Basics Typography [Book]

Harkins, M., 2011. Basics Typography 02. Worthing, GBR: AVA Publishing. 

p109

Many of the early pioneers of modern typography explored the nature of type as image. Typography was allowed to break free from its formal, restraining, metal-letterpress straightjacket. Type would be printed directly onto the page by hand, it would be collaged, it might appear within montages. Type became expressive and dynamic. It would create tension and be used to explore the structure of language itself in relation to its visual appearance. Type compositions became abstracted, even painterly.
Type was used to explore the possibilities of composition. In this form, type was also used to create political statements. Experimenting with type can be a great way to get to know type better. It can be fun and expressive. It can also give greater insights into how letterforms behave when they appear at very large sizes, for example. Many of the formal considerations of arranging and setting type may need to be suspended. When constructing type as image, anything goes — the creative parameters are left completely open to the imagination. It does still require practice, however. This form of typography may abandon many of the formal considerations of other aspects of typographic practice, but sensitivity and an eye for detail are still important factors that need to be adopted. And, above all, taste and appropriateness still prevail. 

*For bespoke - Role of designer in exploring language
*For standardised - Changing size of standardised type and its composition is effective too
*For bespoke - the importance of considerations in terms of communication 

The combination of modular type and composition in this poster by Hamish Muir/ 8vo demonstrates how type can function as image as well as text.

MadeThought's 'Unfold Japan' poster creates a playful type/image relationship from the content and form of the type used.

Chapter 5: Typography and technology today p156
Typography as an activity has always been synonymous with technology. The word 'typography' itself refers to technology in the form of 'type', the early cast metal bodies upon which the typeface was the surface that the image of the letter was printed from. So it is no different today that knowledge of typography must also include some knowledge of technology.