Chapter 3: CHOOSING AND USING TYPE

  1. “Stylistic uniformity discourages distraction during the reading process.”
  2. The goal in spacing letters is to have a rhythm between solid and void, but the primary difficulty is that letters have different densities. Computers have built in programming to correct spacing or “kerning” between letters, but the designer will need to make corrections sometimes too.
  3. Spacing must change at different sizes to allow for character recognition and improve legibility at smaller fonts.
  4. Any typeface becomes more neutral when something more stylized appears next to it.
  5. Contrast among typefaces that are juxtaposed is critical to achieving clarity, and helping the reader to categorize the information.
  6. Alignment: Centered-axis text is traditional and justified text reinforces geometry on the page.
  7. Methods of indicating a new paragraph include a line return, an indent, a bold lead line, or a graphic object.
  8. Typographic Color: Deals only with changes in lightness or darkness, and impacts the rhythm and texture of a page. Larger chunks of type come forward on the page, while lighter chunks recede into the background.
  9. Visual Hierarchy: Can be distinguished using changes in size, weight, alignment, rhythm, spacing, width or posture, orientation, gray value, or background contrast.
  10. Viewers will assume that even contrasting text elements are related to each other, so there must be an overarching unity to design choices.

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