A Typographic Quest, Number Four, ‘The Organization of Space' – Westvaco, Carl Dair, 1966

Using a basic sub-division of space, Carl Dair produced an exceptionally strong cover for the fourth issue of A Typographic Quest. He deliberately chose the unobtrusive neo-grotesk typeface, Univers as it did not compete with the space he had created.

Using a translucent tracing paper overlay, Dair creates a dynamic double-page spread. He separates the inner and outer shapes of a letterform to reveal the abstract space around both elements. In order to see that space when drawing letters, type designers would work back and forth on both sides of the tracing paper.

When the red background shape is overlapped on top of the two black counter shapes the form of the letter ‘g’ is clearly apparent. Dair cleverly demonstrates that the shape of a letter is determined as much by the space surrounding it as it is by the strokes used to form it. Type designers consider both the inner and the outer shapes to be of equal importance.