Word Spacing: How-to - Space matters. Word space, that is. Different letter and word shapes call for subtly different amounts of space. Learn to see and finesse word spacing in both text and display type with these how-tos.
Converting Text to Outline - Powerful design software makes many choices available to graphic designers, but just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should. For example, sometimes it’s a good idea to convert your text layouts to outline, but sometimes it isn’t. Learn more about this occasionally necessary, often ill-advised practice before you decide whether or not it’s time to convert.
Bulleted Lists - Automatic, or manual? No, we’re not talking about transmissions - we’re talking about bullet lists, those frequently used tools for organizing lists of information. Your layout application will be happy to format these lists for you, but for true typographic finesse, it’s time to learn to “drive stick” and call your own shots about bullets, alignment and spacing.
Top Ten Type Crimes - If there were a “Ten Most Wanted” list for typographic crimes, these hardboiled miscreants would be on it. Learn what the ten worst (and most common) type crimes are, and how to avoid them.
Positioning Punctuation - Are your characters depressed? When punctuation marks are positioned next to ALL CAPS, it can leave them looking a little low. Even making small adjustments in a character’s position will create greater visual balance and give your layout a “lift,” especially in display sizes.
Double Spaces Between Sentences…NOT! - Typing two spaces after a period is a relic of the typewriter era that has hung around long past its sell-by date. Here’s how to make sure none of those double-space dinosaurs find their way into your typeset work.
Hung Punctuation & Optical Margin Alignment - Even with all the technology at the disposal of today’s designers, in the end it’s what the human eye sees that counts. That’s why hung punctuation is one of the skills to master when you’re ready to add professional finesse to your typography. Learn what hung punctuation is and how to achieve it in the leading page layout applications.
Creative Indents - For those daring souls who have always insisted on coloring outside the lines, it’s time to consider using a different style paragraph indent.
Emphasis: Italics and Boldface - Boldface and italics are two of the most common techniques for lending emphasis to text, but these basic typographic tools are often used incorrectly.
Justified Type - Proper justification is a tricky technique to master, but it’s well worth the effort if high quality, professional-looking typography is your goal.
Kerning in QuarkXPress and InDesign - Even with today’s digital typesetting technology, some things still have to be done by hand — or do they? Here’s a look at the powerful kerning features built into two popular design applications. Use these features wisely and you’ll save time while achieving better typography, too.
Good Text Face Part 1 - No amount of design effort and imagination will save you if you’re working with shoddily designed typefaces as your “raw material.” But with tens of thousands of faces to choose from, how can you tell what’s good? In Part I of II, we’ll discuss how to develop an eye for quality in a text face.
Good Display Text - In Part 2 of a two-part series, Ilene Strizver takes on the question: what makes a typeface a good choice for display settings? Once you’ve made your choice, a few simple adjustments will get your display copy the attention it deserves.
Rags, Widows and Orphans - In spite of their odd names, these concepts are important to understand if good typography is your goal.
Hyphenation - One of the often-overlooked details of good typography is hyphenation. Here are some simple guidelines for what to look for in properly hyphenated text – and tips on how to improve troublesome sit-u-a-tions.
Smart Quotes - As designers, it’s our job to use our “smarts” to work around this all-too-common problem.
Spacing and Kerning, Part 1 - The spacing of a font has a large impact on how it looks when set, and should be a consideration when choosing and using a typeface.
Spacing and Kerning, Part 2 - The spacing of a font has a large impact on how it looks when set, and should be a consideration when choosing and using a typeface.
Super Families - Faster than a speeding bullet, more versatile than an ordinary typeface – it’s the typographic super family! These comprehensive and innovative groupings of related designs offer a great way to combine typefaces without risking an over-designed look.
Type and Color - Color and typography work together in many ways.
Type Sizes - What’s the point of a point system in which 24 points doesn’t always equal 24 points? It’s not pointless, but it does require some explanation!
Visual Alignment - Designers are used to being detail-oriented and mathematically precise, nudging things a point this way and a pixel that way until technical perfection is achieved.
Word Spacing - For truly professional-quality typesetting, it’s not just the words themselves you have to get right – it’s the space between the words.