sign in sign up
<<
Home , Perpetua (typeface), Type color

The Lexicon Remember, rules must of first be understood before they can be broken. Once you have a good foundation of these rules, Letters you can freely journey into unconventional terrain. 19Rules of

“Some things never change, and in the typographic realm, principles upon which sound practice relies have remained essentially the– same Rob for centuries.” Carter

About the Book About the Author Digital Type and Rob Carter teaches explains how to work useful reference book that typography and visual effectively on screen by providesthe work graphicprofiled. This is a communication at Virginia mastering the fundamental with a fresh set of possibilities Commonwealth University. principles of traditional for screen work. His work has been typography: type and color. exhibited at the American The book opens with a Institute of Graphic Arts, through examination of the New York Directors’ Club, basics of type, color and the Society of Typographic traditional typographic Arts and elsewhere. He is rules. It then explores how the author of American those rules can be broken to Typography Today, and achieve new and innovative co-author of Typographic design. A wide variety of Specimens: The Great fully illustrated academic , and the classic and professional case studies Typographic Design: Form reveal the rationale behind and Communication.

(From the book: Digital Color and Type, Rob Carter. Rotovision, 2002)

Rule 1 Rule 3

#6. Sitting Too CloseScience #5. Blocking the Window Seat has told us that people Because of how completely bullshit gravity is, generally prefer it when standing is generally more work than sitting, everyone else stays at least and generally worth avoiding if at all possible. So a couple feet away from them. anyone who makes it more difficult for someone Obviously, that’s not always to reach an empty seat is a real gaping asshole. going to be practical grills. If you happen to be doing that, say by parking yourself in an aisle seat, thus blocking an empty Bad : . Nobody can read this easily. window seat, well, I hope you didn't have an appointment to keep. Because your bus is being rerouted straight to hell. #6. Sitting Too Close Science has told us that people generally ”But! But! But!” I hear you mewling. “I have prefer it when everyone else stays at least a to get off at the next stop, and don’t want to couple feet away from them. Obviously, that's have to climb over anyone to get out! Welp!” not always going to be practical when we're riding the loser cruiser, which means that we

Good typeface: . Easy to read. If you Text in : Helvetica. can’t read this, you have problems and should Text in : Franklin Gothic Book. probably seek help. Can you easily tell the difference? I didn’t think so.

Rule 1 Rule 2 Rule 3 For optimum legibility, Be mindful not to use too Avoid combining typefaces choose classical, time-tested many different typefaces at that are too similar in typefaces. These typefaces any one time. The main reason appearance. If the reason for should be drawn and crafted for using more than one combining typefaces is to with consistency among typeface is to create create emphasis, characters, and exhibit highly or to separate one part of the it is important to avoid legible proportions. Examples text from another. When too the ambiguity caused by include: , , many different typefaces are combining types that are too , , , used, the reader is unable to similar in appearance. Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, determine what is and what is Futura, , , not important. , Helvetica, , , , , , and .

3 Rule 4

#4. LETTING EVERYONE ELSE HEAR What I do see, or rather, hear, are crappy THEIR CRAPPY MUSIC earbud headphones that leak BASED ON MY STUDY OF 1980S MOVIES, approximately 100 percent of their sound LOUD MUSIC ON THE BUS AND out the back, to the where I wonder if SUBWAY USED TO BE A BIGGER they might work better if they were PROBLEM IN THE 1980S, WHEN THE inserted backward. The (old) stock Apple ONLY WAY TO LISTEN TO MUSIC headphones were pretty bad for this; I could WAS BY GHETTO BLASTER. THAT be half a bus away from a set of those and DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE THE CASE still pick up lyrics. ANYMORE, ALTHOUGH I WILL ADMIT TO NOT LIVING VERY CLOSE TO ANY GHETTOS.

Text with a mix of upper and lowercase is much more appealing to the eye and that much easier to read. All capital text is very difficult to read. Don’t do it.

Rule 4 Rule 5 Rule 6 Text set in all capital letters For text type, use sizes that, Avoid using too many severely retards reading. according to legibility different type sizes Use upper and lower case studies, prove most readable. and weights at the same time. letter for optimum readability. These sizes generally range Some experts recommend and from 8 to 12 points for using no more than two sizes, provide the necessary visual text that is read from an one for display titles and cues to make text more average distance of 12 to 14 one for text type. readable. Text set entirely inches. Be sure to remember in upper-case letters form that sizes (based on the monotonous, rectangular x-height of letters) appear shapes. Upper-case letters different from one typeface can successfully be used in to another. display type (headlines; type above 16 points).

