Working with Type

In-house designers spend most of their time dealing with
text. However, few beginning designers understand how to use text effectively.
The documents produced by first-time designers use too many fonts, include
odd gaps in text, and break headlines in awkward places.

We still communicate with words. Until icons once again replace letters – hieroglyphs’ revenge –
the skilled use of typefaces is power. As you read this chapter, look
at the words in advertisements. Ad designers know how to select and
use type better than any other publishing experts.

Don’t Type, Typeset

In-house designers do not type
– they typeset. The difference can be seen in any book, magazine, or
newspaper. In school, you might have learned how to type, but if you apply
the same rules to publishing, the result is a visual disaster. It is very difficult
for most beginners to lose habits, especially ones so deeply entrenched as
how to type.

One Space or Two

If you watch a secretary type, you’ll notice how
automatically he or she adds two spaces after a final punctuation mark.
In fact, it took us several months to break this habit. We wrote macros
for our word processors to change two spaces to one space throughout
documents. The one-space rule applies to all instances where you would
use two when typing using a typewriter.

The only exceptions to this rule are when using a monoscpaced font, which are fonts that look like a typewriter font. These fonts use letters that are all the same width. Using two spaces makes the text easier to read.

Ugly Underlining

Underlining word or phrases looks atrocious. If you want
to emphasize a word, use a bold font. If you want to mention a book,
movie, album, et cetera, use an italic font. Never use underlining unless
ordered to do so by an insane boss. Even then, you might show your boss
what italic or bold fonts look like in place of underlining.

Titles that you were taught appear in quotes, keep in quotes. It is
only underlining that is replaced with italics.

Align with Tabs

Typewriters tend to use monospace fonts – each
letter is exactly the same width. Because monospaced fonts are predictable,
people often align text and numbers vertically using spaces. Using spaces
does not work in most computer programs. Get into the habit of using
tab stops to align text and numbers.

Most computer programs feature right, left, and decimal tabs. A right
tab aligns text to the same point on the right, leaving the left edge
of columns ragged. Left tabs are traditional tabs. Decimal tabs are used
to align a column of numbers along a decimal point.

Just a Dash

Use an en-dash or em-dash in place of two hyphens. An en-dash (“–”) is nice and short, while an em-dash (“—”) is twice as long. These dashes are thinner and longer than a hyphen (“-”) which should be used only as a hyphen. We tend to use en-dashes – em-dashes are much too long in some fonts.

Quote Us on This

When typewriters were introduced, they featured multi-purpose tick
marks instead of true single and double quotes. Tick marks are vertically straight lines. The nice thing about tick marks is that they serve as quotes and primes. Primes are the marks traditionally used for measurements.

Notice the differences in the various marks. Quotes resemble commas,
with a definite dot. Ticks are uniform, with both ends of the mark equal
in width. Primes are like doorstops, with a think top and thin point.

If your computer software does not feature true primes, then italicize
the tick marks and try a bold variation. Most high-quality fonts feature
all three marks.

Something Special

Most fonts include the most common special characters.
Examples include the trademark symbol, fractions, and non-English characters.
Using special characters whenever possible adds a touch of professionalism
to any document.

Consider the difference between ¼ and 1/4. There is no comparison – the true fraction is fancier and often easier to read, especially when next to a full number.

Ligatures and Experts

In the days of “real typesetting” – before
desktop publishing, some letter combinations were replaced with single
characters. These letter combinations all feature the letter F. The lowercase F tends to be difficult to read in some situations, so typographers designed ligatures.

The basic ligatures are: ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl.

Today, computer software is trying to catch up to this old trick.

In addition to ligatures, many fonts include true numerals and alternates. True numerals feature numbers with varying baselines. These numerals are sometimes referred to as classic numbers.

Alternates are minor redesigns of characters. By using alternates within
a line of text, you can make the font look more like handwriting or old
metal type. There are currently few fonts with alternates, but the increasing
demand for clones of hand lettering will change this.

Body Copy Building

Medium length and long business documents rely heavily
on body copy. Text frames cover more than half of each page in a typical
newsletter. With so much real estate, body copy must be easy to read.

Designers pay a great deal of attention to the grayness of text blocks. Readers like airy pages. The less ink on a page, the more likely your audience is to read the text. One rule-of-thumb is to limit text to 30 percent “coverage” of a page. Another traditional test is the “dollar bill” test, in which a dollar bill is used to see if any blocks of body copy are larger than a dollar. Ideally, headlines and artwork break the monotony.

