Graphic Design Fundamentals Day 3 Typography Basics When an intended reader receives an advertisement, magazine, or coupon, it only takes a split second for that person to decide to read it or put it in the trash. Choosing the right typeface to enhance the graphic elements can help with the success of that document. The terms typeface and font are used interchangeably; however, the term type family refers to a collection of all the related typefaces, such as Arial, Arial Black, and Arial Narrow. Type should create an appealing path that leads the reader in; it should also play a supporting role for graphic elements, and it helps determine the personality of a document. Arial Narrow, Arial Rounded MT Bold, Arial, and Arial Black are all part of the same typeface or font family. Times New Roman is a serif type with extensions. Arial is a sans-serif type without extensions. Brush Script MT is a script type used in invitations. Papyrus is used as a decorative type. Symbol type (Webdings) L O O S E T R A C K I N G Leading TIGHT TRACKING Kerning A W AW Left-aligned text Right-aligned text flushes type to the flushes lines of type left side. to the right. Alignments Centered text Justified text aligns places lines of type type equally on both to the center. sides of a column. A family is a group of fonts that share a basic character construction, like the Arial family, which comprises Arial Black, Arial Narrow, and Arial Alternative. This collection of characters is like having your family of uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents over for the holidays. A font or typeface is an individual member of a type family, such as Arial Black or Arial Narrow, both members of the Arial type family. Type falls into two main categories: serif and sans serif. Serif type displays footlike extensions at the top and bottom, like Times Roman or Minion; sans serif has no extensions, like Arial or Helvetica. Sans serif works nicely as a starting point for headlines and sublines, whereas serif type is easier to read in the body of a document. A font size is the measurement of type in points instead of inches (1 point = 1/72 inch). When you open an InDesign document, the default size is usually 12 points. Tracking adjusts the spacing between characters and words. Adjusting the tracking of words too tightly in a paragraph can make it difficult to read. Kerning is a technique used for pairs of characters in titles or headlines that may need to be brought closer together for a more consistent look. Leading refers to the spacing between lines of text. In long articles or newsletters, less space between lines of text tends to darken the document, whereas more space will lighten it up. The end result of what kind of message or mood you want to convey will determine how you will set up your text and what fonts you will need. The style or arrangement of setting type is called type alignment. Left aligned flushes type to the left and is easy to read, right aligned flushes type to the right side, as you might see in return addresses or columns of numbers to be added. Centered lines of type are used in some headlines or titles, and justified alignment places text equally on the left and right sides in a column. .