For laymen, the terms “typography” and “font” are pretty much same. In fact, these two terms are often used by the people interchangeably. However, from a graphic designer point of view there is a difference between fonts and typography. It plays a vital role in graphic design. From last few years, graphic designers have started to identify the importance of typography and the latest trends have acknowledged its important role in modern design.
If you are thinking typography is all about choosing the font that looks the prettiest, you are totally mistaken. It is far more than that.
So, what it is exactly?
In simple words, typography is the method and art of arranging type. That includes each possible component which can affect the graphic design, like:
- choice of typeface
- the color palette
- point size
- line length
- design integration and layout between others.
Purpose of Typography
Due to the fact that typography is so closely merged with graphic design, many people suffer the misconception that its purpose is to make the site beautiful.
- The main purpose of typography has nothing to do only with attractiveness.
- It is also about readability that typography aims at. This does not mean that it should not look attractive, but this is just an added bonus.
Why is Typography important?
95% of most of the graphicsites are occupied by content. And typography is the art of displaying content.
Even design professionals sometimes forget that
- content is what brings visitors to a graphicsite,
- content is what keeps them on a graphicsite and
- that content has to be easy to perceive.
In this blog, we have gathered some suggestions which might be useful for every graphic designer.
1. Right selection of Font gives graphicsite an appeal
The main purpose of font selection or typeface is to convey the purpose of the graphicsite and content.
Things needs to be done before font selection
- Review the core purpose of the company, article, content or product.
- Once the main point that you would like to communicate to your readers is clear, you can then choose or design a typeface that reflects the purpose of the content.
Example: Look at the simple typeface that TypeDeskRef.com has used for their header. The purpose of the site is to promote and sell their e-book which is a reference for typography readers.
2. Importance of Alignment
Alignment and arranging text on the site can have a huge impact on how readable the content is.
Traditionally, there are four types of font alignment: right, left, centered and justified. However, because of the power that CSS and Photoshop images offer to designers one can align text however you feel like. However we all must remember that:
- Alignment of the text needs to help direct the readers and users to the most important information and to help them see structure and flow of the graphicsite.
Example: Organized way of text alignment
3. Typography as an art
In the print industry, beautifully design and compelling typography are used that greatly adds to the message of the text.
- With the usage of CSS3, @font-face/Google graphic fonts, font-squirrel, Typekit etc. beautiful typography can be included into the design of the graphicsite depending upon the requirements.
Example: Using typography as an art to portray the mood and vision of the site can be seen at Marie Catribs graphicsite.
4. Increase Type Size
The more important the content is, the larger the font-size should be. Learn to use size to an advantage in your designs to convey the message to viewers about the purpose and content of your graphicsite.
- Nowadays, designers are creating some stunning pieces of artwork with larger fonts.
- There seems to be a new design philosophy floating in the graphic design industry that says: ‘Your header type is like the cover of a book’.
Example: Fuelyourholidays graphicsite uses large font-sizes to highlight their offer.
5. Use of Multiple Typefaces
There are numerous typeface options are available which are creative and user-friendly. Try using a combination of multiple fonts as per the need of the graphicsite.
Example: Beautiful use of multiple typefaces in the Carsonified graphicsite.
Nobody can deny the fact that typography is capable of influencing the perception of your graphicsite’s visitors and engaging them with your graphic pages. It can also affect the conversion rates and play a major role in the effective content delivery to the users. Every graphic designer should focus on the clever use of typography, as it is a powerful tool which can do wonders for any graphicsite. As rightly said by famous type designer Matthew Carter, “…type is a beautiful group of letters, not a group of beautiful letters.”
View Full Presentation on slide share: Practical Typography or Typography vs Design
Practical Typography or Typography vs Design from ADMEC Multimedia Institute