Friendly Fonts

Selecting a base font might be the most important decision you make when designing a predominantly text document. By studying other publications, you can guess which fonts are considered the easiest to read.

The overwhelming number of publications are typeset using a variation
of “Times,” which was originally designed in 1923 for the London
Times. Monotype designed Times with readers in mind. As a result, readers now expect to read text in this typeface or a variant of it.

The following guidelines – which are not set in stone – help
select a font for body copy:

• Select fonts based on the media used; serif for most print, sans
  for most online documents.
• Select a font with an x-height approximately half as tall as capital
  letters.
• Use a medium weight in book, Roman, or normal style. Avoid fonts
  that are too thin or too thick.
• Do not use a monospace, condensed, or extended font for body copy.
• Use a point size from nine to 13. Eleven and 12 points are very readable
  sizes.

Select several fonts and print complete paragraphs using each font.
Study the paragraphs carefully. Your initial reaction might not be correct.
Designers often look more for artistic affect than readability.

Facing an Audience

Despite the popularity of the Times family, it is not
a law that designers must use a Times font for text. There are plenty
of serif and sans serif faces to choose from for your documents. Notice
that we suggest avoiding fonts from other groupings. While it might seem
cute or creative to set text in a script font, readers will tire quickly.

The x-height of a font determines how gray a paragraph appears. The
shorter lowercase letters are, the more airy a paragraph seems. The Wall
Street Journal uses a tall x-height because the paper wants to appear gray – the Journal doesn’t even use photographs.

In addition to the x-height, notice that the weight of a font affects
the gray level. Heavier fonts actually decrease the gray level because
they offer contrast against blank space. Thin fonts blend into a page.

Sizing Up Text

Point size affects a font’s readability more than
any other factor. Any typeface is legible if the font used is really
big. We are not about to suggest using a 14 point font for text. Instead,
we want you to realize that even a half-point difference matters. Text
set in a 10.5 point font is popular in major publications.

After measuring the text of several major publications, we have noticed
that text fonts fit into a narrow range. The sizes from 10 to 11 point
seem popular, with approximately 10.5 being the most common. Most popular
computer programs default to a 12-point font. While 12-point text is
very nice for letters and reports, it is too large for most documents.

Pleasing Paragraphs

String a few word together and you have a sentence. A
few sentences and you have the basic block of text
– the paragraph. People read entire thoughts at a time. A paragraph represents
a complete thought. In fact, if a short word is missing or printed twice, most
readers never notice.

Short Thoughts

“A paragraph has at least three sentences….” Sure
it does. Read any newspaper and count how many sentences make a paragraph.
One sentence paragraphs cover newsprint.

In-house designers are not preparing English 101 term papers. Your responsibilities
are selling and informing. Long paragraphs intimidate readers – who
are generally not English composition instructors.

If a complete thought requires more than four sentences, consider making
your introductory or summary thought a single paragraph. One sentence
paragraphs seem choppy at first, but they work.

Reducing the number of sentences in paragraphs is not enough. You might
need to shorten sentences. Try to replace commas, semicolons, or dashes
with periods. Some rewriting might be required.

Indents

Thinking back to grade school, we can recall being taught
to indent paragraphs a full inch. As we aged, we slowly decreased the
indentation. This change seemed natural. Likewise, in-house designers
learn to use as little indentation as possible in most documents. One
em-space, usually a pica or less, is sufficient.

For artistic effect, you can increase the indentation of paragraphs,
but remember that readers like to keep eye movement smooth. Comfort takes
precedence in business communication.

Another effect, which can work very well in lists, is a hanging indent. A hanging indent actually moves all lines of a paragraph, except the first, in by an em-space or so. Hanging indents highlight the first word of a paragraph, since it hangs out toward the margin.

You might notice that in this book we do not use indenting to indicate paragraphs. By using block format, a nice white gap exists between thoughts. We generally prefer a en-space gap, meaning one-half of the text font’s size.

Kind Columns

Every document layout with text features columns. A letter
might be a one-column layout, but there is still a column. Deciding how wide
a column should be or how to align text in a column requires careful thought.

Wise Widths

Each line of text in a column should contain five to 12 words.
The best column widths average seven to ten words per line. Understand that
these word counts are averages, based upon words four to six letters long.
Columns with seven to ten words per line are easiest to read. Avoid averaging
less than five words per line.

