Typography (Week 8) - Love letter (Process & options)

9/3/16 (Week 8)

Fatin Nadia Binti Ishak (300 422 242)

Typography

Lecture:

Mr. Vinod giving us comment individually, then he explained about our next task, we need to later post it to ourselves and update it on the eportfolio. He also says that we need to save adobe illustrator work in pdf format.

Instruction: 

Type arrangement (30%)

Task 1 (10%): The Letter
In this task, you will write (type) a single page love letter to your beloved who has been abroad for the last 6 months. The year is 1986, the world wide web or internet isn’t yet available to the masses, however the desktop computer has been invented. Letters are still a popular means to send and receive news. As, such it has been your practice to write one letter a week on your new desktop computer, print it, seal it in an envelop and post it to your beloved. This single page letter must be written sensibly and sensitively.

Your task is to use Adobe Illustrator to format this letter in a classical letter writing format (in the days of old) – when letter writing was done by hand – using a suitable font (or a combination of fonts), and appropriate margins, alignment, point size, leading and line length.

You will be required to print two copies; one without creases or folds, the other for postage. The letter for posting will require an envelop, as such thought must be put into the writing of the address on the envelop. You will post this letter to yourself, and you will bring this letter to class for submission and discussion. You will as always document all the processes, drafts and the final results on your eportfolio.

     
Above: Classical letter samples

Important reading references:
Purdue: Common Letter Writing Formats
Good Letter Writing: Personal Letter Writing TemplateGood Letter Writing: Layouts

(Note* If you stumble on some additional references, do share the on our Facebook group).

Marking Criteria: Lorem Ipsum…

Duration: 2 weeks
Deadline: week 10

Primary Research:

When does internet invented?

Refer to the link below:

http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/who-invented-the-internet

It says that, the online world took more recognizable form in 1990. Those were the time when Tim Berners- Lee invented the World Wide Web, and based of my research an Internet Protocol-based videoconferencing became possible at the 1990s.

So basically, the lovers totally relies on the love letters as their tool of communication, no video conference etc., YM, MSN, MySpace or even Facebook, to share their pictures and details. It will take weeks and probably months for the recipient to receive those love letters and some pictures too.

Does air service already exist during 1980s?

Refer to the link :

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline

The first fixed wing scheduled air service was started on January 1, 1914 from St. Petersburg, Florida to Tampa, Florida. 

That means, they need to buy a flight ticket in order to be together, since the format says that the lovers went abroad for 6 years.

What type of popular font people use in the 80s?

Above is a picture that came out, for the popular font that people use in 1980s.

I try to search also, what type of font people will usually use when they type a love letter.

Secondary Research:  

Next, i need to see sample of love letters in the 1980s... ( i can't really read some of it, it’s because they prefer cursive and italic type of font )

Ideas and Inspiration:

I want to choose font that already exist before 1986, so it will be a lot more logic to write a 1986 love letters.

From movie; 

“Letters to Juliet " , my favourite movie, it basically a romantic movie and something to do with a precious love letter, so it can be relates to the task.

Greatest love letters of all time;

From Song lyrics;

1980s love song, i want to get some ideas from a lyrics and it may be useful for my letter too. So i search for love songs in the decades:

Sketch:

(Try and Error); I just want to know how it will look like before type out in the adobe illustrator.

I wanted to put in picture;

1) 

2)

3) 

Story line behind the love letter:

Basically the couple live next door to each other (neighbour) they are in love but the guy being send to other country for work purposes. The women missing the men, they did not see each other for about 6 months.

Process in Adobe Illustrator:

4) First love letter = Tahoma font for address etc. (11 point) & Antique Olive Std for body (10 point)

5) Second love letter = Times New Roman for address (10 point) etc. & Papyrus font for body (9 point).

6) Third love letter = Pompeijana LT Std Roman font for address and etc. (11 point) & Script Mt Bold for font (10 point)

 Submission of 3 options:

7) First love letter;

8) Second love letter;

9) Third love letter:

Feedback:

- I need to adjust the placement of the recipients address.

- Cursive forms (never use upper cases in one goals) = in my signature part.

- He applaud my attempt of different font choice but I need to explore more, try and Google (font combination).

- Interesting choice of font for Antique Olive and Script Mt bold.

- Good consideration (thought), for choosing font before 1986, credit for the process.

Reflection:

Observation; 

Honestly after doing research i found that writing a love letter is not a simple task because it really requires a sincere job from your heart, it is not a simple essay as well. I wonder how some people can actually write out a very sensitive and meaningful love letter.

Experience:

It is actually my first time ever writing a love letter, so it was such a difficult task for me, how i wish i can a romantic person and being able to write such a beautiful love letters like a professional.

Finding: 

I've found that our task getting more complicated each time. It requires not just creativity but also a lot of experience in order to create a best result and something that outside of the box. But then even though i am a psychology major, i actually realize that the subject really benefit me in a lot of aspects and taught me how to value others work too.