TYPOGRAPHY
Typography is the reproduction of letters on a page, which consists of typefaces, fonts, font families, and type effects.
TYPEFACE, FONT, & FONT FAMILIES
A typeface is a specific style applied to a font. A font is a specific size, weight, and style applied to a character (letter, number, and symbol).
A font effect (type effect) is a specific slant and weight of a character, such as bold or italics. A font family is a group of similarly formatted characters.
The four font families are Serif, Sans Serif, Ornamental/Decorative, and Script/Cursive.
**FONT FAMILY: SERIF
Serif Fonts contain attributes/strokes at the tips of a letter
Examples of Serif Fonts include Goudy Old Style, Times New Roman, Bodoni, Modern No. 20, Courier, Rockwell, and Century Schoolbook
Uses of Serif Fonts include Newspaper Text, Office Documents, Books, Magazines, Display, and Advertising.
**FONT FAMILY: SANS SERIF
Sans Serif Fonts do NOT contain attributes/strokes at the tips of a letter
Examples of Sans Serif Fonts include Arial, Verdana, Coronet, Shruti, Berlin Sans, Gill Sans
Uses of Sans Serif Fonts include WebPages, Digital Display, Headings, and Captions.
FONT FAMILY: ORNAMENTAL/DECORATIVE
Ornamental/Decorative Fonts were designed strictly to catch the eye.
Ornamental/Decorative Fonts should be used sparingly.
Examples of Ornamental/Decorative Fonts include Chiller, Ravie, Castellar, and Webding?
Uses of Ornamental/Decorative Fonts include headlines on flyers and symbols used in logos.
FONT FAMILY: SCRIPT/CURSIVE
Script/Cursive Fonts are all typefaces that appear to have been written by hand.
Script/Cursive Fonts should never be used to key in ALL CAPS.
Examples of Script/Cursive Fonts include Brush Script and French Script.
Uses of Script/Cursive Fonts include invitations, calling cards, and poetry.
TYPE EFFECTS: MONOSPACED FONTS
Each letter of a monospaced font takes up the same amount of space.
Advantages of Using Monospaced Fonts are that monospaced fonts make it easier to see thin punctuation marks, they make similar characters look more different, and if limited to a certain number of characters per line, each line will look alike.
Monospaced Fonts are used often in computer programming and biology.
TYPE EFFECTS: PROPORTIONAL FONTS
Proportional Fonts means that the amount of space each character takes up is adjusted to the width of that character; therefore, an i is not as wide as an m.
Advantages of Proportional Fonts are that proportional fonts do not take up as much space as monospaced fonts and they are easier to read.
Proportional Fonts are used in publications.
TYPE EFFECTS: LEADING
**Leading is the vertical space between lines of text.
Leading is also referred to as expanded or condensed
Leading is measured from the top of the capital of one line to the top of the capital of the next.
Uses of Leading Include slightly increasing or decreasing the length of a column of text so that it is even with an adjacent column and making a block of text fit in a space that is larger or smaller that a text block
TYPE EFFECTS: KERNING
Kerning is the horizontal space between pairs of letters. Kerning is used to add or subtract space between pairs of letters to create a more visually appealing and readable text.
TYPE EFFECTS: TRACKING
Tracking refers to the adjustment of space for groups of letters and entire blocks of text. Tracking makes a block of text more open and airy or more dense.
**Tracking is used to expand or contract a block of text for the purpose of aligning two columns.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: ALIGNMENT
Alignment refers to the alignment of elements in a pattern or grid. Alignment includes the visual relationship between all of the elements in a layout, even if the elements are far apart
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: BALANCE
Symmetrical Balance: Design elements are centered or evenly divided both vertically and horizontally.
Asymmetrical Balance: Off-center alignment created with an odd or mismatched number of elements.
