Type
is crystallized speech -- what writing looks like to the eye.
Like
every other element on every page of your publication, it has a story
to tell. Type creates its own message and its own mood. That
message and mood should complement those of individual stories and
of the publication as a whole. |
Just
like you, each typeface belongs to a family.
Individual
family members may differ -- some may be bold, some may be lightweights
and so on -- but the group shares some similarities in the ways that
letters are shaped and formed. Those characteristics distinguish one
typeface family
from another. |
As
a designer, you will use type in three places:
*
One
place is body
copy, which is the text of the story
(as well as the text of the cutlines).
Body
copy must be easy to read. In general, most print publications
use a serif typeface
(one with little nubbins on the ends of
the letters) in body copy because it's considered more easily
legible than sans-serif typefaces (without the nubbins). |
* A
second place is in headlines (including the "slug
lines," or short label heds, used with standalone cutlines).
Heds
may use either serif or sans-serif typefaces depending on what
the design gurus have decided best fits the publication's
style and
tone. |
* And
a third place is in display type, which includes the display
heds we've already talked about, as well as any other big, splashy
thing you want to do with text.
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Type
has various dimensions, some of which we've already covered in the
context of heds:
* The height
of type --
obviously, how tall the typeface is -- is measured in points,
72 to the inch. This is generally what editors mean when they
refer to "size."
* Points
typically are used to indicate height or vertical space.
However, typefaces that are tall also tend
to take up more horizontal space than ones that are small.
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* Generally,
the bigger the size, the greater the impact. Large type,
such as in a headline, can serve
as a point of entry into a page
or story.
Newspaper
heds generally range in size from 14 or 18 points for a
brief up to 60 or 72 points (rarely, even larger ... very rarely)
for a major story. |
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* The
width of type is measured in picas, six
to an inch. (This means there are 12 points to a pica, for you
math fans.)
Editors
usually are more concerned with the width of a whole line of
body copy that with the width of individual
letters.
Columns (or "legs") of type also are measured in
picas.
The
width of a line of text also is affected by the spacing between
letters and between words, both horizontally
(within
words and
across a single line) and vertically (between lines of type
in a story or hed). Different typefaces create different spacing. |
* Typefaces
also vary in weight; for instance, they may
be bold (or black), light or something in between.
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Here
are a few basic principles or concepts related to typography for those
times when you have the opportunity to select typefaces for
your publication:
* First
and foremost, type has to be legible -- people
have to be able to read it!
Avoid
anything that requires extra work to "translate," including:
* Unusual
typefaces, which can be effective if used sparingly and for
a specific purpose.
In
general, display type calls attention to itself and thus
detracts from the message of the story. Use it, in small
doses, when it suits the message ... not just for the sake
of novelty.
Inappropriately
used odd types make your publication
look amateurish, not clever. Trust me on this. |
* ALL-CAPITAL
LETTERS (in either headlines or body copy).
We
read by recognizing word shapes of caps and lowercase letters.
We subconsciously rely on the ascenders and descenders,
which letters set in all caps don't have; without them,
we have to slow down to "translate" the letters
in our minds. |
| * Sans
serif fonts (in body copy).The letters tend to become monotonous
and hard to read. |
* Condensed
or squeezed type, which also tires the eyes.
If
you choose to use it, experts suggest adding space between
lines (called "leading"). The additional white
space enhances the contrast, making the words stand out
more clearly and improving legibility. |
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*
It
also needs to match the message you are trying
to send.
* For
body copy and most heds, the publication's design gurus
will pick one set of complementary typefaces and stick
with those choices until the next "redesign" (a
major undertaking involving a truly incredible number of
meetings, typically stretching over many months and through
numerous prototypes).
As
a copy editor, you probably won't have much involvement
in that process. Be grateful. |
| * For
display text, though, it often will be up to the individual
page designer to pick something suitable. Have fun! |
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* Always
keep your readers in mind, including their ages (smaller typefaces
are harder for us old folks
to read) and interests.
* For
body copy, many newspapers choose similar typefaces --
typically something sedate and serif, such as one
from the Times family.
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* Niche
magazines, on the other hand, may vary widely.
They
will seek something that communicates a message suitable
to their
topic and their audience. The body copy in Wired magazine,
for instance, is different from that in AARP:
The Magazine (which I believe
boasts the
largest circulation of any U.S. magazine) though both are
attractive
and quite legible.
(Online,
btw, even very different publications use similar fonts.) |
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