An ambigram is a typographical design that can be read as one or more words, not just in its normal orientation but also when it is rotated, flipped or viewed from a different angle. The word “ambigram” comes from the Latin “ambi-” (meaning “both”) and “gram” (meaning “letter” or “word”).
An ambigram is not considered an illusion in the traditional sense of the word, but it is a form of visual play that can be seen as a type of perceptual puzzle.
Table of Contents
- How does an Ambigram work?
- Versions of Ambigram
- Illusions like Ambigram
- Discovery of the Ambigram
- References and Resources
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How do Ambigrams work?
An ambigram is created by designing a word or phrase such that different letters or letterforms are used in different orientations, such that the word or phrase can be read in multiple ways. There are several types of ambigrams, such as rotational ambigrams, which can be read in different orientations, and reflective ambigrams, which can be read when reflected in a mirror.
Ambigrams have been used in various forms of art, typography, graphic design, tattoos, and even on book covers, logos, and other forms of branding. They have also been used in cryptography and secret messages, where the sender and the receiver must know the technique to read the message.
Ambigrams can be created by hand, or by using various computer programs such as Illustrator, and there are also online tools that can help you create your own ambigrams. There are also communities and websites dedicated to ambigrams and their designs, where artists and designers can share their work, and get inspiration from others.
Versions of Ambigrams
The following are a few Ambigrams
Illusions like Ambigrams
An ambigram is not considered an illusion in the traditional sense of the word, but it is a form of visual play that can be seen as a type of perceptual puzzle. An illusion is something that tricks the mind into seeing something that is not actually there, while an ambigram is a design that can be read in multiple ways, but it is not deceiving the viewer into seeing something that is not real.
Ambigrams are therefore most similar to Ambiguous illusions.
Ambiguous illusions are visual stimuli that can be interpreted in more than one way. These illusions typically consist of a single image that can be perceived in multiple ways. Ambiguous illusions can be used to study the neural mechanisms of perception and how the brain resolves ambiguity.
Some related illusions include the following:
The Rubin vase, also known as the Rubin face or the figure-ground vase, is a famous optical illusion in which the image of a vase can also be perceived as two faces in profile looking at each other.
The duck-rabbit illusion is an optical illusion that is an image that can be perceived as either a duck or a rabbit depending on how the viewer looks at it.
The Necker cube is an optical illusion that features a simple wireframe drawing of a cube. The cube appears to switch back and forth between two different orientations.
The My Wife and My Mother-in-Law illusion is an optical illusion with an image of a young woman’s face that can also be perceived as an older woman’s face.
The Schröder Staircase is an optical illusion that features a drawing of a staircase. The staircase appears to be either ascending or descending, depending on how the brain interprets the angles of the lines.
The impossible cube is an optical illusion that depicts a three-dimensional object that is physically impossible to construct.
The Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar, is an optical illusion that depicts a three-dimensional object that is physically impossible to construct.
The impossible trident is a three-pronged impossible shape resembling a trident. It is usually depicted as a three-pronged fork with each prong appearing to be a continuation of the next, creating an impossible shape.
The spinning dancer illusion is a visual illusion that depicts a silhouette of a dancer spinning clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction of the dancer’s spin can appear to change depending on the viewer’s perception
The Monroe-Einstein illusion works by playing with the viewer’s expectations about the relationships between the features of the faces and the viewer’s sense of facial proportions.
Discovery of Ambigrams
The origins of ambigrams are not entirely clear, but the concept has been around for centuries in various forms. The earliest known examples of ambigrams can be found in ancient art and architecture, where words or phrases were designed to be read in multiple ways. For example, many ancient cultures used palindromes, words or phrases that can be read forward and backward, in their art and writing.
In modern times, the term “ambigram” was first coined by artist and graphic designer John Langdon in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Langdon was one of the first to explore the concept of creating typographical designs that could be read in multiple ways and he is considered as one of the pioneers of modern ambigram design. He has created many ambigrams and also wrote several books on the subject.
It’s also worth mentioning that, before Langdon, the term “ambigram” was used in a mathematical context, refer to a geometric pattern or design that can be seen as the same when rotated by a specific angle, but the concept of Ambigram as a typographical design is credited to Langdon.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.