Type 101

Here we have assembled some of the best typographic resources for those who are just getting started in the world of typography.

 Information on Type
It’s About Legibility - Typographic clarity comes in two flavors: legibility and readability. What’s the difference? Legibility is a function of typeface design. It’s an informal measure of how easy it is to distinguish one letter from another in a particular typeface. Readability, on the other hand, is dependent upon how the typeface is used. Readability is about typography. It is a gauge of how easily words, phrases and copy can be read.

Type For The Web - Are there fonts which are better than others to overcome the drawbacks of low screen resolution? Are there fonts ideally suited to creating dynamic web graphics? You bet!

 Scripts: A Type of Passion - Most typefaces, however beautiful or well-drawn, add merely the subtlest nuance to the words they compose. Scripts, on the other hand, bring something dramatic to typeset copy. Scripts are emotional, lyrical, even passionate communicators. Words that are set in script faces make an impact far greater than their literal meaning could convey.

Typefaces in digital format - With the advent of desktop publishing, type design and manufacturing entered a new era. Learn all about digital type.

WGL Fonts - WGL fonts contain a pan-European character set that supports Western, Central and Eastern European languages.

Font Glossary - An alphabetical glossary of typographic tems.

For Your Typographic
Information
Anatomy of a Character - How do you tell one typeface from another? If you’re trying to distinguish Helvetica from Times Roman, the difference is obvious. In other cases the differences can be subtle and difficult for the less–experienced eye to see.

Emphasis: Italics and Boldface - When it’s time to emphasize a word or phrase, do you automatically reach for the font style menu? These basic typographic tools are often used incorrectly.

Justified Type - Which came first, justified or unjustified typesetting? Which is better? There are definitely two camps on this question.

 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.

Small Caps - This little gem explains the novelties of "true-drawn" small caps and why they're often a better solution than all caps.

Oldstyle Figures - Oldstyle figures are very useful and quite beautiful when set within text.

Initial Letters - Want to get your text off to a great start? Try using initial letters.