On the typographical design of. periodicals
The prime requirement for the appearance of periodicals is a good type
face. Among those suitable are the good ordinary romans of the present
day. for example Nordische Antiqua, Franziisische Antiqua. Sorbonne, but
also the purely classical faces. for example Garamond, Baskerville, Didot,
Bodoni. as well as good cuttings of ordinary Medieval and Antiqua.
Fraktur. now for long out of date, must be avoided, and also without excep
tion the "artistic" types.
For display faces. for titles. page numbers. etc .. bold or semi-bold sanserif
is recommended. with its clear and plain appearance contrasting strongly
with the text.
Article headings should no longer be centred, but set full out to the left.
This also of course applies to figures like "1" and subtitles within an article.
Asymmetry must never be disturbed by centred titles or forms.•
Page numbers should always (as is normal practice today) be placed on the
outside of the page. The use of sanserif for emphasis is good. The very ugly
use of rules separating columns must be avoided. An em gutter or more is
all that is needed to separate columns clearly.
Just as unattractive are the stars. always in mysterious groups of three, at
the ends of articles. Apart from usually being ugly, they are quite unneces
sary. Just a small space between two articles is enough to separate them;
every kind of decoration. especially one so questionable, is superfluous. If
in special cases for any reason a strong separation is needed between
short pieces of text, a single round six-point spot may be used.
Centred running heads above columns must be avoided: they will not go
with asymmetric article titles. The best way is to place them on the outside
-without any rules beneath!- set in sanserif. If a rule is used, do not use
thick/thin or double rules. Simple fine rules. up to six-point. are the best.
Any intelligent person can only wonder at the impossible effects on block
making which result from the folly of centred typography. In the two exam
ples shown here I have tried to show the difference between the old strait
jacket and a sensible arrangement of blocks. I have intentionally shown
blocks of different and "accidental" widths. since that is what usually has to
be contended with (although in the future. with standard block-sizes. it will
- Absolutely to be avoided are the dra wn titles for articles. to be seen so often today. They are
expensive and neither good-looking nor appropnate. A penod1cal that is type-set requires type
set headings. Although there IS no standard for all headings, an infin1te vanety of typographic
headings can be thought of