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Design in Typography Word Ornaments

Keeping in view the order laid down in a former article, we now come to the subject of Word Ornaments—a form of decoration in which one of the most primitive devices of written language re-appears in one of the most recent developments of typography. We have already referred to the analogy between typographic display and punctuation; and of this the Word Ornament is an illustration—designed primarily for display, it may be considered as in a measure filling both capacities. In the archaic forms of writing, no marks of punctuation were used, nor even divisions between the words—a style adapted only to a very simple form of literature. To place a special sign or mark of separation between each word was an early device, and the same thing may be seen in many comparatively modern inscriptions: « Here Lyeth Y^e Body » &c. And with very slight change, this is what we have in the modern Word Ornament.

As usual, something of the kind can be traced in compositors' work prior to the introduction of the ornament by typefounders. It was not uncommon to see catch-lines lengthened by a dash at each end: « —— In —— », « —of the— », &c.; or a display-line adorned with typographic flowers. The practice might have been more common, had combinations ten or twelve years ago been furnished, as they generally are now, with pieces which might be used singly for such a purpose. But the dash thus used never looked well. It was too obviously the ordinary punctuation mark out of place, and was as easily recognized as the o in the middle of the old-fashioned dividing rules (——o——).

In 1878 MacKellar brought out the « Glyptic » series, the very oddity of which, he said, would compel admiration—a claim that has a strange appearance now, when such faces as the « Harper, » « Modoc, » « Owltype, » and « Mikado » are in common use. The « Glyptic » was the first fount produced with the adjuncts since known as Word Ornaments. They were eight in number—three pairs of end-pieces and two sorts to place between words, and were in harmony with the general character of the type:

The letter became popular at once, and is now found in most jobbing offices. The ornaments were freely used with other founts; but a year passed before the idea was further carried out. Then appeared « odd » than the « Glyptic, both furnished with appropriate ornaments. With the « Cabalistic, » eleven characters were supplied:

Since 1879 nearly half of the new ornamental founts have been supplied with these adjuncts—heavy and light, hair-line or open-faced, according to the style of the letter. There is, therefore, a great and increasing variety; and most of the foundries make up the ornaments in parcels, and sell them apart from the founts. Not only may they be had as small as nonpareil, but they are cast as large as four-line pica, and cut in wood in still larger sizes for posters. In some recent founts, as we have already had occasion to remark, they are so large and obtrusive as to spoil the effect of the lines. This error was avoided in the earlier designs.

As ornaments, these auxiliaries should be sparingly used, and never crowded. Their chief purpose is to lengthen out a line otherwise too short, and if they are jammed close to the letters, they look exceedingly bad. In a display page, the end-ornaments may sometimes in a manner supply the place of punctuation-marks. They are not of much service at the end in lengthening a display-line to balance a page, as the eye ignores them in reading, and invariably balances the ends of the words, no matter how much ornament may be added at the end. This may be seen from the following example:

It is therefore between words only that they are properly available for this purpose.

As in job offices these ornaments are often laid apart from their appropriate founts, a word of caution is needed in their use. A hairline ornament should not be used with heavy-faced letters, nor an open-faced one in a solid line, and vice versâ. We show, in the first place, examples of Word Ornaments used as a substitute for punctuation signs:—

Auction Sale of Household Furniture

Books and Wearing Apparel.

Harding's 1888 Almanac and Directory.

The following are examples of methods in which Word Ornaments are commonly misused. In the first, they are overdone and crowded together, making the line difficult to read:

The line in this case would look much better without the ornaments. In the following examples they are out of harmony with the letters:

Annual Regatta

Philosophical Institute

Our next subject will be Ornamental Initials.