Bear with me in this long-winded and fragrant metaphor for you will find that almost all the virtues of perfect wine-glass have a parallel typography. There is long thin stem obviates fingerprints on bowl. Why? Because no cloud must come between your eyes fiery heart liquid. Are not margins book pages similarly meant to obviate necessity fingering type-page? Again: glass colourless or at most only faintly tinged bowl because connoisseur judges wine partly by its colour impatient anything alters it. are thousand mannerisms typography as impudent arbitrary putting port tumblers red green glass! When goblet has base looks too small security it does matter how cleverly weighted feel nervous lest should tip over. ways setting lines type which may work well enough yet keep reader subconsciously worried fear 'doubling' lines reading three words one so forth. Now man who first chose instead clay metal hold his was 'modernist' sense I am going use term. That is thing he asked particular object 'How look?' but 'What do?' extent good modernist. Wine strange potent been used central ritual religion one 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 own It sheer magic be 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 about conveys thought ideas images from other 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 according laboratory tests more 'legible' than 11-pt Baskerville. public speaker 'audible' when bellows. But speaking voice inaudible voice. transparent again! need warn if 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. The fine 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 out 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 beautiful 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 colour. 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 way 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 exquisite 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 thousands 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 vintage (Originally London 1932 under pseudonym Paul Beaujon. version 1955)