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​Lesson 4 - Objectives 1-2 (Monday)

B04-01 A few important fundamentals of typography

Objectives:
  • Review typography basics learned in chapters 9-12 of our textbook
  • Share some typography resources with you.
Learn:
There are many colleges around the world that offer a full, four year degree in typography. We won't have time in this course to go that deep, although it is a fascinating topic. However, there are basics we can learn that will help us dramatically improve our graphic design skills.  This past week as part of assignment three, you read about typography in chapters 9-12 of our textbook. Let's summarize some of the important fundamentals.

First and foremost type is about communication.  Even when using a letter as a design element, type is all about giving a message. Your message must be easy to read. Otherwise, your audience won't bother to read it. In Robin Williams' book, The Non-Designer's Design Book, the fonts chosen for use on a page can have one of three relationships:
  • Concordant: Using only one type family without much variety.  The page is harmonious, formal, sedate, perhaps even dull. Choosing a font family with a variety of styles can provide variety and establish a strong message hierarchy.
  • Conflicting: When you combine typefaces that are similar (but not the same) in style, size, weight, etc. Avoid conflicting type choices!
  • Contrasting: Combining typefaces and elements that are clearly distinct from each other.  Contrast is emphasized, and look good together.

Unless there is some sound reason to use conflicting typefaces, you should avoid them. Use concordant or contrasting font choices instead.
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Please watch this video to begin: Beginning Graphic Design: Typography
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Fonts.Google.com
How can you tell if two fonts are conflicting? There are thousands of typefaces right now, and more are added each day. For example, look at Google Fonts! That makes it difficult to choose among them. However, typefaces can be categorized into general styles, which will help us to choose font matches that work well together.
Depending upon the source you go to, there are varying categories. Six of the most commonly used categories are Oldstyle, Modern, Slab Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Decorative.
  • Oldstyle, Slab Serif, and Modern are serif fonts.  Serifs are usually at an angle, as if you were hand lettering with a wedge-shaped pen.  Also, the letters have thick and thin strokes.
  • Sans serif fonts have no serifs, and the strokes are usually even in width.
  • Script and decorative fonts are not meant to use for body text, but do contrast well when paired with sans serif or serif font categories. These are best used sparingly, such as in titles or headers.
  • Monospace fonts are fonts where every letter and character has exactly the same width. The fonts are used mostly when letters and numbers need to line up in straight columns. These are often used in computer coding.
  • Click on the images at right to learn about the categories.

Robin Williams continues, "To use type effectively, you have to be conscious.  By that I mean you must keep your eyes open, you must notice details, you must try to state the problem in words.  Or when you see something that appeals to you strongly, put into words why it appeals to you."
Being able to categorize a typeface can help you do this.  Some of the most effective font use happens when you follow some basic rules.
  1. Know your font families or categories.
  2. When you need to use two fonts, pick contrasting fonts.  The best way to do this is to pick fonts from different categories.  (If you pick two fonts from the same category - they will most likely conflict unless they are really different.)  You can also contrast size, weight, structure, form, direction, or color.
  3. Generally, it is best to stick to using only one or two fonts in a design..
  4. Avoid mixing moods.  Instead combine fonts of complimentary moods and of similar time eras.
  5. Use the different styles within a single font family for a more harmonious, concordant feel. (see the concordant example above)

Below are four examples of font pairs that I felt were very compatible with each other. Click any of the images to view them larger. I like to include them in a design layout to see how they would look together.
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Click image to view source...
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Click on image to view source...
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Google Fonts Categories. Display would be the same as decorative. Handwriting would be the same as script. Here, all serif categories are grouped into one.
​Text Color: Blocks of text on a page have color (squint through barely open eyes at a page of text so that it looks like a field of grey),  Adding color variety to a page of text by using different weights, size, or fonts can add more visual interest to a page.  For example, the image at right is a specimen of fonts, size, weights, etc.  Click on it to see a full size view.  In this thumbnail size, however, you can't read the text, but you can see clearly the varying shades of grey the blocks of type make.

Again, the principle of contrast will be one of your best friends when using type.  As Robin Williams says, "Don't be a wimp!"
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Example of text color. Each block of text has an overall shade of grey.
As you use text in design, you should consider message hierarchy. A message hierarchy is a way of leading a viewers eye to the most important text first, second most important next, and so on. The image at left is a great example of message hierarchy. Can you see how this is accomplished? It is accomplished through levels of contrast and size mostly. 

As a designer, you lead your viewer through your design with purpose. You see message hierarchy all the time. In books, it may be chapter headings, then section headings, then subheadings, and so on. Look around you, and notice how designers are leading your eyes through their messages.

