When it comes to graphics design, the importance of typography cannot be overemphasized. It is a good idea to always recharge your mind on the principles and importance of typography no matter the level of your expertise. Every designer should endeavor to increase their knowledge on things such as the origin of a font or understanding the structure of a typeface which will further enrich the meaning of your design. When you know the in and out of your craft, it impresses your clients. Besides, a designer should make it their responsibility to understand the art of typography. Once the rules are under your belt, it becomes quite easy for you to blend them to your advantage.
Just like any other skill or trade, you have to take time to understand the rules guiding typography before you can fully develop and become an expert in its use. Listed below are some of the most important rules of typography.
To get started in typography, the first thing you need to do is to study every bit of the basics of the art. It is a common misconception for a newbie to think that typography is just plain and straightforward. However, the hard truth is that typography is complex as it is a combination of both science and art.
Selecting a typeface is not usually a random process. Most of the time, going through your font catalog to choose a particular font you like will not create the required effect. This is because every typeface has a psychology linked to them. During design, there is the need for you to connect with your audience. This is not limited to writing a great copy, but ensuring that the font of your choice suits and fits your target audience. Why will any designer decide to make use of rainbow-colored fonts for a law firm souvenir design when it is more suited for a birthday greetings card.
First, you might want to understand what kerning is all about. It is an act of adjusting the space in between characters to give a streamlined and unified pairing. It might seem like a concept that is not too important. However, a great kerning job makes a lot of difference. It helps to ensure that the space that exists between two characters is aesthetically appealing and results in a well-arranged text.
Most newbie designers make the common mistake of adopting several fonts and styles. If there is a need for you to go beyond the use of a single font, ensure that you do not go beyond three typefaces. You can employ a font and size to use for the body and another for the subhead and header. As long as the different fonts match together, you can go beyond choosing within just one typeface family. In fact, people might consider it a mistake when they observe the existence of two similar fonts in your design and take it that you were not careful enough to use the right font.
Another important concept in typography is alignment. It is not quite uncommon to see non-designers select between justified and center aligned that finally makes the paragraphs difficult to read. If you are a user of Microsoft Word, then you should be familiar with four key alignment options which are "center alignment," "right alignment," "left alignment," and "justified alignment."
When you are working with "right alignment," and "left alignment," be careful of broken lines. You will notice a lot of "bumps" within your texts, so you should try to adjust the length of each line.
A good way of stressing the importance of some lines as opposed to others is by making use of typographic hierarchy. Due to this, you can influence the order in which the information in your design is being communicated to the audience. This is achieved by guiding their eyesight movement by making use of visual hierarchy to your advantage. With a missing visual hierarchy, it becomes quite difficult for the readers to note important information in the entire design.
The importance of design grids cannot be overemphasized with it comes to typography. It helps you to maintain orderliness by relating the position of one character with another to give a visual and logical harmony. It brings connection within your design. Although you do not need to make use of the grids every single time in your design, however, it is essential for you to understand why and how to use it.
Whatever font or method you are making use of in your design; ensure that your audience will find it easy to read your message. The use of your colors will also come into play here, as placing a black text on a black background will translate to an almost invisible text. You should also avoid the use of small font on an image with high contrast. Creating a great design that does not pass the message across is just as bad as no design at all.
When used smartly, whitespace produces a lot of effects that are beneficial. It helps to bring focus to some particular part of the entire composition. It also assists in adding a level of sophistication to your design without too much effort.
A lot of designers tend to look at typography as a way of just using fonts in your text to complement your design. You should note that fonts have been carefully fashioned and they require a level of artistry on your part to bring valuable advantage to your design. It extends beyond just constructing some plain text. It is more about treating your fonts as an art.
Do not limit your typography to the already existing typefaces alone. Try to go beyond and expand your search to get the perfect design that will match what you need. You can then proceed to add textures, lines, swirls and any other cool thing to bring life to your font.