Oscillations – This style is designed to be read as one of two words, and the word that can be seen depends on the shift in perception.Īmbigrams are, can be, and have been used on all types of surfaces.Figure/ground relationships – With this type of ambigram, the negative spaces in the letters that make up a word can also be read as letters.Symbiotograms can be either rotational or bi-lateral. Symbiotograms – This style of ambigram depicts two words that have complementary opposite meanings, and each word is viewed from two different vantage points.Totems – With this style of an ambigram, the words are read in a vertical direction and their symmetry is a mirror image.Chain bilateral – This kind of ambigram has the same connecting property as rotational chain ambigrams however, they are deciphered the same way when viewed either in a mirror or from behind.The best way to display and view a chain rotational ambigram is in a circular or spiral formation. To create this type of ambigram, the word has to be divided into different sections and each part is designed as a rotation. Chain rotational – The chain rotational ambigram does not exist as a single word on its own rather, it has to be connected to endless repetitions of the given word.Bilateral – Also known as a mirror image, this type of ambigram can be deciphered when it is viewed from behind when it is printed on something that is transparent, or when it is viewed in a mirror.Other types of ambigrams include the following: It’s a word or a phrase that can be read the same way when it is inverted, or rotate 180 degrees. Rotational – This is the most popular type of ambigram.

There are several different kinds of ambigrams, and they are either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Also referred to as “graphic palindromes”, the first ambigram was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, which means dates back to before 79 AD. Historically speaking, the term ambigram may be relatively new however, they have been around for quite some time. Hofstadter explained this unique type of word art as “calligraphic designs that manage to squeeze in two different readings”. The term “ambigram” was coined by the American scholar who specialized in cognitive science, Douglas Hofstadter, in 1983. To learn more about ambigrams, including their history, different types, how they are created, and where they are commonly used, continue reading. While they may seem to be a new trend, in reality, ambigrams have been around for centuries. An ambigram is a type of word design that can be deciphered when viewed in a variety of directions or perspectives, either as the same word or as an entirely different word.

Two word ambigram