Transcript A Quick Look at Graphic Design:

A Quick Look at Graphic Design:
Or everything you need to know in a lecture
to make your documents look great!
Jennifer Bowie, for Business Writing
Overview
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Typography and Type Elements
Document Design
Jennifer Bowie, for BW
Typography and Type Elements
#1 one thing to remember:
Typography exisits to honor content
Typography exisits to honor content
Typography exisits to honor content
Typography exisits to honor content
Typography and Type Elements:
Font Classifications
There are four basic font classifications:
• Serif: the oldest type, has serifs on the end of letter to guide
reader’s eye, also has thick and thin strokes, considered
more “readable” than sans serif. Gives a more formal and
traditional feel to documents. Good body text or contrast
text. Includes: Times, Garmond, Georgia, Goudy, Book
Antiqua, and many more.
• Sans Serif: “without serif,” only about 100 years old,
has stokes that have little to no variation in width,
looks more modern and technical, used a body text in
Europe. Makes a good body text or contrast text.
Includes: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, Century
Gothic (and other Gothics), and many more.
Typography and Type Elements:
Font Classifications con.
• Script: fonts that look they they are hand
lettered, can connect or not. Should be used in
small amounts for fancy documents (invitations),
occasionally for headings, titles, logos, and drop
caps. Most should never be set in long bodies of
text. Use as a display font, or rarely a contrast.
Includes: Comic Sans, Gigi, Brush Script (and other
scripts), Fine Hand, and more
• Decorative: fun, distinctive fonts. Should never be
used in long bodies of text. Best used as display fonts.
Very powerful so use sparingly. Includes: Goudy Stout,
Impact, Algerian, Matisse, Minstral, and many more.
Typography and Type Elements:
General Categories
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Type is used for different things. General categories are:
• body text- readable in long blocks of text and smaller sizes (print 9-12 pts,
online 12-14 points). Can be Sans Serif or Serif fonts
• display text- less readable and not designed to be read in long blocks.
Used in advertising, for title or logo, and other display uses. Can be
Script or Decorative fonts
• contrast text- meant to contrast with your body text. Good for headings,
subheadings, titles, and smaller blocks of text. Normally will be Serif or
Sans Serif (opposite of body font) but can more more legible Script or
Display fonts
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Do only use 2-3 different fonts per document, and only from
each category
Typography and Type Elements:
Type Setting
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Leading: (space between lines) should be at least
120% for serifed fonts, and 135-140% for sans
serif.
• greater is better than lesser for body text
• display fonts can handle little or even negative leading
• typefaces with small x-heights do not need greater
leading, but those with large may
• leading should increase proportionally as line length
increases
Typography and Type Elements:
Justification
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Justified left: flushed left and jagged right, this is the most
readable for long segments of body text
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Justified right: flush right, jagged left, highly unreadable,
use rarely.
Justified: flush left and right so the text forms a box. Can
cause rivers in the text.
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Centered: ragged both sides. Use rarely and in small
amounts, very unreadable.
Rivers?
An Example
Suscipit exerci typicus praesent, tego feugiat
amet. Iusto feugiat elit aliquip aliquip loquor
modo lobortis dolore interdico lucidus. Facilisis
vel ulciscor laoreet abdo metuo velit dolus
obruo luptatum, capto uxor. Luptatum
tincidunt vel gravis suscipit appellatio. Velit
illum in si, persto proprius tincidunt nulla
conventio haero, saluto. Os augue sagaciter vel
in, fatua.
Document Design
Communicate, not decorate
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Design should always be used to communicate,
and not to (just) decorate
Document Design
Color
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Color adds splash and interest to documents,
while helping readers locate information
• use the same color for the same type of information
throughout the document
• use color with other devices (white space, …)
• use color to communicate, not as decoration
• consider readers when selecting colors
• use color to unify series of documents
Document Design
Chunking & White Space
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Chunking: elements that are related (like a heading with
its paragraph) are grouped and look like they belong
together.
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White space is the empty space on a page. Use it to:
• frame elements in the page that belong together,
• add emphasis to tiles and headings,
• and separate items that do not belong together
• help with chunking
Document Design
Headings
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Headings: Most common device to “chunk” with
• use no more than 4 headings
• use more space above your headings than below
• have at least 2 lines of text below a heading before a
page break
• use differences (size, color, style, font) to indicate
levels of headings
Have fun and Design well
The End
Information from Sims 10, Guark & Lannon 8, Web
Typography, & Kolin
Jennifer Bowie, for Business Writing