Cuneiform System

• A logo-syllabic writing system used in ancient Near East.

HTML

• Hyper Text Markup Language, used by the web to display text, and occasional images.

Bandwidth and Embedded Information

• Improved bandwidth allows for more embedded information.

Typeface and Fonts

• Typeface: A family of graphic characters containing various sizes.
• Font: A collection of characters within one size and style from one typeface.

Font Size and Measurement

• Measured in points (1 point = 0.0138 inch or 1/72 of an inch).
• Font size is the distance from the capital letter's top to the descender's bottom.

Font and Typeface Accuracy

• "Font" is commonly used when "Typeface" is correct.

X-height

• Height of lowercase letter "x".

Ascenders and Descenders

• Ascender: Letters with taller features
• Descender: Parts of letters that fall below the baseline.
• Both must be considered when determining the text.

Line Spacing and Leading

• Computer fonts add space below ascenders for proper line spacing.
• Leading: Vertical spacing between lines, measured from the baseline of each line. Improves readability.

Kerning

• Spacing between character pairs.

Spacing Issues (Unacceptable/Awkward readability)

• "Unacceptable" - When words are too close together.
• "Awkward read" - When words are too far apart.

Font Styles (Posture)

• Posture: Straight or italic.

Kerning Variations

• Normal kerning: (Round → Straight → "Oh")
• Open kerning: (Straight → Straight → "hn")
• Tight kerning: (Round → Round → "Oo")

Tracking

• Adjusting spacing throughout a word/text.
• Equally spaced letters, also used to increase presence or avoid being too dense to read.

Rasterizing

• Converts letters into mathematical symbols for display (screen/printed output).

Font Style Variations

• Font style: adjusting character width. Regular, expanded or condensed.

Aliasing and Anti-aliasing

• Aliasing: Visual steps in edges of images at low resolution.
• Anti-aliasing: Smoothing jagged edges by averaging pixel colors.

Serifs

• Small lines or strokes attached to the ends of larger strokes in letters.

Sans-Serif Fonts

• Does not have extended features at the end of letters (like Gothic)

Serif Font Usage

• Body text for improved reading path (books, magazines, brochures)
• Headlines, important statements (websites, mobile apps, catalogs, presentations).

Design Perspective & Message Complexity

• Design and choose font based on the message's complexity and the site.

Presentation Style

• Use bulleted points, larger fonts, few words, more white space.

Point Size

• Measured from ascender to descender.

Bandwidth

• Internet speed.

Rounded Character Spacing

• Rounded characters take less space due to their shape.

Font Readability

• Sans fonts are good for web and mobile readability.

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs

• Pictorial writing from ancient Egyptian monuments.

Test your knowledge on the cuneiform writing system used in the ancient Near East and explore the essentials of typography, including typefaces, fonts, and measurements. This quiz covers various aspects of font design, from size to spacing, and helps you understand key concepts in graphic characters.