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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Typography
exists
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to honor content.*
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
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*From the Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst
From the
Beginning
• Read the text you are trying to design.
• Discover what the type is trying to communicate and what the text is trying to communicate.
• Make a visible relationship between the type and the other elements on the
page (photographs, illustrations, diagrams, tables). Reflect this relationship
with the type.
• Invite the reader into the text.
• Reveal the meaning of the text through the type.
• Clarify the structure and order of the text.
• Create energy through the type to invite the reader.
“
Typography should honor the text for its own sake –
always assuming that the text is worth a typographer’s
trouble – and it should honor and contribute to its own
tradition: that of typography itself.
”
Choosing &
Combining Type
• Consider the medium for which the typeface was originally designed.
• Use what there is to the best of your advantage.
Baskerville roman
and its italic
• Start with a single typographic family.
Gotham Thin
Gotham Thin
Gotham Light
Gotham Book
Gotham Medium
Gotham Bold
Gotham Black
Gotham Ultra
Gotham Light
Gotham Book
Gotham Medium
Gotham Bold
Gotham Black
Gotham Ultra
• Balance the type optically rather than mathematically
• Pair serif and unserifed faces by their structure and designer.
A couple of good pairs:
Avenir FRANKLIN GOTHIC
& Archer
& ITC Century
Choosing &
Combining Type Cont.
Rely on family
You can utilize various weights from a single type family, extended family,
or superfamily, because families were designed—many times by the same
designer—to share a set of consistent traits. Bold, italic, extended, and
condensed fonts introduce typographic color, while character alternates and
ligatures can make familiar relationships seem novel.
Embrace
the Past
Pairing typefaces that contrast in weight, scale, width, and/or spacing can
eliminate monotony and visually divide the text—making it easier for readers
to understand hierarchy. Too much contrast can cause friction, so opt for just
a few points of difference. Many successful pairs feature a serif typeface with
a sans serif typeface. Assign distinct roles—headline, body copy, caption—to
each to help readers deduce order of importance.
Seek the
Similar
Pairing typefaces that look alike can create visual consistency that will not
distract readers from the writing itself. Use one face’s features as a matchmaking guide, and look for similar x-heights, cap heights, and ascenders/
descenders, as well as correlating aperture size, axis tilt, terminal shape, and
stroke consistency/geometry. Comparable lowercase a, g, e (and sometimes, f, q) can also suggest a solid pair.
Explore the Past
Focusing on the context of a typeface’s creation can provide a better
understanding of its nuances. You can create compatible matches by choosing
typefaces designed for the same tool (pen, brush), output medium (metal,
wood, screen), historic era, or concept. Old style serif typefaces go well with
humanist sans despite being years apart, because both were inspired by the
broad nib pen.
Applying Type
to the Page
• Choose page proportions suited to the content, size and ambitions of the publication.
• If the text is meant to invite continuous reading, set it in columns that are
clearly taller than wide.
• Shape the text block so that it balances and contrasts with the shape of the
overall page.
• Bring the design into the margins and the margins into the design.
• Make sure to mark the reader’s way.
• Find a clear relationship between the grid and the type. Find ways to both
follow and break the grid.
Calculate, then improvise.
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Don’t forget to have fun with your type!