Design Production: Thinking with Type

KERNING The term kerning refers to adjusting the space between two letters. If letters in a typeface are spaced too uniformly, they make a pattern that doesn’t look uniform enough. Gaps occur, for example, around letters whose forms angle outward or frame an open space (W, Y, V, T, L). In metal type, a kerned letter extends past the lead slug that supports it, allowing two letters to sit more closely together. In the digital typefaces used today, the space between letters is controlled by a table of kerning pairs, which specify spaces between different letter combinations. KERNING LARGER SIZES Because the space between characters expands as the type size increases, designers often fine-tune letterspacing when working with large letters. As the word “rub” gets bigger, the gap between u and b grows more obvious. TRACKING Adjusting the spacing across a word, line, or column of text is calledtracking, also known as letterspacing. It is common practice to letterspace capitals and small capitals, which appear more regal when standing apart. By slightly expanding the tracking across a body of text, the designer can create a more airy field. Negative tracking is rarely desirable. This device should be used sparingly, to adjust one or more lines of justified type. HEIGHT The point system, used to measure the height of a letter as well as the space between lines ( leading ), is the standard measurement for type. One point equals 1/72 inch or .35 millimeters. Twelve points equal one pica, the unit commonly used to measure column widths.                   Typography also can be measured in inches, millimeters, or pixels. (A point is roughly equivalent to a pixel.) Most software applications let the designer choose a preferred unit of measure; picas and points are a standard default. WIDTH The horizontal dimension of a letter is its set width . The set width is the body of the letter plus a sliver of space that protects it from other letters. The width of a letter is intrinsic to the proportion of the typeface. Some typefaces have a narrow set width, and some have a wide one.                  You can change the set width of a letter by fiddling with its horizontal or vertical scale. This distorts the proportion of the typeface, forcing heavy elements to become thin, and thin elements to become thick. Instead of torturing a letterform, choose a typeface with the proportions you need, such as condensed, compressed, or extended. Type families such as Helvetica, Univers, and Interstate include a variety of widths. ALIGNMENT is the organization of text into columns with hard or soft edges. The four basic styles of alignment define the fundamental architecture of typographic layout. STACKED LETTERS Roman letters are designed to sit side by side, not on top of one another. Uppercase letters form more stable stacks than lowercase letters. Centering the column helps to even out the differences in width. (The letter I is a perennial problem.) Stacks of lowercase letters are especially awkward because the ascenders and descenders make the vertical spacing appear uneven, and the varied width of the characters makes the stacks look precarious. http://papress.com/thinkingwithtype VERTICAL BASELINES The simplest way to make a line of text form a vertical line is to change the orientation of the baseline from horizontal to vertical. This preserves the natural affinity among letters sitting on a line. There is no fixed rule determining whether type should run from top to bottom or from bottom to top. It is more common, however, especially in the U.S., to run text on the spines of books from top to bottom. (You can also run text up and down simultaneously.)