Typography Basics

Debby CiccarelliCCBC | ADiM

Typography

• Typography - the study of type

• Type choices have a huge impact on our designs, and can often make or break a design

• Type choices convey the style and feel of the design

Type Classification

Typeface Selection

• When and where should a display font be used?

• When should a script NOT be used?

• What typefaces should be avoided?

• Are there any typefaces that are overused?

Basic Properties of Type

• Font Family/Typefacee.g. Futura

• Fonte.g. Futura Book

• Stylee.g. Futura Book Italic

Harmony and Variety

• Fonts within a family are used to maintain harmony in a design

• Style is used to add visual contrast

Properties of a font

http://www.fontshop.com/glossary/

Comparisons: x-height

Comparisons: counter

Properties of Text

• Kerning - the horizontal space between individual pairs of letters

• Tracking - overall letter spacing

• Leading - line spacing

• Line length - width of a paragraph

Kerning for Large Type

• Manual kerning (adjustments) is often required for type at large sizes(and sometimes for poor font designs)

Leading

• More leading gives an open feeling due to the added space between lines

• Too much leading can cause lines to separate and not be seen as a single paragraph

Pairing Fonts

• Should I use more than one font in a design?

• Should I use more than three?

Combining Typefaces

• Using more than one typeface gives a design some contrast and variety.

• Be cautious of 2 typefaces that do not contrast enough!

Designer: Mason Zimbler

Designer: Fox Point Studios