During this walk I noticed something,

在這次散步過程中，我注意到了一件事。

so I started taking pictures of it.

所以我開始拍它的照片。

Eventually I got my co-workers to join in.

最後，我讓同事們也加入了進來。

Mac took this picture,

麥克拍了這張照片。

and Agnes took this one.

和艾格尼絲把這個。

What we all noticed was this font.

我們都注意到的是這個字體。

If you've somehow managed to never see it on a storefront,

如果你不知道怎麼就沒在店面上看到過它。

you've definitely seen it elsewhere.

你肯定在其他地方見過。

Because it's everywhere.

因為它無處不在。

Strip away the candy wrappers,

剝去糖果包裝紙。

movie posters, album covers,

電影海報，專輯封面。

and corner store signs, and you're left with this typeface.

和街角商店的招牌，就剩下這種字體了。

It's called Cooper Black, and the story

它的名字叫庫珀-布萊克，故事是...

of how it became so popular has everything to do with its versatility,

它之所以如此受歡迎，與它的多功能性有關。

because these letters have been around for a century's worth of changes in

因為這些信件經過一個世紀的變化，在

technology

技術

and pop culture.

和流行文化。

To set the stage for the story, I talked to Stephen Heller.

為了給這個故事做鋪墊，我和斯蒂芬-海勒聊了聊。

Bear with me while I move to another part of the apartment.

在我搬到公寓的另一個地方的時候，請耐心等待。

Among other things, he's written like a library's worth of books about design.

其中，他寫的關於設計的書就像一個圖書館一樣。

Okay, I'm back.

好吧，我回來了。

And this is Bethany Heck.

這位是Bethany Heck.

I am a designer who writes about typefaces.

我是一個寫字體的設計師。

She runs the Font Review Journal where she deconstructs the history and design of notable typefaces

她經營《字體評論》雜誌，解讀著名字體的歷史和設計。

like Cooper Black. If you give me like two minutes I can run and find an actual

像庫珀-布萊克如果你給我兩分鐘的時間，我可以跑去找一個真正的

like physical piece of wood type and I can talk through some of this.

喜歡實物的木頭類型，我可以通過一些來談。

While she's doing that, let's travel back in time a hundred years to the city of Chicago

當她這樣做的時候，讓我們穿越時空回到一百年前的芝加哥市。

where our story begins. It's 1919 right after World War 1.

我們的故事從這裡開始。1919年，第一次世界大戰結束後。

Advertising was reaching an early zenith at that point because with the end of

廣告在那時候達到了一個早期的頂峰，因為隨著廣告的結束

the war there was a great resurgence of product and demand. The two dominating

戰後，產品和需求大為恢復。兩種主要的

materials for commercial printing were wood and metal. Wood was cut out of the

商業印刷的材料是木材和金屬。木頭是用木頭切割出來的。

end pieces hard wood, they were usually large size typefaces that were used for

端件硬木，它們通常是大尺寸的字體，用於處理。

large-scale advertising and posters. The bold typefaces you see in old wanted

大型廣告和海報。你在舊版通緝令中看到的粗體字

posters? Those were made from wood type. Metal was the process that was created

海報？那些都是用木頭類製作的。金屬是創造的工藝

by Gutenberg when he designed the type for his Bible. Each individual character

古騰堡在為他的《聖經》設計字體時。每一個字元

was physically formed into words, and those words were cast into tiny lines of

被物理地形成了文字，而這些文字被鑄成了細小的線條。

text. Those molds allowed for smaller more precise blocks of type. That's the

文字。這些模具允許更小更精確的字體塊。這就是

kind of type that was used for most commercial purposes, from book publishing

鉛字

to magazine publishing. By the turn of the 20th century huge Rube Goldberg-like

到雜誌出版。到了20世紀初，巨大的類似於Rube Goldberg的?

machines called linotypes drastically sped up this process.

被稱為linotypes的機器極大地加快了這一過程。

This is the world Oswald Cooper, Chicago's preeminent letterer and

這就是世界上的奧斯瓦爾德-庫珀，芝加哥最著名的文字學家和。

illustrator, lived in. In 1918, after years of making custom hand lettered ads for

插畫家，住在。1918年，經過多年的定製手寫廣告，為。

car companies and banks, he designed a fully-formed

汽車公司和銀行，他設計了一個完全成型的

typeface dubbed Cooper. It took a classic Roman form and softened to the edges.

