Fontography:The creative use of fonts

and type

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FontographyFontography

Fontography

“FEEL”

Readability

Rendering

FONTOGRAPHY: “Feel”

A serif is a small line, curve, flourish, or embellishment projecting from the mainstroke of a letter.

Times New Roman is a serif font.

So is High Tower Text font.

And Copperplate. And French Script.

serif vs. sans serif fonts

A sans serif font, then, is a font without any of the flourishes of a serif font.

Arial is a sans serif font.

So is Calibri.

And Verdanna.

FONTOGRAPHY: “Feel”

And Neuropol.

FONTOGRAPHY

font face, font family, typeface--all refer to the individual “look” of a font

When making font choices, then, you have to consider what “look” you want

FONTOGRAPHY: “Feel”

FONTOGRAPHY

Curlz is a font that feels/looks ______.Here’s a font that feels/looks . . .

How about this font? It feels/looks . . . And this one? It feels/looks . . .

FONTOGRAPHY: “Feel”

FONTOGRAPHY: Readability

The rule is that the stronger the contrast between background and foreground, the better the readability.

Don’t know what to get? The solution is simple. The next time you stop by the library to check out a good book, also check out the donation box that is conveniently located near the entry of the library. Get ideas from food items that are already in the box or read the list of needed items that is posted on or above the box!

Don’t know what to get? The solution is simple. The next time you stop by the library to check out a good book, also check out the donation box that is conveniently located near the entry of the library. Get ideas from food items that are already in the box or read the list of needed items that is posted on or above the box!

FONTOGRAPHY: Readability

Use reverse type sparingly. It strains the eyes, can be hard to read in a bright room, and creates problems for people with vision problems,

It’s simple to donate! The food pantry is looking for any non-perishable food items that you are willing to donate. So clean out your pantry and donate that old box of macaroni and cheese or can of green beans. Or when you start shopping for your Thanksgiving dinner, grab an extra can of cranberry sauce. Then head over to any Plano fire department or public library in Plano and look for the brightly decorated boxes where you can drop off you food!

Don’t know what to get? The solution is simple. The next time you stop by the library to check out a good book, also check out the donation box that is conveniently located near the entry of the library. Get ideas from food items that are already in the box or read the list of needed items that is posted on or above the box!

So this holiday season when you’re gathered around the turkey with your family, digging into those homemade mashed potatoes and bowl full of rolls, know that someone else out there is enjoying their holiday dinner too, thanks to the food you donated.

FONTOGRAPHY: Readability

Headline fonts vs. text fonts

Some fonts work best as only “Headline” fonts . . .

This font is hard to read as a text font. But it has the potential to be useful as a headline font in the right applications.

Headline Font

Here’s another example of a font that is useful as a headline font but would not work well if used as a text font.

Headline

FONTOGRAPHY: Readability

Thick & thin letters influence readability--

I’m an example of both thick and thin.

I’m a less dramatic example of thick and thin.

I’m just an example of mostly thin.I’m gorgeously all

over thin!

FONTOGRAPHY: Readability

The length of ascenders & descenders also influences readability

You’re getting tired of seeing me but I’m a great example of very short ascenders & descenders.

Though I’m a cool, hip font, you’re running a risk to use me because my ascenders and descenders are almost non-existent.

Now that you’re noticing ascenders and descenders, you are figuring out that some fonts have been created for special uses and are not useful as text fonts.

FONTOGRAPHY: Rendering

If your reader doesn’t have Jokerman on his or her computer, then the text will not “render,” or present itself, in Jokerman.

Cool Headline

Cool Headline

Cool Headline

Cool Headline

You can’t depend on WYSIWYG

Take-away Points:

1. Pay attention to a font’s “vibe,” or the underlying feeling it’s giving off.

2. Consider how readable a font is.

3. Use workarounds if you want to make certain your font renders on the screen exactly as you want it to.