Typographic Design is all about nuance
What may seem to be the slightest change can make a real difference in the quality of a typeface. For example:
When you first look at a capitol letter I, it may appear to be just a tall skinny rectangle. But, if you look a little closer, you will see the nuances crafted by a typographer's hand. It may seem that a slight curve would be relatively insignificant. However, each character is careful considered to create a unified family. The thicks, the thins, the angles and curves... all meticulously measured, striving for rhythm, proportion, and harmony.
Typography is an important part of most page design. How we, as page designers, choose to handle type will make an impact on how the audience relates to the information presented. Some of the choices we make can effect the readability. For example:
The two samples shown below are the same - except one is white type on a black background and the other is black type on a white background.
It is more difficult to read type on a black background. Designers should take this into consideration when creating blogs, and text boxes where considerable amounts of reading is expected.
There are many nuances to designing type and designing with type. Here are a few thoughts to help you choose the best font for your next scrapbook page:
1. Some fonts are unsuitable for text. Save those decorative fonts for headlines and titles.
2. Consider legibility (it is easier to read text when it is a dark type on a light background.)
3. When in doubt, choose from classics like Optima, Helvetica, Palatino, Georgia, etc.
Typography Note:
Optima, shown as Nuance above, is a legible font that lends itself to a wide range of applications. Use it for anything that needs to look modern and yet classic in appearance.
German typeface designer, Hermann Zapf, designed Optima between 1952-1955. His intention was to create a classic roman without serifs. The typeface was commercially released in 1958 and became an instant success.
Letters in a medieval church in Florence inspired Hermann Zaph to create Optima. Since he didn’t have any paper with him, he sketched the characters on a 1000 lire bank note.
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