Yale (typeface)

Yale
Category Serif
Classification Old style serif
Designer(s) Matthew Carter
Commissioned by Yale University
Foundry Carter & Cone
Date released 2004

Yale is an old style serif typeface designed by Matthew Carter and first released in 2004. It was commissioned by Yale University for use in all of its signage, promotional and internal material.

In 2010, Yale was named one of the "Ten Typefaces of the Decade" by Print magazine.[1]

Design

Carter, who has been a senior critic at the Yale School of Art since 1976,[2] was asked to design a universal typeface for Yale University by John Gambell, the University Printer[3] Yale was first designed for signage on all Yale University buildings. Carter's first priority was therefore readability, as well as a balance between dignity and uniqueness.[4] Carter has said that this was the first time in designing a typeface that he focused more on capital than lowercase letters, since he knew that on the building signs the lettering would be in capitals.[3] Carter describes:

The signs, whether free-standing or attached to walls, reminded me of inscriptions, and this led me to think about the inscriptional origins of Roman caps and the everlasting problem of reconciling capitals with lowercase. For me, the moment when the first true synthesis occurred was in the type of De Aetna. This led me in turn to the Beinecke Library to pore over their copy of the book and its type—the archetype of Roman type for me.[3]

The late 15th century De Aetna typeface, cut by Francesco Griffo for Aldus Manutius, served as a basis for Yale, with elements of one of Carter's earlier typefaces, Galliard.[5] Some of Yale's unique characteristics are its curved leg of the "h", its flat-topped "A", its open apertures of the "c" and "e", and the bent tops of its lowercase ascenders.[6]

Variants

Although originally developed for use in signage, several variants have been added to the Yale family for use in print and on the web:[5]

Usage

Yale is the primary typeface used in all of the university's signs and promotional materials. The Yale Daily News notes that "Even leaving aside the signs and brochures, the typeface is everywhere: from business cards to displays at the Yale University Art Gallery, from cocktail napkins to Economics problem sets."[4] In 2007 the Yale logo was redesigned with the new Yale typeface. Yale University Press began using the new Yale logo in 2009, replacing the distinctive, modern, circular logo designed by Paul Rand and first used in 1985.[9]

In 2008, the Yale typeface became available for free download to all Yale employees and students.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Shaw, Paul (August 3, 2010). "Ten Typefaces of the Decade". Print. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Matthew Carter, Type Designer". Yale School of Art. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Shaw, Paul (March 2, 2011). "An Interview With Matthew Carter". Print. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Needham, Paul (April 15, 2008). "What’s in a (Yale) Typeface?". Yale Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Introducing the Yale Typeface: The History". Yale University. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  6. ↑ Reibstein, Reed (April 15, 2008). "What's in a (Yale) Typeface?". Typophile. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Introducing the Yale Typeface: The Typeface". Yale University. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Introducing the Yale Typeface: The Typeface – Features of Yale Design Roman". Yale University. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  9. ↑ Henderson, Drew (September 30, 2009). "Yale Press drops distinctive logo". Yale Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Introducing the Yale Typeface: Font Download". Yale University. Retrieved January 25, 2013.

External links