Dear friends, when we say that learning the art of typography will elevate your design career, we mean it.
Learning how to do typography will help you design some seriously stunning text, of course, but it does so much more than that!
So, grab a pen and paper… or your computer, and get ready to take some notes!
Unlocking The Mysteries
To understand type is to understand the fundamentals of space and proportion, so it’s really no surprise that you can then apply this knowledge of typography to other areas of design.
Would you believe that Chris has even used what he’s learned about typography to design furniture? Pretty cool, right?!
Yes, the results of learning how to craft and use typography may leave you with seemingly super-hero powers, but getting started doesn’t have to be a herculean task.
With just a few basic principles, you’ll be well on your way to totally ruling type [insert celebration emoji here] Woo!
Typography 101
Let’s start with typography goals.
Before considering the aesthetics of typeface design, we have to return to the very basic goals of your type. No matter the style or the type family, no matter your approach to typeface selection, you want your text to be:
1. Clear (not confusing)
2. Interesting (not boring)
3. Communicating an idea
4. Detailed
These are your goals. And every decision you make in relation to your type should move the design closer to a clear and interesting message with attention to detail.
Finally, perfectionists FTW!
Seems simple enough, right?It tracks, then, that the easiest way to fulfill these criteria is to start simple.
Simple Is Strong
Now I know you wanna throw every mother-loving font into a design because you love them ALL. But that just ain’t gonna cut it. Restraint, friends. Restraint.
Pairing two different typefaces or font types is like pairing a good wine with your dinner. It’s a delicate art that requires a deep understanding of the rules.
Once you master working with one font, one font size, one weight, and one color, then you can start tweaking those elements to play with contrast.
It may seem like tedious work at first but the payoff is pretty friggin’ sweet. So hang in there, you go this!
For the rebels in the crowd, you could just say, ‘fuhgeddaboudit’ and throw a bunch of doodads against the wall to see what sticks. Up to you! But for now, let’s move along to font types.
4 Major Font Types
Yes, there are heaps of fonts to choose from, but they all fall into four main categories:
1. Serif fonts
2. Sans-Serif fonts (fonts and typefaces without serifs)
3. Script fonts
4. Display fonts
