19 Rules of

Typography
 Preface
This book is based on the 19 rules of typography with examples. It is confidently proved that
this book is very helpful to me to understand the rules of typography and their application in
the field of graphic.

I am really thankful to my respected teacher Sir Sajid Sheikh who make me able to understand
the rules of typorgraphy by doing such an interesting assignment of making the book “ 19 Rules
of Typography”.

Syed Fahad Ali

Communication Design
 3
Rule # 1

Optimum ligibility
Examples:
Baskerville, Bembo, Bodoni,
Caslon, Centaur, Franklin
For optimum legibility, choose classical,
Gothic, Frutiger, Futura,
time-tested typefaces. These typefaces
Garamond, Gill Sans, Goudy
should be drawn and crafted with
Old Style, Helvetica, News
consistency among characters, and
Gothic, Palatino, Perpetua,
exhibit highly legible proportions.
Sabon, Times New Roman, and
Univers

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 4
Rule # 2

Use maximum two typeface Right:- At Samsung we`re

dedicated to giving our people a
wealth of opportunities to reach
Be mindful not to use too many their potential
different typefaces at any one time. The
main reason for using more than one
typeface is to create emphasis or to Wrong:- At Samsung we`re
separate one part of the text from  our
another. When too many different people a wealth of opportunities
typefaces are used, the reader is unable to reach their potential
to determine what is and what is
not important.

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 5
Rule # 3

Avoid combining typefaces

Right:- At Samsung we`re
that are too similar in dedicated to giving our people a
wealth of opportunities to reach
their potential
If the reason for combining typefaces is Wrong:-
to create emphasis, it is important to At Samsung we`re dedicat-
avoid the ambiguity caused by ed to giving our people a
combining types that are too similar in wealth of opportunities to
appearance. reach their potential
Samsung leads the global
market in hign tech

Telegrapahy
19 Rules of Typograpahy
 6
Rule # 4

Right:-
Use upper and lower case This is ths right place to work as an
Architecture.
Text set in all capital letters severely
retards reading. Use upper and lower Wrong:-
case letter for optimum readability. THIS IS THE RIGHT
Ascender and descenders provide the PLACE TO WORK AS
necessary visual cues to make text more AN ARCHITECT.
readable. Text set entirely in upper-case this is the right place to work as an
letters form monotonous, rectangular architect.
shapes. Upper-case letters can
successfully be used in display type
(headlines; type above 16 points).

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 7
Rule # 5

Use an average point size for text Right:- The (old) stock Apple
type headphones were pretty bad for
this; I could be half a bus away
from a set of those and still pick up
For text type, use sizes that, according lyrics
to legibility studies, prove most readable.
These sizes generally range from 8 to 12 Wrong:-
points for text that is read from an What I do see, or rather, hear, are crappy
earbud headphones that leak
average distance of 12 to 14 inches. Be approximately 100 percent of their sound
out the back, to the point where I wonder if
sure to remember that sizes (based on the they might work better if they were
x-height of letters) appear different inserted backward.

from one typeface to another.

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 8
Rule # 6

Use minimum type sizes Right:-

and weights Those poles are for multiple people
to grab on to, necessary for keeping
buses from becoming mosh
pits/American
Avoid using too many different type Wrong:-
sizes and weights at the same time. Those poles are for
Some experts recommend using no more multiple people to grab on
than two sizes, one for display titles and to buses.
one for text type. Those poles are for
multiple people to grab
on to, necessary for
keeping buses.

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 9
Rule # 7

Use text types of book weight Right:-

Gladiator events. When you lean
on or hug one of these poles,your
back and ass are taking up valuable
Avoid typefaces appearing too heavy or grabbing space.
too light. Text typefaces that are too Wrong:-
light cannot easily be distinguished from Gladiator events. When
their backgrounds. In typefaces that you lean on or hug one
are too heavy, counter forms diminish in of these poles,your
size, making them less legible. back and ass are taking
up valuable grabbing
space.

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 10
Rule # 8

Optimum ligibility Examples: Baskerville,

Bembo, Bodoni, Caslon,
For optimum legibility, choose Centaur, Franklin Gothic,
classical, time-tested typefaces. Frutiger, Futura, Gara-
These typefaces should be drawn mond, Gill Sans, Goudy
and crafted with consistency Old Style, Helvetica,
among characters, and exhibit News Gothic, Palatino,
highly legible proportions. Perpetua, Sabon, Times
New Roman, and Univers

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 11
Rule # 9

Use typeface of midium width Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces

Avoid typefaces that appear extremely

Wrong:-
For Optimum Legibility, Choose
wide or narrow in width. Rather than
Classical, Time-Tested Typefaces.
distorting text by stretching or squeezing
Exampls:- Bembo, Bodoni,
the text width, use type families that
Caslon, Franklin Gothic, Futura,
include condensed and extended faces
Garamond, Times New Roman,
that fall within accepted proportional
Helvetica and Univers
norms.