​​With these principles in mind, let's work with type in Photoshop.
Photoshop is used typically to combine smaller amounts of type with images to deliver a message quickly and with flare.  If you're designing newspaper, newsletters, magazines, or other publications that require more text, then other programs such as Adobe inDesign, a desktop publishing application, would better serve that purpose.  Click on each of the photoshop examples below (at left) to see a few ways type can be used in Photoshop.
All images above are by Nathan Smith. Click on the thumbnails!
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My Typography board on Pinterest
What constitutes a bad font?

Overuse – You don’t want to be part of a trend or, worse yet,  late to a trend. Your brand shouldn’t convey a message of being typical and, therefore, replaceable. Who you are, the services you provide and products you offer, are unique.
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Choosing an overused font for your graphics/logo can take away from the impact of your message. If you’re not the most popular brand utilizing a certain font, users could be distracted from your message by associating the font you use, with another brand.

Utilizing extremely popular/typical fonts like Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri is not only a common choice, but a thoughtless choice as well. If your brand feels as though the font that comes standard with the most popular word processors is most representative of your brand, you need to rethink your messaging. Users want something more animated and interesting than the standard.

Misuse – The modern consumer is an informed consumer. Utilizing a font that is inauthentic to your brand or industry will be noticed by potential customers. Take the time to find a font that truly represents your brand or your purpose for a logo or graphic.

Antiquated – Just as you wouldn’t build a website that looks like it was built in 1999, you shouldn’t maintain a logo that was originally designed in the 1800s. Modern consumers have a standard for what they expect in a font. Fonts that are creative, engaging, legible and sharp, will pop to potential customers.

More basic or overly intricate designs will equally put off online visitors. Your brand will come off as out of touch or less than. Invest in your business, invest in the experience of your customers by updating your brand’s font use.

Illegible – The quickest way to sabotage your message is to utilize a font that is illegible or hard to read. This is especially relevant in our fast-paced culture, where consumers don’t have time to closely dissect a logo, advertisement or graphic."  Source

B04-02 Skill: Use the type tools - point type and area type (also called paragraph type)

Objective:
  • Learn to use point type in Photoshop
  • Learn to use area (paragraph) type in Photoshop
​
Learn and Practice:
Now work through the tutorial - Point and Area Type. Then watch the video, 9 Shortcuts for working with Paragraph Type in Photoshop.. 
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No required exercise file. Be sure to practice this on your own!
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Video: 9 Shortcuts for Working with Paragraph Type in Photoshop
(Captioned Version)
Shortcuts for working with point and paragraph type:
  • Set the width and height of a paragraph text box: When using your text tool, option-click (Mac) or ALT-click (PC) in the image area. or just click and drag with the text tool to define the region of your text box.
  • To resize the boundaries of a paragraph text box, click and drag any of the anchor points
  • To resize the text in a paragraph text box, Command-drag (Mac) or CTRL-drag (PC) on any of the anchor points
  • To select text
    • Click once to place the insertion point in a text box
    • Click twice to select a word
    • Click three times to select a single line
    • Click four times to select a single paragraph
    • Click five times to select all the text in the text box - or press Command-A (Mac) or CTRL-A (PC).
  • To increase or decrease the leading (line spacing), select the lines first, then hold Option (Mac) or ALT (PC) and use the up or down arrow keys.
  • To increase or decrease the tracking (letter spacing), select the text first, then hold Option/ALT and use your left or right arrow keys
  • To increase or decrease the kerning (the spacing between two letters), put the insertion point between the two letters and then hold Option/ALT and use your left or right arrow keys
  • To return leading to the auto setting, select the lines first, then use Command-Option-Shift-A (Mac) or CTRL-ALT-Shift-A (PC).
  • To change alignment of the text
    • Left Justified - Command-Shift-L (Mac) or CTRL-Shift-L (PC)
    • Center Justified - Command-Shift-C (Mac) or CTRL-Shift-C (PC)
    • Right Justified - Command-Shift-R (Mac) or CTRL-Shift-R (PC)
    • Full Justified Left - Command-Shift-J (Mac) or CTRL-Shift-J (PC)
    • To change the justification rules, select the paragraph(s), and use the paragraph panel's menu -> Justification
  • To toggle hyphenation on or off, Command-Option-Shift-H (Mac) or CTRL-ALT-Shift-H (PC)
  • To allow punctuation to hang outside the text box, select text, and use the paragraph panel's menu -> Roman Hanging Punctuation.
  • To toggle Adobe's every line composer, Command-Option-Shift-T (Mac) or CTRL-ALT-Shift-T (PC)
  • To increase font size, Command-Shift-> (Mac) or CTRL-Shift->
  • To decrease font size, Command-Shift-< (Mac) or CTRL-Shift-<

Optional resources to share with you! (Not required)

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Interested in learning typography lingo? Click here to try out the interactive typography cheat sheet! Click on anything green to learn its name.
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​This page was lasted updated February 13, 2021