Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!liuida!prosys!ath
From: ath@prosys.se (Anders Thulin)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Subject: Re: Need "traditional" sample text
Message-ID: <690@helios.prosys.se>
Date: 30 Dec 90 10:21:59 GMT
References: <4060@csccat.cs.com>
Organization: Telesoft AB, Teknikringen 2A, S-583 30 Linkoping, Sweden
Lines: 44

In article <4060@csccat.cs.com> larry@csccat.cs.com (Larry Spence) writes:
>I seem to recall that there is some "traditional" sample of text that
>is often used to evaluate kerning, letter design, etc.  I think it 
>began with the letters "hamburgefons..." (don't laugh, I did!).  Can
>someone clue me in on the full text, and any other samples that have
>proven useful (aside from the pathological stuff like "AV," "To," 
>etc.)?

To be useful for who? The typeface designer or the typeface user?

The word (or more correctly, the letterforms in the word) 'Hamburg'
(occasionally with some extra letters) seems to be universally used by
type designers to ensure the sanity of the type elements of their
design. 

It's a sort of 'pons asinorum' - if the lettershapes don't work in
that word, they won't work at all. If they pass the test, other tests
are required to ensure that the typeface is of even colour, is
properly kerned etc. No one test can be used for all this.


I doubt very much that 'Hamburg' is useful to anyone else than the
type designer. It is a one-shot test: it provides information only
about details of some of the letter shapes, very little about kerning,
and none at all about font colour and rhythm.

I must also confess that if I found the word 'Hamburg' in a font
sample I would tend to believe either that the sample was a
preliminary version, or that the printer of the sample didn't know
what he was doing, and consequently not fully professional. A finished
typeface should not need any props like that, and if it does, it is
very probably not a good one. I'm not a professional typographer,
however, so these are only opinions. Unauthorized use prohibited ...


A book designer would probaly be more interested to see a page or two
with real-life text, than anything else.

Hope this is of any help,


-- 
Anders Thulin       ath@prosys.se   {uunet,mcsun}!sunic!prosys!ath
Telesoft Europe AB, Teknikringen 2B, S-583 30 Linkoping, Sweden