Typography: The Basics

Typography is the art and technique of type design and the arrangement of type, including point size, length, line spacing and typefaces. Typography was a specialized occupation until the digital age, when it opened up to new generations of visual designers.

In the mid-15th century, German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the mechanical printing press. Gutenberg developed specialized techniques for creating letterpunches in the quantities required to print multiple copies of text. This technology started the printing revolution.

Modern typography:

There are certain issues to consider when choosing a font and deciding how to layout text.

1. Context:

The appearance of typography is not determined by the person laying out a page, but by a font's response to the particular words that comprise the text.

2. Stress and contrast:

Historically the thicks and thins of a letter were based on the angle, direction and pressure of the pen. In type stress is defined as the direction in which a curved stroke changes weight. The three key types of stress are, oblique/angled, semi-oblique, and vertical stress. Contrast is the amount of variation in between thick and thin strokes.

3. Construction vs. revival:

For some designers, half the fun in using typefaces is learning about their construction. A typeface with a simple and repetitive pattern tends to lack individuality in the letters, making them difficult to tell apart. There is also the issue of high contrast between the foreground letters and the background paper or screen.

4. Authenticity:

Like any form of art, new typefaces tend to be inspired by the qualities and characteristics of the old ones. And like painting, music or dance, they don't want to steer too far away from the original. The idea is to take just enough of the original, but then with it create something new and unique.

5. Balancing art and text:

An important part about putting text on a page is considering how it balances out with the artwork. This is especially true for the web, where there tend to be visuals on every page. The images should reflect the content and vice versa. It is for this reason that copywriters and designers should work closely together and understand each others vision and objectives.

When setting out to learn design, whether it be graphic design or web design, typography is one of the first things you should learn. Those interested in web design specifically, can find a wide variety of fonts suitable for the web. The key is to be organised and structured. That means applying the same rules throughout ie. line sizes, font sizes and more. Design is a fun thing to play around with and try to teach yourself. Of course it is an art like any other, and therefore best executed by talented and trained people. If you're building a website that is going to be quite big and complicated you might want to commission a specialist web agency to do the work for you.


------

Adaptive Consultancy is a London web design company who specialise in
website design, eCommerce, and internet marketing, including SEO, PPC
and SMO. For more on online marketing agencies visit
http://www.adaptiveconsultancy.com/