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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 2

Design in Typography. — "Japanese" Vignettes

page 17

Design in Typography.
"Japanese" Vignettes.

Our last article briefly described the original Japanese series, brought out by the Johnson Foundry in 1879. It is perhaps Unfortunate that this combination was ever described as a « border, » for it is not in any way adapted for such a purpose. Its legitimate use is to occupy large and awkward blank spaces in open work, particularly in the corners. Looking over the pages of the Typographic Advertiser in which these designs are displayed, the compositor cannot fail to note how very few of the combinations are available for regular jobs. It is easy to build up a pretty and effective design, which shall cover great part of a card; but if there are any lines to be brought out in the work, the compositor's task is not by any means, so simple.

It is only in a very limited class of work that designs of this description can be used. In the United States, business men adopt ornate and often grotesque fashions in their advertising, which would not be tolerated in the colonies. The old English traditional style of severely plain display in business stationery has much to recommend it, and imposes a very wholesome restriction upon the vagaries of the « artistic » comp. The ordinary billhead, business card, or memorandum form is simply disfigured by designs which bear no reference to the text. So also is a pamphlet cover, when the subject is of a solid or serious kind. In the case of light literature, great freedom is allowed; and on ball programmes, menu cards, and similar classes of work, the Japanese vignettes may be judiciously and appropriately used. But our own experience is that there is a want of completeness about the series, which renders it necessary to supplement it by brass-rule (as is freely done in the founder's specimens), or by ordinary borders. The succeeding series brought out by the same foundry—the « Zigzag, » « Orient, » and « Chinese » designs—all contained sorts which work in well with the Japanese designs, and add to their usefulness.

Pretty effects may be produced by the steps and balustrade in the first and third sections. In two of the figures above, the flower-pots stand upon the steps. A common error (which has the authority of the founder's specimen-book) is to place the flower-pot in an impossible position on the balustrade, as in the third example. A noticeable deficiency in this part of the design is the absence of an opposite piece to The pica steps and corresponding balustures are made to run in both directions, but owing to the omission we have mentioned, they can be properly set up in profile on one side only.

In this combination, as well as in the kindred designs by Bruce, aquatic objects figure prominently. They can only come in at the bottom of the work, and they require some little assistance from brass-rule to suggest the water. These sorts form effective little tail-pieces; but they must be used in small groups. Any attempt to represent a large expanse fails miserably, both in perspective and in decorative effect.

In combination with other borders, we have found the Japanese designs very appropriate in nurserymen's advertisements and catalogue covers. But we have not scrupled to use them in the panel method so strongly condemned by the Modern Printer. Not only is this method warranted, but it adds indefinitely to the decorative use of the design, and gives it a strength altogether lacking when used in other ways. Here are some details from the side border of an octavo page, shewing the Japanese and kindred ornaments set panel-fashion:

Some of the saddest perversions of type ornaments we have seen have been attempts to bring out the Japanese combinations in colors and bronze. That they are susceptible of effective and admirable treatment in color, some of the American printers have proved; but their successful use in this way is very exceptional. No combination ever engraved contains a greater variety of striking effects in black-and-white and the intermediate shades. When printed, as is often the case, in patches of blue and red, with an ill-conditioned roller, and ink of inferior grade, all the harmonies and contrasts of light and shade are lost, and the whole design becomes a vulgar blotch. It is the safer course to use such combinations only in black; and unless ink, rollers, and paper are of fine quality, not to use them at all.