Beinecke in Caslon

COURSE

Typography: Expression, Structure, and Sequence

Yale University, Spring 2020

ASSIGNMENT

Design a double-sided type specimen poster around a place.

PROJECT

I designed a poster around the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library to promote the typeface Caslon.

On the front, white and yellow lettering on the grey background evoke the library’s luminous marble walls. The typography is arranged in a tight rectangular spiral, which is a nod to the Beinecke’s repetitive, rectangular architecture. The words “When in doubt, use Caslon” at the center of the spiral was a popular adage among typesetters when the typeface was first created. The mention of Caslon, as well as the superscript 1 at the end of the saying tie the front of the poster in with the back.

On the back, the 1 is seen again at the beginning of a paragraph about Caslon. The number acts like a footnote in a book, which is well suited for both a library and a historically literary typeface. The paragraph about Caslon resembles the illuminated tower of books in the Beinecke. The column of text is surrounded on all four sides by the alphabet, which serves not only to represent the libray’s interior walls but also showcases every letter and number in the typeface.