Imagine that you have before a flagon of wine. You may choose your own favourite vintage for this imaginary demonstration so it be deep shimmering crimson in colour. two goblets you. One is solid gold wrought the most exquisite patterns. The other crystal-clear glass thin as bubble and transparent. Pour drink according to choice goblet I shall know whether or not will want sensation drinking stuff out vessel cost are connoisseur For if no feelings about wine one way other thousands pounds but member vanishing tribe amateurs fine vintages crystal because everything calculated reveal rather than hide beautiful thing which was meant contain. Bear with me long-winded fragrant metaphor find almost all virtues perfect wine-glass parallel typography. There long stem obviates fingerprints on bowl. Why? Because cloud must come between eyes fiery heart liquid. Are margins book pages similarly obviate necessity fingering type-page? Again: glass colourless at only faintly tinged bowl judges partly by its colour impatient anything alters it. thousand mannerisms typography impudent arbitrary putting port tumblers red green glass! When goblet has base looks too small security does matter how cleverly weighted feel nervous lest should tip over. ways setting lines type work well enough yet keep reader subconsciously worried fear 'doubling' lines reading three words one forth. Now man who first chose instead clay metal hold his 'modernist' sense am going use term. That is he asked particular object 'How look?' 'What do?' extent good modernist. Wine strange potent been used central ritual religion place time attacked virago hatchet another. world capable stirring altering men's minds same extent coherent expression thought. man's chief miracle unique man. 'explanation' whatever fact can make sounds lead total stranger think my It sheer magic able one-sided conversation means black marks paper an unknown “The Crystal Goblet” Beatrice Warde 2 person half-way across world. Talking broadcasting writing printing quite literally forms thought transference ability eagerness transfer receive contents mind alone responsible human civilization. If agree this main idea i.e. important conveys thought ideas images from minds. This statement what might call front door science Within lie hundreds rooms unless start assuming convey specific very easy yourself wrong house altogether. Before asking leads to let us see necessarily to. books printed order read we distinguish readability optician would legibility. A page set 14-pt Bold Sans laboratory tests more 'legible' 11-pt Baskerville. public speaker 'audible' when bellows. But speaking voice inaudible voice. transparent again! need warn begin listening inflections rhythms platform falling asleep. listen song language do understand part actually fall asleep leaving separate aesthetic sensibilities enjoy themselves unimpeded reasoning faculties. arts that purpose printing. Type invisible type just talking unnoticed vehicle transmission words ideas. We say therefore delightful many reasons important foremost doing something. why mischievous any piece art especially art: imply exist beauty sake delectation senses. Calligraphy considered art nowadays primary economic educational taken away English qualify until present longer ideas future generations itself hands usefulness some unimagined successor. end maze practices typography idea conveyor least great typographers whom had privilege talking clue guide through maze. Without essential humility mind seen ardent designers go hopelessly wrong ludicrous mistakes excessive enthusiasm could 3 possible. And clue purposiveness back possible unheard-of things they justify triumphantly. waste time simple fundamentals reason them. In flurry individual problems spending half hour broad involving abstract principles. once designed pleasing advertising undoubtedly used. said something artists certain problem replied gesture: 'Ah madam think---we feel!' day quoted remark another designer acquaintance he being less poetically inclined murmured: 'I'm feeling today think!' He right did think thinking sort painter ten times better typographer instinctively avoided reason. always suspect typographic enthusiast takes frames hang wall believe gratify sensory delight mutilated infinitely important. remember T.M. Cleland famous American typographer showed layout Cadillac booklet decorations actual text drawing up specimen pages Latin. of old typefoundries' Quousque Tandem copy (i.e. Latin few descenders thus gives remarkably even line). No told originally dullest 'wording' (I dare say Hansard) discovered submitted making comments text. made mentality Boards Directors Mr Cleland said 'No: you're wrong practically forced read---if those suddenly imbued glamour significance---then failure. Setting Italian saying "This appear".' Let conclusions contains fundamentals then points advertising. job erecting window inside room landscape author's words. put stained-glass marvellous beauty failure window rich superb like gothic looked at through. Or home visual recollection far goes it Three Musketeers 4 their comrades swaggering down streets Paris. third broken into relatively leaded panes corresponds called 'fine printing' conscious there there someone enjoyed building objectionable psychology subconscious mind. mental eye focuses upon which warping design excess 'colour' gets picture conveyed bad type. Our subconsciousness afraid blunders (which illogical setting tight spacing too-wide unleaded trick into) boredom officiousness. running headline keeps shouting us line long word capitals jammed together without hair-spaces---these mean squinting loss focus. true printing limited editions fifty obvious advertising where justification purchase space conveying message---that implanting desire straight reader. tragically throw away reader- interest advertisement compelling argument face uncomfortably alien classic reasonableness book-face. Get attention headline pretty pictures sure useless selling goods happy enough really with beg people pay hard-earned money quietly book-pages wildest ingenuity stop interesting Printing demands lack now floundering self-conscious maudlin experiments. nothing dull achieving page. Vulgar ostentation twice discipline. realise ugly never effaces itself capture wise men happiness aiming else. 'stunt typographer' learns fickleness hate read. Not them breaths held over serif kern appreciate splitting hair-spaces. Nobody (save craftsmen) skill. spend endless years experiment devising crystalline worthy (Originally London 1932 under pseudonym Paul Beaujon. version 1955)