Typography

D E S I G N I N G L A N G U A G E A N D L E T T E R S I N A V I S U A L W O R L D

Typography The study of letters and their uses in graphic design is called Typography.

Type Letters come in many styles called type, and they play an important part in commercial art. Wherever words are used, such as in posters, ads, books, magazines and even TV commercials, type is an important part of the total design.

Type in Advertisement  The Major Components of using type for good design in Posters and Advertising:  Font: Serif and

Sans Serif

 Case: lower or UPPER   Height Proportion   Size Weight  Leading (Line Spacing)  Kerning

Serif and Sans Serif   “Serifs” are the small projecting ends on some letters.

 This sentence is written with a Serif Font Sans Serifs do not have these little projections.

 This sentence is written with a Sans Serif Font

Serif Versus Sans Serif Arguably, there is no major, life altering difference between Serif and Sans Serif Type ( unless you are amongst a group of vigilant Graphic Designers or Publishers) However, here are the following “urban myths” regarding the difference between the two.

 Better Horizontal Flow  Better for the Web   Creates “Word Wholes” brings letters closer together Increases Contrast between letters   Better for small sizes Better for teaching children their letters

Case: Upper and Lower  UPPERCASE and lowercase are something to consider in the overall feel of your design

Height  Refers to the height of each letter considering primarily the x- height, which measures from the base line to the mean line of the letters, with ascenders and descenders as secondary considerations.

Weight  The weight of a font is in regards to the boldness or thinness of the lettering. A bolder font has a heavier feel, while a thinner font has a lighter feel. Some fonts have variation in weight.

Leading (Line Spacing)  Spacing refers to the amount of space between text lines. The relationship between letters is important for clarity and proximity.

Kerning  Kerning refers to the individual spaces between letters. It frequently assists with legibility and design. Individual letters often must be adjusted when they appear closer than others due to their individual shapes.

Kinetic Typography: Font in Action    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki6rcXvUWP0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4umNt72RY&f eature=fvwrel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obMzOtDh_D0 &feature=related

Exercises and Projects in Typography Unit   Exercise #1: Word Opposites Objective: Choose 1 set of opposites, choose a font for each that fits the word, apply filters, transformations, etc… to manipulate each word

Exercises and Projects in Typography Unit   Project #2: Illustrated Quote ( Kinetic Typography minus the kinetic) Objective: Find a quote that inspires you, find two to three fonts that help illustrate your quote, find imagery that will support your idea.

Typography in Posters and Advertising: Art Show Poster  Consider all of the previous items in relationship to the intended audience and the client.

Typography: Parking Sticker

Typography as Art