ABC3D: Reinventing the Pop-up Book

ABC3D prototype demo

Although ABC3D came out only a few months ago, it's popularity rose quickly, even during its test print days. The design by Marion Bataille is so simple yet innovative and completely transforms how we approach the pop-up book genre. When I first saw the video, I knew I had to get one when it came out.

This 3D book is fun and interactive. From A through Z, every letter has its own unique design. The simple act of turning each page transforms each character out of the page and brings hidden pieces into view. I love the clever typographical change as a smaller G twists 90-degrees and unfolds into a larger G when the page is opened up completely.

ABC3D explores the 3-dimensional possibilities of shapes and space in each of the 26 letters, as well as each character's intimate relationships with those surrounding it.


Our familiarity with the sequence fuels our anticipation for each subsequent letter, and we are always pleasantly surprised by the resulting delightful design. ABC3d is a mechanically clever and beautifully crafted work of art. But perhaps even more impressive was their ability to mass produce it!

Even if you don't feel like shelling out $20 for this amazingly designed piece, I highly recommend finding a copy at a bookstore just to experience how exciting re-learning the alphabet can be.

Related links:

• ABC3D website

Type's Inconspicuous Metrics

I learned something really cool about type today via this article about inconspicuous vertical metrics. Since most of the things we read on the 'net are size 10 Arial, it's not uncommon to overlook the minute details in the typefaces we see daily.

Vertical metrics are used to gauge the heights of various aspects of a font. There are five vertical metrics that are commonly used, and over a dozen that are more obscure. All of these measurements are used to make the typeface more clear, uniform, and pleasing to the eyes.

My favorite inconspicuous metric from the article is the overshoot because it's based on the optical illusion of rounded sides. The idea is, if letters with rounded tops or bottoms had the exact same caps height or baseline as the other letters, they would appear smaller than other characters. This vertical difference is not apparent at normal (small) font sizes, but the disparity is obvious when the type is enlarged.


Curious, non?

Since each character has unique edges and curves, typefaces must compensate for the optical illusions created by the diverse shapes. Did you know that the horizontal bars on the capital A, H, E and F are all different heights? Or that each upper curve of the capital R, P, and B has its unique shape?

Read more about these and other cool metrics and how they are used in font design at iLT. I now have a new appreciation for the thought and details that go into making our typefaces!

Related links:

• i love typography, a fantastic blog for the type enthusiast
  

English Language Typography Poster

English Language poster by Michael Ciancio

Are you a typography nut? If so, then you will surely understand the sentiments behind this poster.

Graphic designer Michael Ciancio spent some time in Europe before coming up with this design—conclusion, rather. This 24.5" x 37" silk screened poster is for sale at his website and makes a great gift for the ligature lover in yourself or a friend.

Do you speak or write another language? English has 26 characters, while Spanish has a few more. I guess at the extreme end of the spectrum is Chinese, which has hundreds of thousands of characters. How many characters are in some of the languages you know? Are there any cool ones you can share?