Typography Assignment 8/25

in regards to alphabet variation...

Weight – variances in character weight include light, medium, bold, semibold, heavy, and black.

Width - Most typefaces can be condensed or extended, which provide variations in character width.

Style is a very general term that includes many characteristics of a typeface.

in regards to measuring type...

How is type measured in inches, mm, points or picas?

1 inch = 6 picas = 72 points

A typeface is measured from the top of the capital letter to the bottom of the lowest descender, plus a small buffer space.

Point measures type from the top of the ascender to the bottom of the descender. Used to measure height of type size and the space between lines and paragraphs.

Picas measure width, such as the width of a typeset column (length of line) or the space between columns.

How many points in an inch? There are 72 points in an inch

If a letter is set in 36 pts about how many inches tall is it? It is 3 picas, or 1/2 an inch

How many picas in an inch? There are 6 picas in an inch


How many points in a pica? There are 12 points in a pica

X-height is the height of lowercase letters, or the height of a lowercase x, in proportion to the ascenders and descenders. It effects the feel of a typeface and how easily the text can be read.

Cap height is the distance from the top of a capital letter to its bottom.

Leading is the space between lines of type.

Typography Assignment, 8/23

A grid is a structure used by designers to effectively organize and lay out large amounts of information.  They can be very highly structured or very loose.

Why do we (designers) use a grid?

Grids are a great tool in establishing systematic order within a layout. Designers use grids in an attempt to solve problems both visually and organizationally. It provides endless opportunities for potential layouts.

What are the benefits or functions?

There are several benefits to using a grid. Most importantly, it is a tool to quickly lay out many similar pages. If multiple designers are collaborating on a particular project, it establishes common visual qualities.

What is a modular grid?

A modular grid is a specific type of grid made up of multiple columns and rows.

An image or text block can occupy one or more modules.

Margins are the negative, or blank, spaces between the edge and the content.

Columns are one of the basic components of a grid. These vertical alignments

A grid can contain any number of columns.

Grid modules are individual units of space within a grid. They are created through repeated columns and rows across the page.

Flowlines are alignments that break the space into horizontal bands. They help guide the eye across the format and can be used to impose additional stopping and starting points for text or images.

Gutters are the white spaces between facing pages.

A hierarchy is an order established through thoughtful organization that effectively allows the viewer to understand the level of importance of each part of the text. The more important a section is, the more it will stand out.

Typographic color is the emphasis of elements in relation to one another. This can be done by altering the weight, style, and size of a text. Larger, bolder text will advance in space, while smaller elements will appear to recede.

What are ways to achieve a clear hierarchy?

The designer must decide which sections of the text should be read first, second, third, and so on. Hierarchy is successfully established through spatial organization, grouping, variances in size and style, and the use of typographic color.