Before a wide range of digital Traditional Chinese fonts was readily available, record labels, film studios and advertising teams often commissioned lettering for particular titles. These wordmarks and display letters attracted attention while communicating something of the work’s character.
Here we take a closer look at examples from record sleeves of the 1980s.
Sam Hui’s 1980 album 念奴嬌 included songs such as 尖沙咀Susie and 夜夜念奴嬌.
Some forms in the sleeve’s title lettering invite comparison with Hanyi Lingxin. Visual resemblance alone does not establish a direct line of influence, however; this is a comparison of forms, not an attribution of origin.
Handwritten styles were already remarkably varied in that period. Looking across the sleeves reveals many different approaches to the written gesture.
The lettering was not confined to song and album titles: performers’ names also received distinctive treatments, sometimes surprisingly bold and experimental.
Adapting existing typographic forms was common, particularly the gothic styles that were prominent at the time.
Gradients, distortions and slanted forms helped communicate different moods and musical identities.
