Typeface Properties Overview

Typeface Properties

• Serif Type: A characteristic of the typeface's letterforms (presence or absence of small decorative lines).
• Weight: A typeface can exist in different weights (e.g., light, medium, bold). Weights are numerically identified (e.g., Helvetica 35 Light, 65 Medium).
• Width: Typefaces have different widths (e.g., extra wide, extended).
• Posture: A typeface's slant. Italics are specifically designed, while oblique is a diagonal slant applied to the regular/roman version.
• Thick/Thin Contrast: Some typefaces highlight contrast between thick and thin strokes (e.g., Bodoni, Didot), while others are uniform (e.g., Univers).
• X-Height: The height of the lowercase letter 'x'. A large x-height may have short ascenders (Lubalin Graph), while a smaller one might have larger ascenders (Bodoni).
• Ascender/Descender Length: The length of the parts of letters that extend above or below the x-height.
• Stress: The placement of the thinnest parts of the letters relative to each other.

Letterform Relationships

• Kerning: Adjusting the space between specific pairs of characters.
• Tracking: Increasing or decreasing the space between all characters in a block of text.
• Leading: The space between lines of type.
• Kerning Pairs: Good typefaces have a programmed set of kerning pairs (often hundreds) to optimize spacing between characters like "AV" versus "AR". Kerning pairs, however, are based on optical aesthetics and not mathematical accuracy.

Type Selection

• Denotation: The literal meaning of a word or image (e.g., "tree").
• Connotation: The feelings or ideas associated with a word or image (e.g., an image of a tree might evoke peace or tranquility). Typeface choices imply connotations.
• Type Size Contrast: Larger type needs less tracking to look good, while smaller type demands more. Maintaining legibility and spacing at different sizes is essential.
• Point Size Relationships: The scale of different type sizes in a design should establish a relationship through contrast rather than just a size difference (avoid huge size difference between titles and body text).
• Typeface Choice Impact: Typefaces convey meaning, affecting how a word or text is perceived. Selecting a typeface is crucial in design.

Paragraphs and Pages

• Typographic Color: The perceived gray value of a chunk of text. This is impacted by factors like x-height and strokeweight.
• Line Length: Optimal line lengths for paragraphs tend to be from 47 to 65 characters (including spaces). Excessive line length can disrupt reading.
• Golden Section/Fibonacci Sequence: Useful tools for creating well-proportioned layouts and margins. The Golden Section and Fibonacci sequence are important in page design.