4 Rule 8

#3. Standing in the Wrong Place place where there’s the three cubic feet you can squeeze There aren’t many great places to stand on yourself into, in which case, fine, stand by the doors. But just a bus or train; by the time you’re forced to know that you’re going to be getting on and off to make room stand, the thing’s going to be packed enough at every stop. that no matter where you position yourself, 2) Don’t Lean on Poles you’ll be in someone’s way. The only thing Those poles are for multiple people to grab on to, necessary you can do is minimize the number of people for keeping buses from becoming mosh pits/American you’re inconveniencing with your big standing ass. And there are a few simple rules for doing that: Gladiator events. When you lean 1) Don’t Stand in Front of the Doors on or hug one of these poles, If you’re nowhere near your stop, you should your back and ass are taking up be nowhere near the door. The back of the valuable grabbing space. According bus or the middle of the train car are best. to Transit Law, anyone who sees you Unless it’s packed, and the doors are the only doing this is allowed to grab on to you for support.

Using a typeface with a medium width is so much Use a typeface that consists of already made easier on the eye. condensed and extended versions.

Rule 7 Rule 8 Use text types of book weight. Use typefaces of medium Avoid typefaces appearing width. Avoid typefaces too heavy or too . that appear extremely wide Text typefaces that are or narrow in width. Rather too light cannot easily be than distorting text by distinguished from their stretching or squeezing backgrounds. In typefaces that the text width, use type are too heavy, families that include forms diminish in size, making condensed and extended them less legible. faces that fall within accepted proportional norms.

5 Rule 9

#2. Waving Bags A r o u n d #2. Waving Bags Around H a v i n g a bag at all on mass transit is Having a bag at all on mass transit is already already a pretty big nuisance for everyone, so a pretty big nuisance for everyone, so if if you can avoid it, please do. But I get that you can avoid it, please do. But I get that you’ve got a meeting, or a class, or a you’ve got a m e e t i n g ,or a class,or a shitty shitty hostel to get to, and you’ll need some h o s t e l to get to, and you’ll need some stuff when you get there. stuff when you get there. The problem with baggage is pretty The problem with baggage is pretty obvious: It takes up space. Space that could obvious: It takes up space. Space that could be used by other people, or be used by other people, or worse, space worse, space that is already being used by that is already being used by other people. When other people. When you hit someone you hit someone with your bag, you are with your bag, you are committing a hate c o m m i t t i n g a hate crime, one that’s been crime, one that’s been perpetrated by perpetrated by the bag-having against the the bag-having against the bagless for too bagless for too fucking long. fucking long.

With a consistent spacing between words and lines, inconsistent spacing. It’s a lot of work too. reading is much easier. It is extremely difficult to read something that has

Rule 9 Rule 10 For text type, use consistent Use appropriate line lengths. letter and word spacing Lines that are too short to produce an even, or too long disrupt the uninterrupted texture. Letters reading process. As the eye travels along overly long naturally into words, and lines, negotiating the next line wordsshould intoflow lines. gracefully This means and that word spacing should overly short lines creates increase proportionally as choppybecomes eye difficult. movements Reading that letter spacing increases. tire and annoy the reader. When working with text type, a maximum of about 70 characters (10 to 12 words) per line is thought to be most acceptable.

6 Rule 12 Rule 13

#1. Talking to People Every time I see this on the bus, my toes curl. This is the biggest violation of bus etiquette It is dragging-a-cat-across-a-chalkboard possible, because the violators are no longer excruciating for me to listen to someone else’s putting their physical presence in someone’s awkward, kind of creepy small talk. Even face. They’re putting their words there. when it’s not me getting talked at. I’ve It’s possible to ignore someone standing gotten off buses several blocks from like a dick in front of the doors or swinging a where I need to be to escape a one-sided conversation about rain dampness that I wasn’t even involved in. Understand that I’m not making a Don’t set text justified to the right. backpack around like a wrecking ball. But full-throated defense of being shy or isolated. ignoring someone talking at you is impossible. I am all in favor of meeting and talking The words can’t not be heard, can’t not be to strangers in other settings -- at parties, at understood, and before you know it, some the bar, at the sex club. Those are appropriate asshole’s inane thoughts are rattling around venues, because everyone involved your brain without your permission. (presumably) wants to be there.