被稱為Cooper的字體。它採用了經典的羅馬字體，並對其邊緣進行了柔化處理。

Seeing promise in Cooper's design and the prior success of his lettering work, the

由於看到了Cooper設計的前景，以及他的刻字工作先前取得的成功，美國政府對他的設計給予了高度評價。

type foundry Barnhart Brothers and Spindler asked him to make a bold

字型鑄造廠巴恩哈特兄弟和斯賓德勒要求他做出一個大膽的 "新 "字。

display typeface based on the font. Around 1920, Oswald Cooper released

基於字體的顯示字體。1920年左右，Oswald Cooper發佈了

Cooper Black, and it was an immediate hit. It was used for newspaper headlines and

庫珀-布萊克，並立即受到歡迎。它被用於報紙標題和

large-scale posters. It sold cars, cold medicine, music lessons, turntables,

大型海報。它賣汽車、感冒藥、音樂課、轉盤。

and ginger ale. With Cooper Black, it was like somebody took an air pump to a tire

和薑汁汽水。和庫珀-布萊克在一起，就像有人拿著氣泵去打輪胎一樣。

and blew up that tire. I mean this ad for Cooper Black credits the font for

並炸掉了那個輪胎。我是說這個Cooper Black的廣告將字體歸功於 I mean this ad for Cooper Black credits the font for

getting five thousand customers into their client's new store on opening day.

讓五千名顧客在開業當天進入他們客戶的新店。

And in countless reviews, it was considered the most popular typeface

而在無數的評論中，它被認為是最受歡迎的字體

design of the time. So what made it work so well? For one, its curves. Perhaps the

當時的設計。那麼，是什麼讓它有這麼好的效果呢？其一，它的曲線。也許是

most unconventional aspect of the curves are that willingness to be unafraid to

曲線最不拘一格的地方是，願意不畏懼

curve the bottom parts of the letter forms. So if you look at the bottom parts

曲線的底部部分的字母形式。所以，如果你看一下底部的部分

of the stems of the "A" like there's no flat edges on that, which is very strange.

的莖的 "A "像有沒有平邊上，這是非常奇怪的。

If you look at most typefaces, they have flat bottom somewhere. Even Cooper Black's

如果你看看大多數的字體，它們都有平底的地方。即使是Cooper Black的

imitations like Goudy Heavy and Pabst Extra Bold failed to fully break tradition.

像Goudy Heavy和Pabst Extra Bold這樣的仿製品未能完全打破傳統。

You want that consistent line for legibility, and so the fact that Cooper

你要的是一致的線條，以便於辨認，所以事實上，庫珀... ...

doesn't have that means that it's very forgiving to irregularities. Like the

不具備，意味著它對不規範的行為非常寬容。比如說

baseline serif of one character naturally flows right into the curve of

一個字的基線襯線自然而然地流向了一個字的曲線。

another even when the characters are slightly uneven. Those irregularities

另一個即使在字元稍微不均勻的時候。這些不規則

look more like mistakes than quirks in straighter edged designs. The fact that

在直邊設計中，看起來更像是錯誤而不是怪癖。事實上

Cooper doesn't necessarily need to be laid in a straight line to look good is

庫珀不一定要擺在一條直線上才好看才是

an advantage. Let's talk about this weird F. It's an identifiable feature of Cooper

的優勢。我們來談談這個奇怪的F 這是Cooper的一個可識別的特徵

Black. Turns out it's pretty genius. Draw a rectangle around that F, and you have

黑色的。事實證明，這是很天才的。在F的周圍畫一個矩形，你就有了

to think like "okay I've got a draw of really bold F

想到 "好吧，我已經抽到了一個非常大膽的F。

and I only have this rectangle of space to play with." You've got the crossbars,

而我只有這個長方形的空間來玩。"你已經得到了橫杆。

and then you've got the hook at the top, and the serif at the bottom, you're kind

