Ambigrammatical Area

Gallery

Each of the following links opens a separate browser window. Many of these ambigrams are presented as animations.

The animated GIF files, indicated by (GIF), are up to 300 Kbytes in size and may take some time to load, but they are very effective presentations of ambigrams.
The Shockwave Flash animations, indicated by (SWF), require a browser plug-in. If not already installed, your browser will direct you to it or indicate in some way that it is installing it. This may involve JavaScript interaction and may take several minutes to accomplish. Once installed, the Flash plug-in will give you the ability to view (and hear) fast-loading animations. (To stop or start a Flash animation, command-click or right-mouse-click over the picture to display a menu.)
The Quicktime 3D object and movie files, indicated by (MOV), are large and require Apple's QuickTime Player. (Since the QuickTime Plug-in may not handle large files, it may be necessary to set the browser File Helper to download QuickTime movies so that you can open the file with QuickTime Player from your computer's hard disk.)

Angela (SwF) X-axis rotation.

Blake (GIF) X-axis rotation.

Chris (SwF) Z-axis rotation, based on a design by Scott Kim.

Courtney & Kyle (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

DEBBIE (SwF) A "natural" X-axis rotation.

DC (GIF) XYZ-axis rotation.

Drumline Y-axis rotation.

Drumline (MOV) Y-axis rotation interactive 3D object. Click and drag to rotate.

Drumline (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

FOSFAX: SF Upside Down & Backwards Cover for science fiction fanzine features multiple ambigrams.

Ford (SwF) Rejected as a wheel cover logo by Ford Motor Company because Ford does not accept "suggestions" from "persons not employed or retained by" Ford..

Golden Pride (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Jason (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Jeff (GIF) Y-axis rotation.

Jonathan (MOV) X-axis rotation (with a bit of asymmetry).

Josh (GIF) Y-axis rotation.

Katy Ware (SwF) X-axis rotation.

Kyle Ware (GIF) X-axis rotation.

Kyle Ware (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Leigh (GIF) Z-axis rotation.

Mark Y-axis rotation.

Matt (GIF) Y-axis rotation.

Mauri & Matt (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Mende Bruce (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Nike (MOV) XYZ-axis rotation. Put this on the bottom of a shoe, and the footprint would never be upside down and the sole would not read backwards.

Ratcliff (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Roy (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Taylor (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Transition (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

Trout Fishing in America: Keith & Ezra (SwF) Dual z-axis rotation.

Ware (GIF) Y-axis rotation.

Ware (SwF) Z-axis rotation.

UEA (GIF) Not an ambigram, but each letter of the acronym is symmetric unto itself and rotates on its axis of symmetry.

About Ambigrams

The term "ambigram" was coined by cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter to describe what Scott Kim, purveyor of the art, calls inversions (calligraphic cartwheels). An ambigram or inversion is a word or name written so it can be read upside down or backwards or both. Some read as two different words. Some read as the same word both ways. In any case, an ambigram is a word or words which can be read when rotated on one or more axes.

The ambigrams above are described according to their axis or axes of rotation. If an ambigram rotates on the Z axis, it reads the same when turned upside down (or, to invert the thought process, it cannot be turned upside down). If an ambigram rotates on the Y axis, it will appear the same when viewed in a mirror or painted on a transparent material and viewed from either side. If an ambigram rotates on the X axis, it reads the same over its reflection or as one word over its reflection which reads as another word.

The rotational characteristics of a printed inversion are not always obvious to someone who encounters an ambigram not knowing what it is. It may initially appear as stylized typography or calligraphy. That's where Web pages have an edge over the printed page. When an ambigram is animated, it's geometric symmetry is revealed dramatically.

Celebrate Z-axis rotation symmetry with the perfect invertible medium—a mouse pad!
When one edge gets worn,
turn it 180 degrees and get twice the wear from the same stylized typographic message.
If it can be done, B·Ware will do it.
E-mail for details.