1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
|
\def\blt{$\bullet$}
\centerline{\bf DIDOT}
\centerline{\bf European project for training}
\centerline{\bf in
numerical typography}
\smallskip
\noindent
The Laboratory of Peripheral Systems of the Polytechnic of Lausanne is
preparing a project for continual training in digital typography. This
project seeks to establish a European system for training for typographers
and artists with a view to enabling them to use new creative tools and for
computer experts in order to make them competent to create these new tools.
This training therefore would be carried out by mixing the two groups in
shared seminars. In fact, the purposes the project are several:
\item{\blt}To prepare a curriculum which would define the type of training
which
would be carried out;
\item{\blt}To define tools, especially computer-assisted, for this instruction;
\item{\blt}To organise short duration courses to validate these methods;
\item{\blt}To anticipate the training of instructors in professional schools.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Objectives of the project Didot}
\noindent
The object of project {\sc Didot} (`Digitalisation and Design of
Typefaces') is to conceive, to equip and to evaluate a European programme of
instruction in digital typography for computer experts and graphical arts
specialists. This area includes not just the creation and use of fonts (and
more generally logos, drawings, etc.) in printing or for laser printers, but
also for all sorts of displays, computers, television, etc.,
tele-distribution, (of which fax. is just a first sketch) their storage
(CD-ROM, for example) etc. In other words, this sector is an important one,
even though this is not always recognised.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Reasons for the project and its origin}
\noindent
While the great typographical inventors
(Gutenberg, Baskerville, Mergenthaler, Higgonnet and Moyroud, Karow,
B\'ezier, etc) are European in origin, the market in typefaces has for a
number of years been in the hands of some American firms. (ITC, Bitstream,
Adobe, Allied, etc). By a market we mean the market of the artistic creation
of the font and its `giving it a number' and finally its distribution. The
recent font-war (choice of a standard) proves that very adequately.
Europe could be better placed in this market thanks to a better
knowledge of the new technologies, hence the need for a formation which
is `state-of-the-art' and mixed (computer specialists and
graphical specialists).
Didot is also the
name of a whole French dynasty of font-engravers, founders, printers or
booksellers, whose activity spans more than three centuries. The most famous
are probably Fran\c coise Ambroise Didot (1704--1804) who gave his name to the
Didot point, a typographical unit still used in most European countries
and his son Firmin Didot, (1765--1836) who drew `Le Didot'.
The state-of-the-art technology have reached a certain maturity. On
the other hand, training in this area remains very localised and
Europe remains thus dependent on countries which do not necessarily
share its culture.
The modern display interfaces (NeWS, Display \PS) and programs on
page printers are based upon derivatives of the page descripion language
\PS. It is essential that European industrialists should be
capable of developing their own controllers for displays, printers and
phototypesetters based upon such a language.
Very soon, all computer and office systems will incorporate extensive
typographic possibilities/facilities; it is therefore essential to bring
together European typographers, computer specialists and industrialists.
This training will permit the exchange of information between teachers
and students from diverse industrial academic and artistic backgrounds.
It ought to be possible to obtain a very significant synergistic result.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Types of activities and training be undertaken}
\noindent
The principal activities of project {\sc Didot} therefore concern the
preparation of a curriculum and associated tools. At the same time, training
will be carried out with a view to validating this program of instruction.
The types of training to be carried out concern, for example,
\item{\blt}For typographers who create fonts, how to use the new computer
tools
\item{\blt}For computer specialists of PME, the bases of classic typography,
the computer-based techniques of rasterisation, etc.,
\item{\blt}For specialists in office equipment, (distance distribution,
storing CD-ROM, etc) standards and servers for fonts.
\item{\blt}For researchers in typography, how these new technologies
enable new developments in typography.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Proposals}
\noindent
Project {\sc Didot} therefore proposes:
\item{\blt}To prepare in collaboration with the PME who are concerned and
with typographers and computer experts and researchers who are
computer experts in this domain a curriculum; that is to say,
to conceive a programme of courses in digital typography
\item{\blt}To develop tools for this training both CAI tools for teaching
in groups and for individuals
\item{\blt}To validate these tools in training sessions.
\item{\blt}To train the instructors on the relevant professional courses,
e.g art school, high school of graphic art and printing, so
that they can instruct their pupils in the new technologies.
\noindent The organisers have already been involved in attempts at training of
this kind -- the INRIA school `Typography and Computer at Rennes, 1985', and
Aussois, 1987 `colloquium on digital typography at Sophia-Antipolis (1987)'
`Raster Imaging and Digital Typography at Lausanne, 1989'. Conference on
Electronic Publishing at Nice, 1988; as well as many courses of a more
academic nature at EPFL Lausanne and at the University of Rennes.
These have always been successful both with PME and with researchers.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Results to be obtained}
\noindent
\item{\blt}To introduce font designers and logo designers to the new
technology, and notably to the use of computer-based systems
\item{\blt}To initiate computer experts in the problems of traditional
or digital typography
\item{\blt}To enable European industrialists to acquire the knowlege
necessary to develop an \PS-like interpreter and to
follow the work of international groups working on standardisation
\item{\blt}To bring about, through the contact of these groups and
through the presence of motivated instructors a symbiosis
whose indirect fallout ought to be the creation of new tools
adapted to meet the true needs of creators and users.
\smallskip
\leftline{\sl Input required}
\noindent
This project will be presented at the end of February 1990, under the title
`{\sc Didot}' within the auspices of the Comet-2 programme to the European
Community.
In order to give it weight, we wish to demonstrate that this indeed
coresponds to a need both of typopgraphers and of industrialists and
researchers. We would therefore like to hear from your institution
telling us what you think of this project. We are at your disposal for
further information.
\rightline{\sl Jacques Andr\'e \& Roger Hersch}
\rightline{\sl (translated by Malcolm Smith)}
|