1 - One letter vs 12 variants

2 - Contrast play

3 - FINAL PROJECT - "Vom Fischer und seiner Frau"

◆ Instructions ◆

The final project for the Type + Print semester was the creation of the fairytale book Vom Fischer und seiner Frau (originally Von dem Fischer und syner Fru by Philipp Otto Runge).

The project encompassed the concept, layout, format, typography, printing, and binding.

✱ No illustrations
✱ Full text
✱ Black and white, with one additional color allowed

◆ My approach ◆

This project was particularly challenging for me since I don’t understand German very well. It was difficult to merge the words and their meanings with the visual design, or even to separate the paragraphs from one page to another in a coherent and seamless way.

I started by translating the text block by block and sketching relevant page layouts by hand. My initial ideas clearly influenced the final layout.

◆ More and more◆

The story follows a crescendo, with a repeating pattern:

1. The wife makes a request.
2. The fisherman calls the fish.
3. The fish grants the wish.
4. The fisherman returns home.
5. The wife remains unsatisfied.

At first, I considered using red to highlight the final request—the one too many—which leads to the climax:

» Wach auf, geh hin zum Butt, ich will werden wie der liebe Gott. «

However, I chose to keep it in black and white, as adding an extra color would have disrupted the pattern established throughout the tale. Instead, I found other ways to express the crescendo, such as varying the size of the text.

With each request, the wife's demands grow more extravagant, so I gradually increased the size of the words. The letter J expands to 450pt, then 600pt, then 850pt, eventually overlapping onto the next page. I applied the same system to the fisherman’s call to the Butt, scaling it from 20pt to 27pt, then 37pt, 50pt, 75pt, and finally 115pt when he asks for his wife to become God.

◆ Characters ◆

For each character, I used their personality traits to guide the choice of layout and typography.

☞ Narration ☜

For the narration and repetitive dialogues, I used Myriad Pro Regular (17pt) with 20.5pt line spacing. This gives the text a neutral identity, creating contrast with the varying sizes and shapes used around it.

♟ Fischer ♟

He is modest, easy-going, accommodating, and submissive. To reflect this, I emphasized empty space on his pages. His lines are set in the same regular narration font, while only his wife's commands appear in bold within his pleas to the Butt.

♕ Frau ♕

She is loud, demanding, and temperamental. To visually express her dominance, I made her lines take up as much space as possible, leaving no margins and even pushing surrounding words aside—symbolizing her thundering tantrums.

Whenever I needed to emphasize her words, I used Bahnschrift Bold, a thicker typeface than the regular narration font.

⋆ 𓆝  Butt  𓆝 ⋆

He is mystical, kind, and sovereign. Since he emerges from the water to speak with the fisherman, I used wave-like movements for his lines.

One part of the tale was preserved in Old German by the authors: the fisherman’s call to the Butt:

» Mannte, Manntje, Timpe Te, Buttje, Buttje in der See, myne Fru, de Ilsebill, will nich so, as ik wol will. «

This repetitive scene functions almost like a ritual—a mantra. To reinforce its timeless and sacred quality, I chose Sitka Italic, a serif font that conveys an older, more solemn feel.

◆ Book concept ◆

The final design will be a 210x210mm square, evoking the classic format of children's books.

For my first draft, I decided to lengthen the pages by a few centimeters to allow space for hand-stitching with blue thread, resulting in an A5 landscape format. I also added a cover with a window, creating a more interactive experience. The textured surface provided a tactile contrast, while the cutout subtly revealed the title.

However, the process was time-consuming, and the result was not fully satisfying:

✱ The pages were misaligned.
✱ The single-sided printing led to thick, slightly wavy glued pages.
✱ The overall format was too small for comfortable reading.

◆ The final version ◆

For my second and final print, I used double-sided pages and opted for a saddle stitch binding. I carefully organized the pages so they would align correctly when stapled together.

The binding was completed before trimming the margins, ensuring well-aligned edges and a more polished final look.

◆ Conclusion ◆

The final outcome is the result of multiple trials and improvements. However, here are some aspects I could refine for a future project:

✱ Alignment

I worked in Illustrator page by page without fully considering the overall double-page layout. As a result, some pages have a slightly misaligned grid that could have been avoided with better planning.

✱ Export Quality

The final printed pages have a grainy, slightly blurry appearance due to a medium-quality file export—a simple issue that could have been easily avoided.

✱ Paper Quality

I underestimated the impact of paper choice on the final result. Using a thicker, higher-quality paper would have added more value to the object.

✱ Binding 

The final version lacks the tactile presence of a well-crafted book. I believe a hybrid approach—combining elements of both my binding techniques—would have been more effective. Keeping the hardcover with a window, the square format, and a more centered saddle stitch binding would have resulted in a more polished and cohesive look.

PDF version of the tale