SSSaFOHTW chapters

Typography II, Journal: March 10

Stop Stealing Sheep and Find Out How Type Works chapter summaries

1: Type is everywhere
Type is ubiquitous. It surrounds us, bombards us, whispers to us, encourages us, mocks us, startles us, or just prattles on and on, blithely unaware that we don't give a damn about what it has to say. Type is a method of conveying ideas, and it is one which is used extensively in our culture. Type design is important in facilitating clear, effective communication.

2: What is type
The methods of type creation and the styles and trends in type faces have changed drastically over time, but it is all fundamentally rooted in common ground.

3: Looking at type
In order to use type effectively, you must have an eye for it — you must train yourself to notice a font's shape and details.

4: Type with a purpose
Different type faces have different strengths and meanings, so choosing the right one becomes an important factor in design.

5: Type builds character
All typefaces have a tone that may or may not be appropriate for your project. Training yourself to become sensitive to the character of typefaces will help you make better decisions.

6: Types of type
There are some broad categories that typefaces fall into which can help identify them.

7: How it works
Spacing is also important. Be sure to utilize appropriate leading, tracking and kerning for a typeface. Also, it should be noted that different typefaces work best at different line lengths and sizes.

8: Putting it to work
Placement of type into logical, yet dynamic arrangements can hook the reader and keep him interested.

9: There is no bad type
Typefaces come into and fall out of favor. Fonts are almost never inherently good or bad. For every ugly font, there may very well be a situation in which it could be used quite effectively.