然後你已經得到了鉤在頂部， 和襯線在底部，你是那種。

of like running out of space. The shape of this negative space in the ascender

的像用盡空間。這個負空間的形狀在上升器上

allowed Cooper to make the F as bold as possible for as much as possible while

允許庫珀在儘可能多的情況下，讓F儘可能大膽的使用，而

still maintaining legibility, which wasn't always the case for heavy

但仍能保持易讀性，這對於重度的 "小米 "來說並不總是如此。

typefaces of the time. This is actually a good example, like this is a very bold

當時的字體。這其實是一個很好的例子，比如這個是一個很粗獷的

four, and you can see that like the counter space in there is like really

四，你可以看到，像櫃檯空間在那裡是像真正的

tiny. The tininess is what makes the four look bold and heavy, but that four

渺小。細小是讓四人看起來大膽而沉重的原因，但這四人的

could get sort of like filled up with ink and then essentially vanish. These

可以得到那種像充滿了墨水，然後基本上消失。這些

negative spaces within each character made Cooper Black incredibly light and

每個角色的負面空間都讓庫珀-布萊克變得非常輕盈，而且他的性格也很好。

friendly while still commanding attention. The fact that it worked both

友好的同時還能引起人們的注意。事實上，它既能

big and small was a huge selling point. Every character of Cooper Black has its

大大小小都是一個巨大的賣點。庫柏黑的每一個角色都有其

own little quirks. The G is always the thing that I think about first, it has

自己的小癖好。G總是我首先想到的東西，它有

like this sort of anthropomorphic quality. I think it looks like a duck. Now

喜歡這種擬人化的品質。我覺得它看起來像一隻鴨子。鴨子

that you say that, the Q kind of looks like a snail. Weird. At any rate, I

你這麼一說，Q就像一隻蝸牛。很奇怪無論如何，我

think the letter that shows just how fun and functional Cooper Black can be, has

認為這封信顯示了庫珀黑可以多麼有趣和實用，已經。

to be the O. A lot of typefaces have a vertical stress, so the oval inside would

很多字體都有一個垂直的應力，所以裡面的橢圓會是

just point straight up and down. Cooper's tilts back, and while it looks

只是指向直上直下。庫珀的向後傾斜，雖然它看起來... ...

off-kilter on its own, when placed in a word or phrase it always seems to

單獨的，當它放在一個詞或短語中時，它總是似乎

compliment the letters around it. The central conflict that a type designer is

與周圍的字母相得益彰。一個字體設計師的核心矛盾是

facing is how do I make something that feels cohesive as a whole design system

面臨的問題是，我如何讓一個東西作為一個整體的設計系統，讓人感覺到凝聚力。

as opposed to a beautiful collection of letters. Somehow Cooper achieved both.

而不是一本美麗的信件集。不知為何庫珀做到了這兩點。

Oswald Cooper believed Cooper Black was at its best when there was thin spacing

奧斯瓦爾德-庫珀認為，庫珀-布萊克的最佳狀態是在間距較小的情況下。

between the words and not much leading between the lines. Basically it worked

字裡行間，字裡行間沒有太多的引導。基本上是這樣的

best when the letters were all cramped together. But that sometimes posed a

當字母都擠在一起時，效果最好。但這有時會造成

problem. Even when Cooper Black was first designed, like just the act of squishing

問題。即使是庫柏黑剛開始設計的時候，就像僅僅是擠壓的行為一樣

type together tight was like in some cases extremely difficult or impossible

緊密結合在一起，在某些情況下是非常困難或不可能的

to do. In the 1950s, two dramatically new ways of printing made it easier to push

來做。在20世紀50年代，兩種戲劇性的新印刷方式使人們更容易推崇

letters closer together, and that thrust Cooper Black into the second half of the

