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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5

Design in Typography. — Lvi. — The Ribbon and Flower

page 113

Design in Typography.
Lvi.
The Ribbon and Flower.

How Difficult it is to obtain precise information as to the origin and originators of the most popular combinations, we have found in the case of the border which forms the subject of the present chapter. We regard it as in several respects one of the best designed and devised combinations that has ever appeared. It stands unquestionably at the head of all the realistic group in the matter of artistic merit and fine drawing; while in the practical and technical details of simplicity of construction and accuracy of junction, it is unrivalled. Yet after making repeated inquiry in respect to this particular design, we are unable to say by whom it was designed, in what house it was first manufactured, or even in what year it appeared. We first saw it some eighteen years ago, in a supplement to the Printers' Register; we next found it in Miller & Richard's specimens as combination No. 13, and later still it was shown both by Reed and Caslon. In 1876 we found that it had already taken its place in the Johnson Foundry's specimen-book. Writing to the founders, we inquired incidentally if this beautiful border was of American design. We were told in reply that it was English. We were gratified to find that in the matter of elaborate and artistic combinations British enterprise had been so successful; and in some of the earlier issues of Typo, we think that the border in question is referred to as a triumph of English artistic and mechanical skill in typefounding. But our English friends soon set us right. Not one only, but two or three, told us that the border was German; but none could, without considerable trouble, give more precise information. Strange to say, our numerous German specimen-books, representing many of the leading houses, do not help us. It is quite true that we find the border in more than one German book; but not only does it differ in minor details, but it is not equal to the combination shown in the English and American books. The joining-up of the characters is not so good, and it has a general appearance of having been re-engraved by an inferior hand. Among the minor differences is the substitution of swallow-tailed terminals in place of the three pairs of coiled-up ends, and the introduction of a reverse to the smaller floral centre-piece. The first is a doubtful improvement; the latter an advantage. The combination, like most German designs, really includes several more or less independent borders. It contains the 62 characters following:—

A. Broad Ribbon characters, without Flowers:.

A. Broad Ribbon characters, without Flowers:.

B. Flowers.

B. Flowers.

C. Ribbon with Flowers and Staff.

C. Ribbon with Flowers and Staff.

D. Ribbon with Flowers.

D. Ribbon with Flowers.

E. Narrow Ribbon.

E. Narrow Ribbon.

F. Terminals, used with both broad and narrow Ribbon.

F. Terminals, used with both broad and narrow Ribbon.

G. Narrow Ribbon No. 2, unshaded.

G. Narrow Ribbon No. 2, unshaded.

H. Accessory Ornaments and Borders.

H. Accessory Ornaments and Borders.

No matter how excellent a design may be, it cannot resist the changes of fashion: and the greater its popularity at first, the sooner it has to give place to others. Few borders were more generally admired, or more cruelly hackneyed, than this, on its first appearance. We remember an instance, where the comp was so anxious to display his new acquisition, that he set it round a rough handbill. The job was carelessly locked up, worked badly off its feet, had a long run under heavy pressure on a shackled machine, and all the junctions were spoiled at the first time of using. When a design is used in season and out of season, the eye wearies of it, and nearly a generation must pass before it can be successfully revived.

The defects, such as they are, are due to the designer having attempted too much. The first and most obvious one is that the three ribbons do not correspond. The narrow ribbon E, having no dotted line inside the outline, has no real connexion with the broad ribbon; while g has no relation to either, and in fact can scarcely be recognized as a ribbon at all. The two pieces c stand quite alone. There is no corner to correspond, and nothing to carry on or finish the central staff. In the specimen-sheets, the staff is sometimes continued by the narrow ribbon-pieces, but this reduces the design to an absurdity. There are in all ten corners to the combination—four more are required to complete it: the one we have indicated for the staff pattern, and three on 6· body, for the respective ribbons.

For the plain designs, brass-rule, 1½ or 2· body, to graduated lengths, of this pattern, , cut to correspond, would be a help in composition, besides saving the metal. When the border was designed, rule sufficiently accurate could not be made; but with present improved machinery, it could be readily produced.

We have no space to display the many adaptations of this combination, and there is the less need, as it has been incidentally illustrated in earlier chapters. Just one word of caution to the compositor is needed—not to overload the design with flowers, nor to twist the ribbon about too wildly. Restraint in the use of this, as of other combinations, is a virtue. The merits of the design can be fully appreciated only by a practical printer or designer—the artistic skill displayed in dealing with a difficult subject; the grace and freedom of the flowing curves in a border which in other hands might have been painfully stiff; the ingenious way in which the floral ornaments diversify the ribbon; and lastly, the wonderful accuracy of adjustment, the junctions being simply perfect. If the border was designed and cut by the same hand—as was probably the case—the achievement places the engraver in the very front rank of typographic artists.

The only other Ribbon combination, MacKellar's « Fillet, » appeared last year, and was noted by us at the time. It is neither as serviceable nor as artistic as the original. It contains 31 characters, besides a few in connexion with the three sizes of Fillet type, and has no floral ornaments.