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History of Graphic Design > Midterm Exam > Flashcards

Midterm Exam Flashcards

1
Q

Utilitarian

A

To be used for a function or purpose; for utility, as opposed to decorative.

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2
Q

Cuneiform

A

The earliest form of written language. Wedge-shaped writing developed by the Sumerians of the Ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, currently Iraq) around 3000 BCE.

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3
Q

Rebus writing

A

Pictures representing words/syllables with the same or similar sound as the object represented. Eg. Bee leaf = believe.

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4
Q

Hieroglyphics

A

A picture writing system developed by the Ancient Egyptians. Greek “hiero” = sacred, “glyph” = carving.

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5
Q

Recto

A

The upper horizontal fibers of papyrus; the “front” of the page.

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6
Q

Verso

A

The bottom vertical fibers of the papyrus; the “back” of the page.

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7
Q

Alphabet

A

A group of symbols that represent the elementary sounds of a spoken language. The word is derived from the Greek two letters Alpha and Beta.

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8
Q

Calligraphy

A

Ink writing using a wide flat pen. Comes from the Greek meaning “beauty writing”.

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9
Q

Serif

A

Small lines extending from the end of major strokes of a letterform.

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10
Q

Baseline

A

The line which letters in a common word sit upon.

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11
Q

Legibility

A

The clearness, clarity (readability) of written words.

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12
Q

Capitals

A

Large, open square style of letter written for clarity and legibility (Latin: Capitalis Quadrata)

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13
Q

Stylus

A

Writing tool used to mark into a surface

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14
Q

Parchment

A

Writing surface made from the skins of domestic animals, calves, sheep, etc.

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15
Q

Vellum

A

The finest parchment, made of the smooth skins of newborn calves.

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16
Q

Codex

A

Book form developed by the Greeks around the time of Jesus of Nazareth.

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17
Q

Colophon

A

A publisher’s emblem at the opening page of a book, listing the name of the printer, publisher, date, etc.

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18
Q

Movable type

A

Block letterforms that can be arranged and rearranged for printing.

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19
Q

Illuminated manuscript

A

A hand-written, hand-painted book decorated with gold leaf.

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20
Q

Medieval

A

The 1,000 year period between the decline of Rome and the early Renaissance. Also known as the “Middle Ages” or the “Dark Ages”.

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21
Q

Ascender

A

Letter strokes that rise above the top guideline.

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22
Q

Descender

A

Letter strokes that drop below the baseline.

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23
Q

Celtic

A

A people residing on the islands of northwest Europe during the Roman-era. Celtic design is abstract and extremely complex, with geometric linear patterns that weave, twist, and fill a space with thick visual textures.

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24
Q

Ornamentation

A

Visual embellishment; decorations that often appear in the margins of a text.

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25
Q

Arabesque

A

A fluid, spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif; inspired by the designs and writing of the Muslim world.

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26
Q

Typography

A

A term for printing with independent, movable, and reusable bits of metal or wood type (each piece having a raised letterform on the face).

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27
Q

Watermark

A

A translucent emblem produced by pressure from a raised design on the paper making mold and visible when the sheet of paper is held to light.

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28
Q

Motif

A

Recurring subject or theme, idea or design element.

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29
Q

Johann Gutenberg

A

Inventor of the first printing press. He was a goldsmith, developing the metalworking and engraving skills for making type.

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30
Q

Press

A

Based on the design of a wine press; a large screw lowers a plate and ink is pressed from the type onto the paper surface with enough force to make an impression.

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31
Q

Margin

A

Space between paragraphs on a page.

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32
Q

Engraving

A

Printing made from an incised (cut) plate.

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33
Q

Incunabula

A

A Latin word meaning “cradle” or baby linen. This name is given to books that were printed from the Gutenberg’s invention of typography until the end of the fifteenth century.

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34
Q

Ephemera

A

Transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalog use, greeting cards, letters, pamphlets, postcards, tickets.

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35
Q

Caption

A

Text under an illustration or picture, to explain or draw attention to.

36
Q

Martin Luther

A

A political/religious reformer who broke with the Catholic Church; he nailed his “95 theses” to the door of a cathedral to protest church corruption.

37
Q

The Reformation

A

The religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century, led to the creation of the Protestant church.

38
Q

Propaganda

A

Communication used to influence and sway the position or beliefs of someone; propaganda is spread to either help or harm a person or a cause.

39
Q

The Renaissance

A

Means the “rebirth”. Originally referring to the period that began in the 14th and 15th century in Italy (Florence was the epicenter for art, Venice for graphic design).

40
Q

Letterspacing

A

Space between letterforms.

41
Q

Alignment

A

The way in which parts of a letterform are synchronized with other letters in a typeface.

42
Q

Trademark

A

A symbol to identify a person’s trade as a specialty.

43
Q

Fleurons

A

Cast metal pieces with decorative floral designs.

44
Q

Headings

A

Large type signifying a new chapter or separate verse.

45
Q

Italic

A

A slanted typeface based on Italian script writing style.