Radial Balance: Design elements radiate from or swirl around in a circular or spiral path.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: CONTRAST
Contrast is the use of big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles. Contrast adds emphasis and appeal to important information.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: PROXIMITY/UNITY
Proximity/Unity is the grouping of elements to demonstrate their relationship to each other.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Repetition/Consistency
Repetition means to repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire layout. Repetition aids in navigation and improves readability
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: WHITE SPACE
White space is negative or blank space of any color in a publication. White space gives a design breathing room and helps smooth transitions between elements.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: LINES
Lines are used to organize information, simulate movement, lead the eyes, & enhance a design.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: SHAPES
Shapes are used to enhance a publication and convey meaning in a publication.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: MASS
Mass is used to define size, space, and create an impact in a publication.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: TEXTURE
Texture is used to convey a sense of feel in a publication.
DESIGN ELEMENTS: COLOR
Color is used to evoke emotion and action; adds or detracts attention
Color Value is a subset of color; lightness or darkness of an object, regardless of color.
Color Value allows you to increase or decrease contrast – the greater the difference between an object and its background, the greater the contrast.
Color Value allows you to create movement – objects of the same value create a static design with all objects equal in visual importance. Introducing varying values gives the page a more dynamic appearance and creates a ‘pecking order’ among objects. Some stand out while others recede.
Color Value helps lead the eye to specific elements in a publication – by creating a pattern of dark to light values, even when the objects are equal in shape and size, it leads the eye in the direction of dark to light
PUBLICATION LAYOUT FEATURES
Guidelines are the non-printing lines that appear on a document in desktop publishing software during the design phase to assist the developer in placing objects.
§ Margin guides are the lines that indicate the space between the edges of the page.
§ Column guides are the lines that control the flow of text within columns
§ Ruler guides are guidelines that are used to align objects.
The grid is the desktop publishing tool used to ensure consistent placement of logos, graphics, and other objects throughout multiple documents, such as a print media kit.
A template is a standard pre-formatted layout which may contain a color scheme, font scheme, pictures, and preset margins.
A nameplate is the banner on the front of a document that identifies the publication and usually includes the name of the publication, a logo, and a motto.
A masthead is the name of the publisher and may include staff names and other related information; usually appears on page 2 of the document.
Kickers are words positioned above a headline, usually as a lead-in or teaser.
The byline is the name of the author or the contributor of a photo or article, usually placed just below the headline or photo or at the end of the article.
The deck is the feature that is placed between a headline and articles to provide segue between the headline and the body of the article.
Running headlines/footers are headers and footers used to indicate dates, page numbers, and running titles.
The master page is the publication view that includes items and formats that are common to every page; used to maintain a consistent layout through the entire publication.
A prototype is an example of how the publication should appear once the final publication has been completed; also called a mockup or “dummy” page.
Format Consideration is the selection of one or more document sizes and layouts for a publication project.
Desktop Publishing Design Features
Art is the illustrations and photographs used to convey meaning and add appeal in a publication.
A balloon is a circle or bubble enclosing copy in an illustration; often used in cartoons.
Bleeding is a print effect in which layout, type, or pictures appear to run off the edge of a page.
A caption is a label used to identify parts of an illustration; may be in the form of a text box or a balloon.
A drop cap is an enlarged character at the beginning of a paragraph; used to grab the reader’s attention.
The jumpline is a line at the end of a continuing article that tells readers which page to refer to for the rest of the article.
A pull quote is a small section of text “pulled out and quoted” in a larger font size; used to draw attention to a particular quote within a publication.
Rules are the lines around articles or graphics of a publication used to direct the flow of a publication and organize its content.
A sidebar is a smaller self-contained story inside a larger one which may or may not be related; usually boxed with its own headline and set off from the main text.
A text box is a container for text that can be placed and formatted randomly; contain borders that display when the text box is selected.
A watermark is a semitransparent image in the background of printed material; may be text or object.
An end mark is a symbol, such as a wingding, that indicates the end of an article within a publication.
Reverse Text is text that is light in color against a dark background; used to emphasize a specific element in a publication.