Unless you don’t really want people reading what you have written, I would adjust the rag a bit. Left justfied text is the easiest to read. Leave it alone.

Rule 11 Rule 12 Rule 13 For text type, use line spacing For optimum readability, Strive for consistent, rhythmic that easily carries the eye rags. The purpose of from one line to the next. right type alignment. effective rags is not Lines of type with too little Althoughuse a flush in left, special ragged situations, only to achieve aesthetic space between them slow the other type alignments beauty, but to enable readers reading process; the eye is to move gently and forced to take in several lines effortlessly down a text at one. By adding one to four acceptable,(flush right, the ragged tradeoff left; is . Effective rags points of space between lines alwayscentered, a loss, and howeverjustified) slight, are consist of lines establishing of type (depending on the in readability. an informal but consistent pattern of line endings. can be improved. specific typeface), readability

7 Rule 16

NO ONE wants to be on mass transit. No one wants to be on mass transit. Whether Whether it’s a bus, a train or, for our it’s a bus, a train or, for our Norwegian Norwegian readers, one of your big public readers, one of your big public toboggans, toboggans, no one’s taking transit for no one’s taking transit for the fun of it. We’re the fun of it. We’re not there to have NEW not there to have new experiences, or meet experiences, or meet NEW people, or new people, or smell new smells. We’re smell NEW smells. We’re there because, by there because, by definition, we want to be definition, we want to be somewhere else. somewhere else. If you feel this way (and you almost If you feel this way (and you almost certainly do) and you realize that everyone certainly do) and you realize that everyone else feels the same way (we definitely do), else feels the same way (we definitely do), one obvious conclusion jumps out. one obvious conclusion jumps out. Everything Everything will be much more tolerable if will be much more tolerable if everyone in everyone in one of these big people- one of these big people-moving boxes does moving boxes does everyone else the tiny everyone else the tiny courtesy of leaving courtesy of leaving them the fuck alone. them the fuck alone.

Don’t over power the message by exaggerating This is how to emphasizing a word or phrase emphasis of words or phrases. enhances the reading process.

Rule 14 Rule 15 Rule 16 Clearly indicate , Avoid Emphasize elements within but be careful not to upset whenever possible. A the text with discretion the integrity and visual widow is a word or very short and without disturbing the consistency of the text. The line at either the beginning two most common ways or end of a . An use italics, underlined type, of indicating paragraphs are orphan is a single syllable at colorflow of type, reading. different You cantypeface, by indenting and the end of a paragraph. small capitals, capitals, bold inserting additional space type within light type, light between paragraphs. type within bold type, larger type, and outline type to emphasize elements but never overdo it. Use minimum means for maximum results.

8 Rule 19

This is something most people get intuitively. Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe you’re It’s basically the Golden Rule in action; we reading this as part of a court-ordered want to be left alone on the bus, so leave alternative punishment because of something everyone else alone. But not everyone gets you’ve done on a bus. Maybe courts have this, whether because they don’t want to be finally gotten that rad. So, for the benefit of left alone, or because they never learned the the courts, and to satisfy the conditions of my Golden Rule, or because they have been own court-ordered alternative punishment, I swallowed by their own asshole and are now present this column on the six worst things some kind of Mobius dickhead. human beings do to one another on public transportation, and how to avoid them.

Think before changing the opacity or color of your Black and is the most contrasting color text. The text should be visible. combination and the easiest to distiguish.

Rule 17 Rule 18 Rule 19 Always maintain the integrity Always align letters and words When working with type and of type. Avoid arbitrarily on the . Letters are stretching letters. Well designed to coexist side-by- contrast exists between type designed typefaces exhibit side on an invisible baseline. andcolor, its ensure background. that sufficient Too visual qualities that make “English is not Chinese!” little contrast in , value or them readable. Arbitrarily saturation, or a combination distorting them compromises of these factors, can result their integrity. not impossible, to read. Be carefulin type thatwhen is using difficult, photos if or texture behind text.

9 The design and production of this book was completed by Katie Schmidt in the Fall of 2012.