GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

A Review of Typography
Words are communication. What do they say? The meaning should
come before the look of the type is considered.

The primary task of graphic design is to create a strong, consistent

visual hierarchy, where important elements are emphasized, and
content is organized logically and predictably.

Therefore, choose typographic styles and sizes that are appropriate

to the meaning and will serve the text’s relative importance in the
hierarchy.
GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

Why Typography Matters

Typography matters because it helps conserve the most valuable
resource you have as a designer . . .

Reader/Viewer Attention
At­ten­tion is the read­er’s gift to you. That gift is precious. And
finite. Should you fail to be a respect­ful stew­ard of that gift—
most common­ly, by bor­ing or ex­as­per­at­ing your read­er—it will be
prompt­ly revoked.
Good ty­pog­ra­phy can help your read­er de­vote less at­ten­tion to the
me­chan­ics of read­ing and more at­ten­tion to your message.

Converse­ly, bad ty­pog­ra­phy can dis­tract your read­er and undermine

your message.
GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

Designing with Type

Determine which part of your project needs
readability, legibility, and impact.
The lengthiest text needs to be the most readable.

The text that people will skim through, such as items in a catalog or
headlines in a newsletter, needs to be the most legible.

The text that’s designed to catch someone’s eye in a hurry and

create an instant impression needs to have the most impact.
Type is the tie between author and reader
Different projects call for different type choices and combinations.

» Are you working on a book? Is the book a

novel, or is it a coffee table book that includes
lots of pictures and text?

» Are you Working on a brochure, a catalog, a

magazine, a poster, an invitation?

Each project has different requirements as to readability, legibility,

and impact.
A good typeface will engage
the audience and influence their
perception of the message.
GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

Typography Rules Every

Designer Should Know
RULE 1
Learn the basics.
To get a better grip on the basics of
typography, spend time studying and
learning the art.
RULE 2
Take note of font communication.
When designing, you need to make sure
your type is connecting to your audience.
RULE 3
Understand kerning.
It’s main goal is to ensure that the space
between each character is aesthetically
even to create well-arranged text.
RULE 4
Limit your fonts.
One of the common slip-ups designers
(especially newbies) do is using too many
fonts and styles.
RULE 5
Practice smart pairing.
It is possible to make your layout a lot more
compelling through typeface pairing.
RULE 6
Practice correct alignment.
Alignment is an imperative concept
in typography.
RULE 7
Bring visual hierarchy into play.
Typographic hierarchy is the way you stress
the significance of certain lines of type as
opposed to others.
RULE 8
Work with grids.
Working with a grid ensures that every
little thing on the page is put in relation
to something else to produce logical and
visual harmony.
RULE 9
Prioritize readability.
Whatever you design, make sure people
can easily read your message.
RULE 10
Choose your color palette wisely.
Color is one of the most powerful tools of
a designer.
RULE 11
Get a handle on “widows” and
“orphans.”
A typographical widow is a single line of
text that is part of a paragraph, but has
shifted over to the next column.
An orphan is basically the same with an
exception that there’s only a single word
left on its own.
RULE 12
Avoid stretching fonts.
Stretching a font takes away its efficiency
and value.
RULE 13
White space is NOT an empty space.
White space is a distinctive and valuable
tool that can bring out something special
from your design.
RULE 14

Adhere to grammar rules.

Making the effort to find out and learn the
design-oriented grammar rules can help
you create a professional-looking design.
RULE 15
Find something that inspires you.
The best way to learn how to create
efficient and appealing typography is to
study existing typeface illustrations.
Figure out what makes them engaging
and effective.
RULE 16
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Constant practice sharpens your skills.
GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

Choosing the Right Font

Font Choice.
» Choosing the right typeface can make or break
the effectiveness of your design.
» A good typeface will engage the audience and
influence their perception of the message.
» A good typeface can increase the reading pleasure
of the viewer.
» The best typeface for the job will be the one that
is the most appropriate.
Font Choice.
» Every font has a personality, » Use fonts from established
or tone, which communicates type houses such as Monotype
on a visual level. and Adobe. These fonts should
read well in all sizes and uses,
» Once you are clear on the tone
with good letter spacing.
of the message, use fonts that
communicate the same qualities: » Avoid so-called free fonts you
Is it light, serious, wry, nostalgic, can get from the Internet. Most
upbeat, spiritual, technical, fun? are terribly gimmicky. Plus,
you’ll probably have to spend
» There are so many fonts
extra time trying to make the
available, but few are good,
spacing between the letters
well-designed fonts.
look right.
Have you ever wondered:
» What typefaces/fonts go together?

» How would I go about pairing different ones together?

» Are typefaces grouped by style? If so, what are the differences

between them?
Most typefaces can generally be categorized by at
least one of these classifications:
»
Pairing Typefaces
CONTRAST IS KEY
Using typefaces that are similar is generally not ideal for pairing. For
example, if we paired two serif typefaces, like Georgia and Baskerville
(below), their individual characteristics would blend together, because they
are too similar. Using typefaces that look similar to each other leaves your
typographic designs and layouts without great visual hierarchy.

Georgia (Serif)
Baskerville (Serif)
Pairing Typefaces cont.
Now, consider using Serif and Sans Serif typefaces. Below, our header
typeface (Avenir Condensed Bold) is a sans serif paired with a slab serif
(Archer Medium) for body text. The two work together because of their
differences, giving the layout nice contrast.
Pairing Typefaces cont.
QUICK TIP FOR CREATING CONTRAST USING THE SAME FONT FAMILY

Using light and bold versions of the same font family can create a dramatic
effect, while maintaining a consistent look for your design.

Practice makes perfect when it comes to confidently pairing typefaces.

What’s appropriate?
• You don’t have to choose an obvious font, such
as a flowery script for a perfume ad or a blocky
sans serif for auto parts.
• The important thing is to serve the values that the
text stands for.
GD116 - INTERMEDIATE TYPOGRAPHY

Important Typographic Terms

A must know for Projects 1, 2, & 3
Typographic Extension
Extending part(s) of a letter-form to provide a visual affect that is
appropriate to the design.
Typographic Subtraction
Cropping or removing part(s) of a letter-form to provide a visual affect that
is appropriate to the design.
Ligatures
Two or more letters combined into one character.
Alignment
The setting of text flow or image placement relative to the design.
Type alignment setting is sometimes referred to as text alignment, text
justification, or type justification.
Basic Alignment Variations

FLUSH LEFT CENTERED JUSTIFIED FLUSH RIGHT

Text is aligned Text is aligned to Text is aligned Text is aligned
along the left neither the left along the left along the right
margin or gutter, nor right margin; margin, and letter margin or gutter,
also known as there is an even and word spacing also known as
left-aligned, gap on each side is adjusted so that right-aligned,
ragged right or of each line the text falls flush ragged left or
ranged left. with both margins, ranged right.
also known as fully
justified or full
justification.