Mastering typography is important for every graphic designer, and it takes practice, experience and the odd error. Here we look at the top tips for designers when it comes to mastering the art of typography.
Learn How Font Families Work
Learning about the different font families is the best and most versatile weapon in your typography arsenal. Most fonts exist as part of a font family, and understanding these will help develop strong visual typography. Use a limited amount of font families – usually, no more than three is best. How you do this will depend on personal style and preference, but the ‘less is more’ rule applies here.
Don’t Distort Fonts
The natural dimensions and shape of fonts should never be distorted unless on rare occasions in which it is specifically required. Distorting fonts will ruin their design, which would have taken much time and work to harmonise.
Embrace Kerning
Kerning refers to the space between letters or other characters (punctuation, numbers etc.) and adjusting that space to limit uneven gaps and enhance alignment and legibility. Kerning is where you SHOULD change the natural order of fonts, as sometimes the natural kerning is unsuitable for the letter combination.
Use Hand Lettering
Human touch is necessary for some elements of graphic design and typography. Hand lettering can achieve some fantastic effects, and it helps you to observe and select fonts more intently. You may find that once you are a dab hand at hand lettering, it is time to start the font design process!
Look at Things Differently
Sometimes you need a fresh way of looking at something to gain a new, deeper perspective. This also applies to typography. While being visually attentive is key for any designer, sometimes you need to flip the design up differently or look at it in a mirror or even in black and white. You will be surprised how much more you can see this when you look at things differently.
Keep Learning
If you are new to typography, consider taking a typography for beginners course or taking some typography books out from the library. As for advice designers or perhaps join an online forum. You can never learn too much, and all information, particularly visual information, could be valuable.
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