Typography is not just about choosing a typeface but also about the skill of arranging text so that messages are delivered clearly. This ability is essential in designing websites, books, magazines, or digital media. That’s why understanding the 10 golden rules to improve your typography skills is so important.
This guide is useful for designers, UI/UX specialists, and visual creators to better master typography principles professionally and practically. Furthermore, from a reader’s perspective, applying proper typography principles also enhances the reading experience and maintains readability.
Key takeaways:
To achieve optimal typography results in terms of both readability and aesthetics, here are several rules you need to pay attention to.
Readable fonts mean the audience does not have to struggle to recognize letterforms. Use standard typefaces such as sans serif and serif, which have simple and clear shapes.
Avoid using too many decorative fonts, as this can reduce professionalism and the reader’s comfort. Instead, consider the purpose of the content before choosing the right typeface, without neglecting readability.
Example of visual hierarchy on text | Source: Appleton
A visual hierarchy helps the audience understand the structure of information more quickly through the arrangement of headings, subheadings, and body text. One way to make readers notice these content levels is by setting contrast between font size or weight.
For example, headings can use larger and bolder fonts, while the body text uses smaller sizes. With this visual hierarchy, readers can easily find the information they need without having to read everything at once.
Also Read : Design with Emotion: The Art of Expressive Typography
The key to presenting clean and professional typography is to consistently use font styles. Avoid using too many typefaces, as it can create a cluttered look.
Ideally, limit to a maximum of three different typefaces and avoid combining fonts that are too similar so you can create better contrast. Consistency also applies to size, color, and spacing. Make sure you apply the same formatting to enhance readability.
Example of grid system | Source: Stephen Kelman
Grids are useful for organizing the structure and layout of text consistently, so readers don’t get confused when following the flow of your content.
According to Nine Blaess, there are several types of grids, such as manuscript grid, column grid, modular grid, baseline grid, and hierarchical grid. Pick the grid type that best fits your design needs. For example, web design commonly uses column grids.
One effective tip on how to improve typography skills is to pay attention to line spacing, or the vertical space between lines. Avoid setting the spacing too tight, as it can make text hard to read. According to Figma, a line height of about 1.125 to 1.200 times the font size is good for readability.
Also Read : Leading, Kerning, and Tracking: 3 Key Elements in Typography
A word without kerning and with kerning | Source: Adobe Typekit Blog
Kerning refers to the adjustment of space between individual letters to create consistent spacing. This is especially important when designing logos or large text elements such as titles. Proper kerning ensures that letters are evenly spaced, which not only improves readability but also enhances the visual appeal of the text.
Also Read : Anatomy of Typography: A Complete Guide to Learn Typography
Another tip on how to improve your typography skills is to use color contrast so that readers can access your content easily. Ideally, black text on a white background provides the best readability. However, you can experiment with other contrasting color combinations as long as they provide enough distinction to maintain clarity and legibility.
Example of quotation marks in text | Source: Freepik
People often underestimate the importance of punctuation in typography. However, this aspect is crucial to ensuring readers can clearly understand information. For example, using commas (,) to indicate pauses or quotation marks (“?“) to indicate direct quotations.
Creating paragraphs that are too long will only overwhelm your readers. Therefore, aim for paragraphs with a limit of around 40-60 characters per line for good readability.
Example of widow and orphan in text | Source: Design Shack
Avoid placing a single word at the end of a paragraph, known as a “widow,” and don’t let a new column begin with the last word or line from the previous paragraph, known as an “orphan.” These issues can disrupt the flow of text and weaken the overall readability.
Also Read : Ascender and Descender in Typography: Why They Matter?
After understanding the 10 golden rules to improve your typography skills, it’s time to take the next step by executing them with professional font collections from Zarma Type.
Here, you’ll find a wide selection of modern, elegant, retro, and decorative fonts that perfectly suit your typography needs. Bring your designs to life with fonts that are not only easy to read but also visually captivating, at Zarma Type!
