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Ambigram
An ambigram, also known as an inversion, is a graphical figure that spells out a word not only in its form as presented, but also in another direction or orientation. This is typically when viewed as a mirror-image or when rotated through 180 degrees. The word usually is not a palindrome, although it may be. Sometimes the word spelled out from the alternate direction may be a different one, but for mirror-image ambigrams the canonical form spells out the same word.
 A mirror-image ambigram for the word "Wiki"
An animation of a rotationally symmetric ambigram for the word "ambigram"
Douglas R. Hofstadter describes an ambigram as a "calligraphic design that manages to squeeze two different readings into the selfsame set of curves." The first published reference to the term was by Hofstadter, who attributes the origin of the word to a friend.
Ambigrams are exercises in graphic design that play with optical illusions, symmetry and visual perception. Ambigram lovers value especially those with a relation between form and content.
Ambigrams feature prominently in Dan Brown's novel, Angels and Demons. The first UK release of the novel featured an ambigram of the title on the cover.
Ambigram logos
Ambigrams are sometimes used as logos. Notable examples include:
- Triology [1]
- New X-Men, a comic book series [2]
- Mosuki, a online calendar sharing site [3]
- Opodo [4]
- Oysho [5]
- Xpedx, a division of International Paper [6]
- ABBA [7]
- Duna, Duna TV (Hungarian television) [8]
- GOES, NASA's GOES satellite (designed by Scott Kim) [9]
- ONNO, Ökologisches Unternehmensnetzwerk Ostfriesland [10]
- OXXO, a Mexican company [11]
- SWMS, German software company [12]
- Viva, a German TV music channel. It is an ambigram by pure shape, but the letters are colored differently, so it is not a perfect ambigram [13]
- ASE, The Association for Science Education [14]
- CND, China News Digest [15]
- DIP, Database of Interacting Proteins [16]
- DMC, De Lorean Motor Company [17]
- DOP, Digital Outpost [18]
- MNW, Music Network [19]
- MOW, Möbel Ordermesse Westfalica [20]
- MSW, Musées et Société en Wallonie [21]
- Sun, Sun Microsystems (designed by Vaughan Pratt [22]
- VIA, VIA Rail Canada [23]
- VNA, a Chilean recording studio [24]
- VOA, Voice of America [25]
- VSA, VSA Comunicación [26]
- WOM, a German music company [27]
- DP, Don Park, a Canadian manufacturer [28]
- DP, don piso, a well-know Spanish real estate agency [29]
- JP, Justícia i Pau, a Catalan NGO [30]
- WM, Waste Management [31]
- Nuxnu, a German company [32]
References
- Kim, Scott, Inversions, Byte Books (1981)
- Hofstadter, Douglas R., "Metafont, Metamathematics, and Metaphysics: Comments on Donald Knuth's Article 'The Concept of a Meta-Font'" Scientific American (August 1982) (republished in the book Metamagical Themas)
- Langdon, John, Wordplay: Ambigrams and Reflections on the Art of Ambigrams, Harcourt Brace (1992)
- Hofstadter, Douglas R., Ambigrammi, Hopefulmonster Editore Firenze (1987) (in Italian)
- Ploster, Burkard, Les Ambigrammes l'art de symétriser les mots, Editions Ecritextes (2003) (in French)
- Ploster, Burkard, Eye Twisters: Ambigrams, Escher, and Illusions, web-based book available at http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/~bpolster/ambigram.html (date unknown)
External links
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