This document discusses typography and type design. It covers the parts of letters like x-height, cap height, ascenders, and descenders. It also covers typefaces, styles, measurements in points, kerning, tracking, leading, and special type effects.

1. Typography
Conveys mood
Communicates attitude

2. The Letters
X-height –the height of the main body of
a lower case letter (literally, the x)
x j
Cap height –the height of uppercase
letters of a font
A B C

3. The Letters
Ascender – the part of lower case
letters that extends above the x-height
b d h
Descender – the part of lower case
letters that extends below the baseline
g p y

4. The Letters
Bowl – the rounded space within letters
such as b and Q
Serif – the short cross strokes of some
typeface
T f m

5. Typefaces
Conventional
Serif, small x-height, tall extenders &
descenders
Contemporary
Sans serif, high x-height, short extenders
and descenders

6. Typefaces
Dignified
Serif, bowls and vertical letterforms slightly
narrowed
Hattenschweiler
Friendly
Rounded bowls and letterforms
Tahoma

7. Type Styles
Bold
heavier stroke,
-headings, subheads
-avoid using bold type for emphasis
within blocks text. Italics work better.

8. Type Styles
Avoid:
Shadow textShadow text
Outline text
Underlined text
Consider:
Small caps for acronyms

9. Type measurement
Points –best standard of measurement
Measured in smaller increments 0.1
Used by most programs
Vocabulary of typesetting is in points
Used for line spacing and rule thickness
6 picas = 1 inch
12 points = 1 pica
72 points = 1 inch

10. Kerning and Tracking
Kerning – reducing or adding space
between letter pairs
Tracking -adjusting space in a string or
block of text
generally loose or tight

11. Line Spacing
Leading –vertical space alloted to a line
of type
Use tighter leading in headlines
Use looser leading for body text

12. Leading
Design programs allow you to adjust
leading for special effects, such as
logos

13. Special Type Effects
Reversing type
Screening type
50%
off
50%
off

14. Special Type Effects
and type
Rotating type
Setting

15. Special Type Effects
Filling type