Typography

Typography Videos

In the informational videos, I learned about the distinction between serifs and san serifs. Serifs are the letters that have "feet", and san serifs do not. I also found that "kerning" is the adjustment between spaces of letters, and tracking is the overall adjustment. Before the videos, I had heard of those terms but never knew what they meant. Finally, I learned about the five alignment types: flush left, flush right, justified, centered, and random or asymmetrical.

The Big Idea

The most important idea I took away from the videos would probably be the difference between serifs and san serifs. Although I had heard of these terms, I didn't fully understand what each of them where. Also, serifs can fall in to two categories: unbracketed and bracketed. Unbracketed serifs have a ninety degree angle with the feet, whereas bracketed have a curved feet transition.

10 Golden Rules You Should Live by When Combining Fonts

The first rule is choose complimentary fonts, meaning that you should choose a font that is lighthearted and fun if you are designing a birthday card, for example. With that font though, you should also pick a simple font for information so it is easy to read. The second rule is to establish a hierarchy, which means that your title font should be larger on the page than your information. The third rule is to consider context and who your audience is. This could be a standard font, for example, if you are trying to apply for a job. Fourth, you should mix san serifs and serifs, because they are opposite of one another. Fifth, create contrast; whether that be color or font. Sixth, don't create conflict with your fonts. Consider the weight and such when deciding and which fonts work well together. Seventh, avoid fonts that are too similar. Pretty cut and dry. Eighth, use fonts from the same family, just different weights or sizes. Ninth, limit your number of fonts. Don't have sixteen different fonts on a page.... it's just too confusing. And last, practice. You'll get better and pairing fonts with experience.

3 Key Points

The third rule in the article about considering context is very important to typography. It is important to know your audience and design something that is appropriate and appealing to them. Another important rule would be the contrast. You shouldn't have a black font on dark blue background. Instead, you should have a white font to contrast. Finally, use fonts from the same family is important because it is easier to read and different weights and sizes are enough different to make the design look good.

Favorite Thing About Typography? And Conclusion

The most important idea I read would have to be the context information. It is very important to hold your audience's attention. Choosing a font for the correct occasion can, in the future, help out clients and please customers. I feel that, although the videos helped visualize the information, the article painted a clearer picture about typography.