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Name: Media Communications | Basics

Read the following information and answer the questions on 9. ​ ​

The Ultimate Guide to Basic

Learn the essential terms in the world of typography. In this article, we'll clarify a few misused terms, touch on figures and symbols, and explain some indispensable terminology.

In the world of typography and design, there are innumerable terms that are necessary for beginner designers to know. A few of these terms are widely confused and misused. In this Ultimate Guide to Basic Typography, I’ve gathered some essential terms you need to know. I'll go through some of the basic misunderstood terms, like the difference between and . I'll also touch on the different font file types, explain the different of figures and symbols, and explain some essential typesetting details.

Typeface vs. Font

One of the most common mistakes when talking about type is mixing up the terms "typeface" and "font". The distinction between these terms can be slightly confusing, so let’s talk about their different meanings.

A typeface is a group of characters that share a common DNA. For example, Alegreya Sans is a ​ ​ different typeface from Rockwell Std.

A font is a particular set of within a typeface. For instance, 12 pt Franklin Gothic URW ​ ​ Light is a different font from 14 pt Franklin Gothic URW Light. You’d use the same definition if you are talking about different weights—12 pt Franklin Gothic URW Light is different from 18 pt Franklin Gothic URW .

For many centuries, text was set individually by hand, and each would be a small piece of cast metal. Each letter was stored in a wooden type drawer that was organized in small compartments. A specific type drawer would have a full and other glyphs at the same size. Therefore, the term “font” had a very specific meaning, distinct from the word “typeface.”

Nowadays, these two words are often used interchangeably, but it's always good to know the distinctions between the two. A great analogy is the one of albums and songs. are the different albums, and are the songs in the album.

Font Styles

When type was first invented, all fonts were designed as roman. It wasn't until the early 16th century that italic fonts were introduced. Originating in Italy, italics were a separate group in the type classification, similar to serifs and sans serifs. By the early 18th century, foundries started pairing roman and italic designs. Italics are used to emphasize important points in a text block.

Italics or true italics are angled typefaces that are strongly influenced by . Their slanted ​ anatomy mimics the organic movement of cursive letters. Italics that are specifically designed for their matching roman fonts are similar in shape, with the exception of a few characters. Lowercase characters like the a, f and g tend to change in form considerably when designed as italics.

Oblique fonts are less calligraphic in style compared to italics. None of the glyphs in oblique fonts go ​ through a cursive transformation. Some glyphs can be slightly slanted, while others go through rigorous corrections to maintain the same style as their roman counterparts. When included in a block of text, oblique fonts don’t contrast enough with their roman counterparts.

Font Weights

Morris Fuller Benton was a proponent of the creation of large type families between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The idea was that the characters within the family would share a common DNA, with slight distinctions.

The most common font weights you can find in a typeface are Regular and Bold. Some typefaces like Neue Haas Unica include extensive weights. This typeface includes multiple weights like ultra light, thin, light, regular, medium, bold, heavy, black, and extra black. The advantage of having such a wide range of weights in a single font is the ability to create a hierarchy in a .

Detailed Typography

Legibility refers to the anatomy of a typeface and the common DNA the characters share. It is related to a reader's ability to differentiate one letter from the next. There are multiple elements that contribute to a legible typeface, such as x-height, character width, weight, counters, serifs, stroke contrast, etc.

Readability refers to how clear and easy it is to read words in a block of text. Many designers spend years mastering the art of typesetting as it helps shape the page in a cohesive and clear manner. Typesetting is very detail oriented, and there should be a mix of legibility and readability considerations. Depending on the DNA of a typeface, designers can make decisions for its readability on a page. Font size, , and , just to name a few, are some of the elements that need to be considered to make text legible.

Size 12 pt font has become the norm when creating a . Unfortunately, it is not the most comfortable size to read for long forms of text. Many , periodicals and magazines are printed at less than 12 pt. This is not only for aesthetic purposes—it can also get costly to print at that size.

While every typeface looks different at 12 pt, try it out and it. Size it down to 10 pt—it might not seem much, but text can look elegant at this size. Don’t be afraid to go up or down by 0.25 pt or 0.5 pt as it can make a big difference. It's all in the details. Depending on what the end product is, you might need to adjust. For instance, business cards are usually set at 7 or 8 pt.

Line Length Line length is the width of a where type is set, and it's usually measured by the number of characters on a single line.

Depending on the size of the copy text, a readable line length can vary. For copy text, a line length of between 45 and 75 characters is optimal. As you increase the size of a font, you’ll need to increase the line length. Narrower lines are suitable for short copy as the reader’s eyes won't need to travel far to the beginning of the next line. For long forms of text, go for wider columns, so that readers won't need to jump to the following line as often.

Leading Leading, also called line spacing, is the vertical between each line of text and is measured from to baseline.

Depending on the typeface you are using, you might need more or less leading. Darker typefaces need more leading because they tend to make a page look darker and require more breathing room. As a rule of thumb, add 2 pt to the final size of the copy text. Keep an eye on ascenders and as they can often touch between the lines.

Tracking Also known as letter spacing, tracking is the act of adding horizontal space between characters. Lowercase characters require some tracking and strings of capital letters need tracking to add some air. There isn’t a rule as to how much tracking you should add, but try to find a good balance.

Kerning Whereas tracking is the space between characters in a word, is the space between a combination of two characters. Most typefaces are integrated with kerned pairs that are created carefully by a designer. There are many different combinations, so some are not kerned by default. There's no mathematical rule for kerning—your eyes are your best tool. The goal of kerning is to achieve equal distance between the pair so that the full word looks evenly spaced.

Typographic Alignment refers to the text placement on a page, and it is one of the first decisions you'll make at the beginning of a project. Each alignment style has different applications and its own challenges to make the text readable. The four main alignment styles are:

● Flush Left: If you are typesetting large amounts of text, flush left is a great option for languages ​ that are read from left to right. Try using hyphenation to achieve a pleasantly uneven rag on the right side (more on rags in the next section). ● Center Align: Use center align for shorter amounts of text, like headlines, formal invitations, and ​ introductory copy. Avoid using this style for long copy as it can become difficult to read due to the uneven edges. ● Flush Right: Flush right is common in languages that read right to left, like Hebrew and Persian. ​ Use this style for a few lines at a time and when necessary (pull quotes, sidebars, and notes). ● Justified: Justified text is aligned to both sides simultaneously. This style is most common in ​ books and , mainly to save space and fit as many characters as possible on one line. Use hyphenation with this style to avoid wide gaps between words.

Questions 1. After reviewing the following document, what did you find different from your answers on Assignment #1?

2. How does a font’s weight impact its usage in a document?

3. Explain the following graphic design terms. a. - b. - c. Leading - d. Tracking - e. Kerning -

4. Find and compare two company logos - one with loose tracking and one with tight tracking. Add the logos below and explain which spacing you like more.

5. Look at the following image and determine a business that would be best served using each typography. Explain your answers.