kerned'.
> Here are a couple of examples from the leading
> text in this field from the 1990s – Robert
> Bringhurst's
Elements of Typographic Style
> – which summarized several centuries of
> typographic tradition that undoubtedly influenced
> the engineers designing D&RG's "style" during the
> highly style-conscious Post-Edwardian era
:
>
> § 2.1.6
"Letterspace
> all strings of capitals and small caps, and all
> long strings of digits."
> [attachment 76003 Bringhurst-31+34.jpg]
>
> The fonts marketed by the major distributors
> – such as the one I'm using here to read and
> write to the NGDF – generally include
> kerning tables, so that combinations like VA, AT,
> LT and even OT and TO are automatically kerned
> when displayed. This seems to NOT be the
> case with the Railroad Roman font created by Benn
> Coifman that was apparently used by the DURANGO &
> SIL VERTON as a basis for the lettering
> currently applied to the tenders of #473, 480 and
> #493 and by the C&TS for the large numbers applied
> to the tenders of locomotives #168 and #425 (in
> spite of the fact that these glyphs –
> although close – are not precise matches of
> the original numerals).*
>
> Bearing in mind Bringhurst's admonition,
>
"Numbers are often omitted from kerning tables,
> but numbers frequently kerning more than anything
> else. The digit one
is usually thinner in
> form than the other numbers, but it is often
> assigned the same set-width so columns of figures
> will align. Many fonts include an
> alternative version of the digit one
(the
> so-called 'fitted one') with a narrower set-width
> intended for use in text. Other combinations of
> digits often need more subtle adjustment, and all
> digits need careful kerning in relation to the en
> dash." Here's my best effort at
> duplicating #168's numbering using Coifman's
> original Railroad Roman font (which is neither
> "letterspaced" nor "kerned")
:
> [attachment 75999 168-1905-RR.jpg]
>
>
. . . and a second effort using his later
> release of Railroad Roman For Documents (which is
> letterspaced but apparently has no associated
> kerning table)
:
> [attachment 76000 168-1905-RR-docs.jpg]
>
> Finally, just for giggles, I violated one of
> Bringhurst's commandments – § 2.1.9
>
"Don't alter the widths or shapes of letters
> . . . " – by squishing Benn
> Coifman's Railroad Roman typeface to about 80% of
> its normal width to fit the D&RG's specs for block
> lettering as posted by Jerry Day a few weeks ago
> (24" tall × 18" wide with 7" between
> numerals).
> [attachment 76001 168-1915-RR.jpg]
>
> While none of the above match the old numbering
> exactly,* IMHO either of the first two
> letterspaced and kerned examples on the right
> above would be a BIG improvement over the
> non-historic numbering presently diminishing an
> otherwise beautiful restoration.
>
>
- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y
> Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y
> Verdes,
> aka Der Grossväterlich
> DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHaben
> der
>
> * Coifman's Railroad Roman replicates the
> high contrast (big difference between the thick
> and thin parts) of the old style, but note the
> nearly circular lower "bowl" of the six in the old
> photo of #168's tender as opposed the the oval
> shape of the same opening in the recent photo
> posted previously, and re-posted here for your
> convenience
:
> [attachment 76002 168-Salida+Big-Horn-grid.jpg]
HUH? As C. Mudgeon said, "I know what's in ever library in the world=words".
High Commander
