There are many things to consider when working with type - As a designer, you have surely learned these rules before. The blog thuyuyen.info has compiled a complete set of 19 rules you should know when using fonts. I would like to share them here with everyone! Rule 1:
- To make reading easier, choose classic fonts that have stood the test of time as the most readable.
- Classic fonts offer excellent readability because they have been carefully designed, with meticulous attention to the relationships between letter strokes.
- There are 2 types of fonts: Serif (with serifs) and Sans Serif (without serifs).
Sans Serif & Serif
Rule 2:
- Do not use too many different fonts in the same layout.
- The purpose of using more than one font is to create emphasis or distinguish different sections of text.
- Using too many fonts in a layout therefore creates visual clutter, makes reading difficult, and obscures which parts are important.
Use only 1-2 fonts in a passage of text
Rule 3:
- Avoid combining fonts that look too similar.
- If the reason for combining fonts is to create emphasis, it is important for readers to be able to see the difference between them.
- Otherwise, the layout will look as though a printing error has occurred.
Avoid using fonts that are too similar
Rule 4:
- Setting an entire passage in UPPERCASE makes reading much harder; use both UPPERCASE and lowercase letters to make reading easier.
- Lowercase letters provide the clearest cues for reading because their strokes extend above and below the main body of the letters.
- Combining lowercase and UPPERCASE letters is the standard way to set text, and it is also familiar to readers.
- However, UPPERCASE letters are often used to attract attention and to set headlines and subheads.
Do not use all UPPERCASE for long passages
Rule 5:
- For body text, use an appropriate type size to make reading easier.
- A suitable type size is usually between 8-12 pt, with a reading distance of 30-35 cm between the eyes and the text.
- It is important to understand that the appropriate type size varies depending on the font.
Choose a type size of 8-12 pt for long passages
Rule 6:
- Avoid using too many different type sizes and weights at once in body text.
- Use only as many type sizes and weights as needed to clearly distinguish the different sections of the text.
- Generally, you should not use more than 2 type sizes within the same body text.
- Limiting the number of type sizes makes the layout readable and engaging.
Use bold type ( Bold - Black ) and light type ( Regular - Light ) appropriately
Rule 7:
- Avoid using fonts that are too heavy or too light in body text.
- A font’s weight is determined by the thickness of its strokes.
- A font that is too heavy creates a strong contrast with the background, while a font that is too light may blend into the background, making the text difficult to read.
- Ideally, choose fonts with a medium weight for body text.
Avoid using fonts that are too bold or too light
Rule 8:
- Use fonts of medium width, avoiding those that are too wide or too narrow.
- Stretching or distorting letters on a computer makes them harder to read because their proportions are no longer familiar to us.
- Instead, some fonts offer wide (Extended) or narrow (Condensed) versions that you can use.
- Never distort a font; respect it and regard it as a work of art.
Use fonts with an appropriate width
Rule 9:
- For body text, letter and word spacing should be tight enough to create an even, flowing texture.
- Letters should come together into words, and words into lines, gracefully and naturally.
- This means that word and letter spacing throughout the text must be consistent and appropriate.
Letter spacing should be tight and even
Rule 10:
- Line length must be appropriate; lines that are too long or too short both hinder reading.
- Lines that are too long or too short make reading difficult and tiring.
- When reading a very long line, it is easy to lose your place when moving to the next line.
- With very short lines, the eyes must constantly move back and forth, causing eyestrain and discomfort for the reader.
- Ideally, each line should contain around 10 – 12 words.
Line lengths should be balanced and consistent
Rule 11:
- For body text, line spacing must be appropriate so readers can move easily from one line to the next.
- Line spacing that is too tight slows reading because our eyes are forced to take in several lines at once.
- Line spacing that is too wide disrupts concentration, so depending on the font, you can add 1 - 4 pt to the line spacing.
Line spacing should be consistent
Rule 12:
- To make reading easier, align text to the left. In certain special cases, however, Justified / Right / Center alignment may be appropriate, but these should be used thoughtfully.
Align text in the reading direction ( from left to right )
Rule 13:
- When aligning text along one edge, keep the opposite edge compact and natural.
- Take care to avoid ugly or awkward shapes created by the ends of lines.
- Also avoid creating line endings that are too similar.
End lines appropriately for attractive body text
Rule 14:
- Take care to separate paragraphs clearly without disrupting the cohesion of the text.
- The 2 common ways to separate paragraphs are indenting the first line and adding blank space between paragraphs.
- There are other ways to separate paragraphs as well, and these should also be used appropriately.
Separate paragraphs clearly
Rule 15:
- Avoid “widows and orphans” whenever possible.
- A “widow” is a word left alone on a line at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
- An “orphan” is part of a word that has been split off and left alone on a line at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
- When these occur, they disrupt the continuity of the text and affect the reader’s concentration.
Widows and orphans :)) my teacher taught it this way too
Rule 16:
- Emphasize elements within a passage carefully so as not to disrupt the flow of reading.
- Never overuse emphasis; use it minimally for maximum effect.
- Remember that the main purpose of emphasis is to clarify the content and clearly distinguish different pieces of information.
Choose an emphasis font that complements the body text font
Rule 17:
- Always preserve a font’s readability; avoid stretching it arbitrarily.
- Well-designed fonts have qualities that make them easy to read.
- Arbitrarily disrupting these qualities compromises the integrity of the font.
Stretching - squeezing type = a disaster that disrespects the work and its creator
Rule 18:
- Always align text along the baseline.
- Type is designed to sit on a horizontal line. When baselines shift up and down, readability is lost.
Keep type aligned
Rule 19:
- When working with type and colored backgrounds, make sure there is sufficient contrast between the background and the text.
- Insufficient contrast between the background and the text makes reading difficult or impossible.
- Black text on a white background is the easiest to read.
- White text on a black background creates excessively strong contrast. In long passages, this can cause visual strain. Be very careful when using this approach.
Contrast between the background and the text
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