Chapter 5 Summary - Stephanie Tatoiu

Chapter 5 Summary: The Typography Grid

The grid comes from a very early form of writing, from tablets that were made by the Mesopotamians and the Hieroglyphics on papyrus. The particular process of printing from Europe led to the structures in conventions and typographic principles that we use today. The development that is used for the modern grid can’t be said to be created by one effort. It was a multiple effort accomplishment, and there are multiple ways of utilizing it. Grids carry information so much that we aren't aware that they are there. Space is the common factor for all communication in typography. The elements that are put into space will make subliminal divisions and the divisions will create a type of spatial structure. When the elements are changed in size, weight, and position, they create new structures.

Divided space can be seen through the use of a proportional relationship. A grid ratio, which is a mathematical relationship between two grid measurements, will control the size and placement of the typographic elements being used. An example of an important proportional model is the Fibonacci sequence. There is also the square, which is a very natural division of the golden section. More than any other system, the square has influenced the development of the modern grid the most. The text that looks simple and has a clean, linear narrative tends to look the best when it is a single block. It is important to remember that the text block and the margins of a page work as one proportional system. An elemental grid is based on a “Cartesian” system.  Also, the width of text columns and the space between the two should help with legibility when it needs to. When there are multiple columns in a grid, it is important to balance type size, length, and leading. Modular grids can be used to show more complicated information with a better degree of accuracy and clarity. Lastly, as a general rule, the more complex the grid structure, the more flexible will be the organization of the text.

When working with a structure, one must consider asymmetrical composition, positive and negative space, and the role of contract in typographic elements.