Apple Garamond on the Way Out?

spartspart
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
If you've noticed Apple didn't use Apple Garamond?the typeface used on every computer since the original Mac?on the new eMac ads. It is also used sparsely on the ads for the PowerBook on the front page. Plus, if any of you have downloaded the .eps of the front of the eMac, you will notice that the font is not in use on the name of the machine either. I think they are using Lucida Grande or something similar...is this the beginning of the end for Garamond? I hope not...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    clonenodeclonenode Posts: 392member
    Apple has always had two corporate fonts: the Condensed Garamond that is their signature font AND.... Helvetica. They did some print ads in the 90s that used a variety of weights of the sans serif font, mostly using the light and "Roman" weights.



    Maybe they've decided to do a rebranding with the education market. But it doesn't seem like "eMac" actually appears on the face of the new machine, so maybe this will only happen in print and on the Web.



    You're right, they've started using Lucida Sans with OS X, but it's not clear to me that that is what they are using for the eMac.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    jesperasjesperas Posts: 524member
    Hmmm...on the site, Apple Garamond seems to be consistantly used as the display font for just about everything except the eMac pages. Maybe the Lucida font you mentioned will be a signature of eMac line only?



    I'm not exactly a fan of Apple's version of Garamond, but I like it a lot more than the eMac font--whatever it is. It'd be a shame if Apple were switching over...
  • Reply 3 of 12
    bradbowerbradbower Posts: 1,068member
    I don't "like it" per se, but I can appreciate a lot that I don't personally "like," as a designer. It has a lot of personality and background, though, so it would be a shame if they migrated away from Apple Garamond for anything trendier (or as boring as that eMac font).
  • Reply 4 of 12
    pushermanpusherman Posts: 410member
    I think Apple's graphic designers know what they're doing. While it appears on the front of the eMac, I think this is just a distinction for this product. It's a good screen font, like in OS X, but personally I dislike it in print. The helvetica Apple's always used is much nicer. Especially the Helvetica Neue they've branded the stores with.



    On the other hand, whoever designed the web graphics was on crack. I could drive a tank through the kerning on those letters. It looks amateurish, especially compared to the nicely designed eMac on the front of the machine.







    [ 04-30-2002: Message edited by: Poor taylor ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 12
    scott f.scott f. Posts: 276member
    Well... yes & no... (RE: The kerning)



    I think they need a couple of iterations... the kerning works fine at a smaller size... but for the larger display type, it needs to be tightened-up a bit... I agree. At least it's kerned EVENLY (opticaly).



    Bad kerning is a pet-peve of mine...
  • Reply 6 of 12
    pushermanpusherman Posts: 410member
    [quote]Bad kerning is a pet-peve of mine...<hr></blockquote>



    I am a type nazi. if something has bad kerning (or worse, bad leading), i can't look at any other aspect of the design without that tainting it all. My first impressions on going to apple.com this morning: 1) wtf? a new computer? 2) wtf? this must be a hack. apple wouldn't put badly kerned type on their front page. :cool:
  • Reply 7 of 12
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    [quote]Originally posted by Poor taylor:

    <strong>I could drive a tank through the kerning on those letters. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    I don't know what it is, but I really like that sentence!



    BTW, I know what kerning is, but what is leading?
  • Reply 8 of 12
    clonenodeclonenode Posts: 392member
    Leading is the space between lines of text ("line spacing" for the word processing crowd). In the old old typesetting days, a piece of lead (the metal) was used to separate one line of text from another, hence the name.



    Glad someone found the words "eMac" on the fron of the machine. I missed it. I agree that the large web graphic seems set fairly loose. Apple ususally keeps the Garamond pretty tight, but maybe a different set of eyes is directing this effort.
  • Reply 9 of 12
    graphitemangraphiteman Posts: 428member
    Which begs the question, is Leading pronounced like the metal or like a person who leads people places?
  • Reply 10 of 12
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    I am a sociologist so please excuse me:



    What is kerning.



    Or perhaps even better: Can anyone give me a short "fonts 101"? I know what "feet" is but thats about it.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Leading (pronounced like the metal) - the spacing between lines.



    Kerning - the spacing between characters.



    [ 04-30-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
  • Reply 12 of 12
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    [quote]Originally posted by Spart:

    <strong>If you've noticed Apple didn't use Apple Garamond?the typeface used on every computer since the original Mac?on the new eMac ads. It is also used sparsely on the ads for the PowerBook on the front page. Plus, if any of you have downloaded the .eps of the front of the eMac, you will notice that the font is not in use on the name of the machine either. I think they are using Lucida Grande or something similar...is this the beginning of the end for Garamond? I hope not...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    It's just a font, man, get over it. Move on to something more important, like contemplating the color of dog sh!t.
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