46
Q

Swashes

A

Decorative extended ascender or descender; a calligraphic flourish: Q

47
Q

Headpieces and tailpieces

A

Decorative flourishes (composed of fleuron elements) beginning or ending a text piece to create visual bracketing.

48
Q

Romain du Roi

A

A typeface commissioned by Louis the XIV for the French government. Based on a grid of 2,304 squares, each letter had increased contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp horizontal serifs, and an even balance to each letter form.

49
Q

Typefounder

A

A craftsman who specializes in casting metal type.

50
Q

Foundry

A

A metalsmithing shop where metal shapes are cast (formed and reproduced).

51
Q

Point size

A

Small unit of measuring the height of a type font. Six points equal one “line”. 12 lines = “pouce”, roughly one inch. Currently, 72 points = 1 inch.

52
Q

Type family

A

A group of type font variations with different heights and widths: they tend to be visually compatible and be easily mixed.

53
Q

Outline type

A

A font that only prints the outer contour of a letter and leaves the center of the letterforms open.

54
Q

Letterheads

A

A customized type arrangement that announces the author of a letter.

55
Q

Information graphics

A

Diagrams which visually represent complex statistical data (introduced by Scottish author and scientist William Playfair).

56
Q

Line graph

A

A chart that shows growth across time via a line moving across a grid.

57
Q

Bar chart

A

A chart with rectangular bars that show comparative growth.

58
Q

Pie chart

A

A circular chart divided into sections, showing proportions within a whole.

59
Q

x-height

A

Refers to the distance between the baseline and the mean line in a typeface (the height of the main shapes of lowercase letters).

60
Q

William Blake

A

Visionary English poet and artist (1757-1827) who self-published his books of poetry.

61
Q

Industrial Revolution

A

The mid-1700’s to the mid-1800’s; a time period when interchangeable parts led to a boom in manufacturing.

62
Q

Egyptian type

A

Name given to “slab serif” fonts (Robert Thorne, 1821)

63
Q

Bracketing

A

The curved transition from the main strokes of a letterform to its serifs.

64
Q

Perspective type

A

A three-dimensional font (often using a back shadow to create a sense of depth).

65
Q

Reverse type

A

Font where the background of the letterform is the printing area: leaves the appearance of white-on-black letters.

66
Q

Expanded type

A

Font where the shape of letters is stretched wide.

67
Q

Condensed type

A

A font where the shape of the letter is made narrow.

68
Q

Sans serif type

A

A typeface without a serif. Essentially Egyptian type with the serif removed; first developed by William Caslon IV.

69
Q

Linotype machine

A

Developed by Ottoman Mergenthaler in 1886: keys dropped “female” matrices into line to form words; melted lead is then poured in to make a solid line of type.

70
Q

Louis Jacques Daguerre

A

Frenchman who perfected a photographic imaging process in 1839.

71
Q

Daguerreotype

A

An image made using a light-sensitive silver-plated sheet.

72
Q

Edweard Muybridge

A

Photographer whose experiments with captured motion images led to the development of motion pictures.

73
Q

Victorian era

A

A period of time from 1830’s - 1890’s; characterized by strong moral and religious beliefs (the reign of Queen Victoria of England).

74
Q

Registration

A

Alignment of different plates for the printing process.

75
Q

Duotone

A

Two color illustration created from two halftone plates.

76
Q

Display type

A

Type styles designed for headlines: they are often large, decorative, and emotionally suggestive, therefore not suitable for body text.

77
Q

Arts and Crafts Movement

A

An art movement from England in the last decades of the 1800’s that reacted against the industrial revolution by returning to handicrafts and traditional materials of production.

78
Q

William Morris

A

The leader of the English Arts and Crafts movement; he called for a nobility of purpose, faith in natural materials and handcrafted methods of production, and individual expression by designers and craftspeople.

79
Q

Kelmscott Press

A

Printing shop set up by William Morris in England to produce high-quality printed books whose design was influenced by a medieval aesthetic.

80
Q

Ukiyo-e

A

?

81
Q

Frank Lloyd Wright

A

(1867-1959) an American architect who proposed ideas of ‘organic’ architecture. His work was an inspiration for designers to move toward a rectilinear approach of spatial organization. Wright designed all aspects of building, from stained glass to fabrics and furniture.

82
Q

Vienna Secession

A

A group of young Austrian artists who broke away from mainstream artist association due to lack of inclusion of foreign artists; they preferred linear art styles.

83
Q

Coated stock

A

Paper treated with a fine spray to add a slick shine; used for Ver Sacrum Magazine.

84
Q

Embossing

A

Raised relief designs on paper, pushed in from the verso side of the page.

85
Q

Peter Behrens

A

German architect, artist, and designer: the first ‘industrial designer’, developed ‘visual identification programs’ using the grid system to structure space.

86
Q

Industrial design

A

The design of manufactured products.

87
Q

Graphic identity program

A

The consistent and standardized use of a typeface, logo, color, and layout style.

History of Graphic Design (13 decks)

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