19 Rules of Telegrapahy
 12
Rule # 10

Use appropriate line and Right:-

lengths. For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
Lines that are too short or too long These typefaces should be drawn
disrupt the reading process. As the eye and crafted with consistency among
travels along overly long lines, negotiating characters.
the next line becomes difficult. Reading
overly short lines creates choppy eye Wrong:-
movements that tire and annoy the reader. For optimum legibility, choose
When working with text type, a classical, time-tested typefaces.
maximum of about 70 characters (10 to 12 These typefaces should be drawn
words) per line is thought to be most and crafted with consistency among
acceptable. c h a r a c t e r s .

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 13
Rule # 11

use appropriate line spacing Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
For text type, use line spacing that These typefaces should be drawn
easily carries the eye from one line to the and crafted with consistency among
next. Lines of type with too little space characters
between them slow the reading process; Right:-
the eye is forced to take in several lines
at one. By adding one to four points of For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
space between lines of type (depending These typefaces should be drawn
on the specific typeface), readability and crafted with consistency among
characters
can be improved

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 14
Rule # 12

Use flush left type allignment Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
These typefaces should be drawn
For optimum readability, use a flush and crafted with consistency among
left, ragged right type alignment. characters
Although in special situations, other
type alignments (flush right, ragged Wrong:-
left; centered, and justified) are For optimum legibility, choose
acceptable, the tradeoff is always a loss, classical, time-tested typefaces.
however slight, in readability. These typefaces should be drawn
and crafted with consistency among
characters

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 15
Rule # 13

Create effective rags Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
These typefaces should be drawn
Strive for consistent, rhythmic rags.
and crafted with consistency among
The purpose of effective rags is not only
characters
to achieve aesthetic beauty, but to enable
readers to move gently and effortlessly Wrong:-
down a text column. Effective rags For optimum legibility,
consist of lines establishing an informal choose classical, time-tested
but consistent pattern of line endings. typefaces. These typefaces
should be drawn and crafted
with consistency among characters

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 16
Rule # 14

Right:-
Clearly indicate paragraphs For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.

Clearly indicate paragraphs, but be These typefaces should be drawn

careful not to upset the integrity and and crafted with consistency among
visual consistency of the text. The characters
two most common ways of indicating Wrong:-
paragraphs are by indenting and For optimum legibility, choose
inserting additional space between classical, time-tested typefaces.
paragraphs. These typefaces should be drawn
and crafted with consistency
among characters

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 17
Rule # 15

Avoid widows and orphans Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
These typefaces should be drawn
Avoid widows and orphans whenever and crafted
possible. A widow is a word or very Wrong:-
short line at either the beginning or end For optimum legibility, choose
of a paragraph. An orphan is a single classical, time-tested typefaces.
syllable at the end of a paragraph These typefaces should
be drawn and crafted with
consistency
among characters

19 Rules of Typograpahy
 18
Rule # 16

Emphasize elements within text Right:-

Pakistan is my country
Emphasize elements within the text with
discretion and without disturbing the Wrong:-
flow of reading. You can use italics, Pakistan is my country
underlined type, color type, different
typeface, small capitals, capitals, bold
type within light type, light type within
bold type, larger type, and outline type to
emphasize elements but never overdo it.
Use minimum means for maximum
results.

19 Rules of Telegrapahy
 19
Rule # 17

Never distrot the type Right:-

For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
These typefaces should be drawn
Always maintain the integrity of type. and crafted
Avoid arbitrarily stretching letters. Wrong:-
Well designed typefaces exhibit visual These typefaces should
qualities that make them readable. be drawn and crafted
Arbitrarily distorting them compromis- with consistency among
es their integrity characters
Examples: Bembo, Caslon
Bodoni.

19 Rules of Telegrapahy
 20
Rule # 18

Align letters & word on baseline

Right:-
19 Rules of Typography
Always align letters and words
on the baseline. Letters are designed to
coexist side-by�side on an invisible Wrong:-
baseline. 19 Rulesof Typogra phy
“English is not Chinese!”

19 Rules of Telegrapahy
 21
Rule # 19

Use sufficient contrast between Right:-

type and its background. For optimum legibility, choose
classical, time-tested typefaces.
hen working with type and color, ensure These typefaces should be drawn
that sufficient contrast exists between and crafted
type and its background. Too little Wrong:-
contrast in hue, value or saturation, or a For optimum legibility, choose
combination of these factors, can result classical, time-tested typefaces.
in type that is difficult, if not impossible, These typefaces should be drawn
to read. Be careful when using photos or and crafted
texture behind text.

19 Rules of Telegrapahy
19 Rules of Telegrapahy
19 Rules of Telegrapahy
19 Rules of Telegrapahy
19 Rules of Telegrapahy
The End