TYPOGRAPH

Y
The basics
• The vocabulary
• The categories
• Readability
• Legibility
THE VOCABULARY
• Baseline – the invisible line upon
which type sits
• X-height – the height of the main body
of the lowercase letters
• Ascender – strokes that rise above the
x-height
• Descender – strokes that extend
below the baseline
 ascender

x-height
xdg
descender
baseline
THE VOCABULARY
• Serif – type that has “serifs” or feet on
the base of the letters or at the end of
the strokes
• Sans serif – type without serifs
 sdy
The circles show the serifs on this font.

sdy
This font has no serifs.
THE VOCABULARY
• Posture – the type stroke will either
stand up straight (Roman) or will lean
toward the right (oblique)
• Stress – the angle through the thinnest
part of the curve of a letter
• Transition – the contrast in the
thickness of the strokes of a letter
 Serif type with
ooo Sans serif type usually
diagonal stress and lacks stress and
moderate transition transition
Serif type with
vertical stress
and more
radical
transition
 Roman and Italic

vs.
aa
Roman and Oblique
aa
THE VOCABULARY
• Point – a measurement of type equal to
1/72 of an inch or 1/12 of a pica
• Leading – the amount of white space
between lines of type
• Kerning – adjusting the spacing between
pairs of letters
THE CATEGORIES
Oldstyle
• diagonal stress
• moderate transition
Modern
• vertical stress
• radical transition
Sans serif
• no serifs
• usually no transitions
• (but a subset does have them)
• usually larger x-heights
Scripts

Decorative
Slab serif
• vertical stress when present
• slight or no transition
• blocky “slab” serifs
CONSIDERATIONS
• Readability
• Legibility
READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
DESTINCTIVE TYPE
IS LESS READABLE
Type with more “invisible”
letterforms is easier to read.

Type with more distinctive

letterforms is harder to read for
extended text.
READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
• Serifs are more readable than san serifs
SERIFS ARE MORE
READABLE THAN SAN
SERIFS
Serifs help our eyes make the
connections between letters

Sans serifs lack those little

feet.
READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
• Serifs are more readable than san serifs
• All caps are harder to read
ALL CAPS ARE HARDER
TO READ
ALL CAPS ARE HARDER TO
READ.

Caps and lowercase are easier

to read.
READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
• Serifs are more readable than san serifs
• All caps are harder to read
• The smaller the type, the harder italics is to read
THE SMALLER THE TYPE,
THE HARDER ITALICS IS TO
READ
As the size decreases, so does
readability
As the size decreases, so does readability
As the size decreases, so does readability
As the size decreases, so does readability
As the size decreases, so does readability

As the size decreases, so does readability

As the size decreases, so does readability

READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
• Serifs are more readable than san serifs
• All caps are harder to read
• The smaller the type, the harder italics is to read
• The ultimate non-readable type is all cap script
THE ULTIMATE NON-
READABLE TYPE IS ALL CAP
SCRIPT
HOW’S THIS FOR
READABILITY?
READABILITY
• Readability deals with large amounts of text and
how easy that text is to read
• Distinctive type is less readable
• Serifs are more readable than san serifs
• All caps are harder to read
• The smaller the type, the harder italics is to read
• The ultimate non-readable type is all cap script
• Line length affects readability
 LINE LENGTH AFFECTS
READABILITY
When you are dealing with line lengths that are longer than recommended for readability, it
helps to increase the leading which is the space between lines. Increasing the leading helps
the text look more appealing to the reader and not like it will be a chore to read. We all know
how painful it is to try and read great big blocks of text that fill entire pages. It feels like
we’re tackling a textbook and our natural inclination might be not to try to read it at all.

When you are dealing with line lengths that

are longer than recommended for readability,
it helps to increase the leading which is the
space between lines. Increasing the leading
helps the text look more appealing to the
reader and not like it will be a chore to read.
We all know how painful it is to try and read
great big blocks of text that fill entire pages.
It feels like we’re tackling a textbook and our
natural inclination might be not to try to read
it at all.
 LINE LENGTH AFFECTS
READABILITY
When you are dealing with line lengths that are longer than recommended for readability, it
helps to increase the leading which is the space between lines. Increasing the leading helps
the text look more appealing to the reader and not like it will be a chore to read. We all know
how painful it is to try and read great big blocks of text that fill entire pages. It feels like
we’re tackling a textbook and our natural inclination might be not to try to read it at all.

When you are dealing with line lengths that are longer than recommended for readability, it
helps to increase the leading which is the space between lines. Increasing the leading helps
the text look more appealing to the reader and not like it will be a chore to read. We all know
how painful it is to try and read great big blocks of text that fill entire pages. It feels like
we’re tackling a textbook and our natural inclination might be not to try to read it at all.
LEGIBILITY
• Legibility deals with a short amount of text
that is instantly recognizable
• Odd-shaped characters are less legible
ODD-SHAPED CHARACTERS
ARE LESS LEGIBLE
Legibility depends on instant
recognition.

Odd-shaped characters
are not as legible.
LEGIBILITY
• Legibility deals with a short amount of text
that is instantly recognizable
• Odd-shaped characters are less legible
• An extreme x-height decreases legibility
AN EXTREME X-HEIGHT
DECREASES LEGIBILITY
Legibility depends on instant
recognition.
Legibility depends on instant
recognition.
Legibility depends on instant recognition.
Legibility depends on instant
LEGIBILITY
• Legibility deals with a short amount of text
that is instantly recognizable
• Odd-shaped characters are less legible
• An extreme x-height decreases legibility
• Very heavy or very thin is less legible
VERY HEAVY OR VERY THIN
TYPE IS LESS LEGIBLE
Legibility depends on instant
recognition.

Legibility depends on
instant recognition.
LEGIBILITY
• Legibility deals with a short amount of text
that is instantly recognizable
• Odd-shaped characters are less legible
• An extreme x-height decreases legibility
• Very heavy or very thin is less legible
• Overuse of capitals cuts legibility
OVERUSE OF CAPITALS
CUTS LEGIBILITY
Legibility Depends On Instant Recognition And
If All Words Are Capitalized, Type Is Less
Legible.

LEGIBILITY DEPENDS ON INSTANT

RECOGNITION AND IF ALL THE TEXT IS
ALL CAPITALS, TYPE IS LEAST LEGIBLE.
LEGIBILITY
• Legibility deals with a short amount of text
that is instantly recognizable
• Odd-shaped characters are less legible
• An extreme x-height decreases legibility
• Very heavy or very thin is less legible
• Overuse of capitals cuts legibility
• Plain, medium-weight sans serifs are most
legible
PLAIN, MEDIUM-WEIGHT
SANS SERIFS ARE MOST
LEGIBLE
Look for plain, medium-weight sans serifs.

Look for plain, medium-weight sans serifs.

Look for plain, medium-weight sans serifs.

Look for plain, medium-weight sans serifs.

Look for plain, medium-weight sans serifs.

THE VERY BASICS OF
DESIGNING WITH TYPE
• When selecting fonts, think about
readability and legibility but also think about
the font personality
THE VERY BASICS OF
DESIGNING WITH TYPE
• When selecting fonts, think about
readability and legibility but also think about
the font personality
• When creating headlines, think contrast
TO GET CONTRAST IN SIZE,
BE OBVIOUS
Be obvious about
Contrast
Be obvious about
Contrast
TO GET CONTRAST IN FORM,
THINK DIFFERENT
Contrast
Be obvious about

Be obvious
about
Contrast
TYPOGRAPHY
Created in conjunction with
Lynn Strause
Herff Jones Special Consultant