信更接近，這就把庫珀-布萊克推向了下半場。

20th century. There was a basic change in the material of which type is made, a

20世紀。哪種類型的材料發生了基本的變化，一是。

change from lead to paper or film. The first was photo type hot metal

由鉛改為紙或膠片。第一個是照片型熱金屬

typecasting was replaced by film strips in dark rooms and by the early 1960s

打版被暗室裡的膠片條所取代，到了60年代初

machines like the phototypositor were small enough to fit in local print

像影印機這樣的機器小到足以容納當地的印刷廠。

shops the other was the invention of dry rub transfers which just required a

另一個是發明了乾擦式轉印，只需要在店面裡放上一張紙就可以了。

ballpoint pen and a piece of paper it was perfect for customizing headlines

原子筆和一張紙，它是完美的定製標題。

letter set the company that made them marketed it as fast simple and

信設置的公司，使他們的市場作為快速簡單和。

economical these two technologies opened up graphic design to more adventurous

這兩種技術為更多的冒險者打開了平面設計的大門。

compositions something wood and metal had struggled to do and cooper black

木頭和金屬都難以做到的事情，而庫珀-布萊克卻能做到。

flourished it thrived as always in advertising it's friendly curves fit the

蓬勃發展的它一如既往地在廣告中茁壯成長，它的友好曲線適合於所有的人。

tongue-in-cheek aesthetic of the 1960s and 70s but it also showed up in

60和70年代的詼諧美學，但它也出現於

magazines movies and hundreds of album covers Pet Sounds was like the

雜誌、電影和數百張專輯封面的Pet Sounds就像

quintessential setting just look at the way the D works with the E and the Y and

典型的設置只是看看D與E和Y的工作方式，以及。

boys fits so nicely over the oh it it's fluidity is what makes it special

男生們這麼好的配合，在哦，它的流動性是它的特殊之處

and it's boldness makes it special I think all type designers would come in

我想所有的字體設計者都會來的，它的大膽讓它變得特別。

and say like they have an idea of how a typeface is is meant to be used but I

並說像他們有一個想法的字體是如何使用，但我。

think that a typeface doesn't really reach its full potential

以為字不達意

until it's put into somebody else's hands because Cooper black was readily

直到它被交到別人手中，因為庫珀-布萊克很容易地

available in letras at int I posit or catalogs it was no longer just in the

在IN I posit或目錄的letras中可用，它不再只是在

hands of professionals and designers it was in the hands of the DI wires of the

專業人員和設計師的手中，它是在DI電線的手中。

counterculture movement it seamlessly jumped from Burger King to underground

反文化運動，它無縫地從漢堡王跳到地下的。

posters and magazines and became a staple the idea of using something

海報和雜誌，併成為一個主旋律的想法，使用的東西。

that's basic vernacular but using it with intention to make a statement is

那是基本的白話，但有心算無心嘛

something that you see throughout design or cultural history

貫穿設計或文化歷史的東西

these early hip-hop posters are actually the perfect example of Cooper blacks

這些早期的嘻哈海報實際上是庫珀黑人的完美例子。

adaptability and its legacy like take a look at this one it doesn't really

適應性和它的遺留問題，比如看看這個，它並沒有真正的。

matter that these are two lowercase LS because the S fits so perfectly next to

這兩個小寫的LS沒關係，因為S和旁邊的S非常吻合。

them and the types ability to be squeezed as tightly as possible and

他們和類型的能力，以儘可能緊緊地擠壓和

still be incredibly legible holds up even under extreme circumstances it's

屹立不倒

always fun to look at something that's used an assertive lowbrow way and then

總是有趣的看東西，使用一個自信的低調的方式，然後

to realize that this isn't like some cheap tacky thing this is actually like

意識到這並不是什麼廉價的俗氣的東西，這其實就像。

very good that's why Cooper black is just as

很好 這就是為什麼庫珀-布萊克也是一樣的

popular today as it was when it was first made from corner store signs and

今天的流行，因為它是第一次由街角商店的標誌和。

fashion brands to food packaging grassroots movements and hip-hop album

從時裝品牌到食品包裝的草根運動和嘻哈音樂專輯。

covers Cooper's ability to work as like rebel

涵蓋了庫珀的工作能力，就像反叛者一樣。

and letterings and in photo type and as movable type and also now like in

和字母，以及照片字體和活字版，現在也像在 "我的 "中。

digital that's why it's everywhere and that's something that Oswald Cooper

數字化，這就是為什麼它無處不在的原因，這也是奧斯瓦爾德-庫珀的事情。

couldn't have predicted

豈料

you

你