Designers use counts to help calculate column widths. A count is an en-space, the approximate width of most letters in a font. Remember that an en-space is slightly less than half of the point size. Line counts of 30 to 40 work well, with 35 nearly perfect.

Newspapers and magazines tend to favor 12-pica columns. Using a typical 10
point font, with an en-space of 4 points, the 12-pica column allows for 36
counts.

12 pi × 12 p (per pica) = 144 points

144 points / 4 points = 36 counts

If you want to take the easy way out, multiply the text font size by 1.2 and
round to the nearest whole number. The result remains 10 point text uses a
12 pica column.

Out, White Gaps

If you read a lot of magazines and newspapers, the odds are
you have encountered wide tracking or huge white gaps in columns. White space,
especially between letters of one word, is unsightly. White space can be an
effective design tool, but it doesn’t belong within lines of text.

The primary cause of gaps is narrow columns. If a column is less than 20 counts
wide, one large word can create gaps. Large words create problems because spaces
between several small words are less noticeable.

If you must use narrow columns, hyphenate the body copy. Hyphenation eases
white space a great deal more than you expect. One caution: do not hyphenate
more than two lines consecutively. A string of hyphens along the right edge
of a column looks odd.

Alignment

The alignment of text in a column affects readability. People,
at least those who read European languages, expect nice, straight edges along
the left-hand side of a column. Experimenting with text alignment is likely
to annoy readers.

There are four traditional alignments for columns of text. Designers refer
to a smooth edge of text as flush. Text where the ends of each line varies is set ragged. The other option is to center lines, leaving both sides ragged.

Newspaper columns are traditionally full flush, meaning the left and right edges of text lines are consistent. Books are usually full flush, too. Word processing software refers to full flush columns as justified or fully
justified. Magazines, letters, and non-fiction books tend to be set ragged
right. Ragged right is also known as left justified.

For effect, some publications will place captions to the left of a graphical
element and set the type ragged left, flush right. Designers often refer to
this alignment as flush right. Computer software might refer to this as right justified.

It’s a Wrap

Altering the alignment or width of a column to fit around another
element is known as wrapping text. Designers refer to the places where text columns are adjusted as wraps. While wraps are enticing, they are often abused.

Try wrapping on the right-hand side of columns when possible. Wrapping on
the right leaves the left edge flush, as readers expect. If you must wrap on
the left, try to keep the margin smooth. Use angular margins, not irregular
shapes.

A wrap should never be set inside of a column. Lines of text split by elements
are difficult to read and might produce white gaps.

Headline Hints

Headlines and headings exist for one reason: to attract readers.
Contrary to myth, you do not want informative headlines, since you want people
to read the text. If a headline tells the whole story readers move to the next
article.

The best headlines tease a reader. A browser must be tempted or lured – we
won’t pass judgment
– into reading. Think about newspapers. Headlines might tell you who
won or that a war is taking place, but details are missing.

Any Face Will Do

Selecting a headline typeface is much easier than selecting
a text face. Use any face you think works. The only rule we suggest is consistency.
Select one typeface for most headlines and headings. You might use one or two
additional faces for special headlines, but one should dominate each document.

Standing Apart

Headlines and headings must stand apart from the fonts used
for text. Some newspapers use the same face, but in bold or italic styles.
We prefer to use an entirely different typeface.

One sure way to have headlines stand apart is to select a face from another
typeface group. We use sans serif faces for headings in most sales literature.
Sans serif fonts contrast nicely with serif text.

Size Matters

Newspaper readers know that the larger a headline is, the more
important the article it introduces. Do not confuse readers – they are
well trained.

Headlines and headings used within an article or chapter decrease and increase
in size according to the level of detail in following paragraphs. The smaller
a heading, the deeper into a subject the text delves.

Sense of Belonging

Make it easy for readers to know which articles headlines and
headings introduce. Place a headline closer to the article below than it is
to any element above it on the page. Headlines placed too far from an article
are said to float or drift on the page.

Horrible Headlines

Because headlines stand apart from the rest of a layout, mistakes
are more obvious. Misspellings and poor grammar are placed on display. Proofreading
corrects the major mistakes before it is too late. It is the minor errors that
trip up in-house designers.

Alphabet Soup

Alphabet soup headlines use acronyms and jargon readers might
not understand. Never assume readers know what initials represent, not even
for a trade journal or company newsletter. Internal publications have a way
of finding an outside audience. Also, not all employees speak the same shorthand.

EDD Reports
Drop in CPI

can be replaced with a simpler, easier headline:

Consumer
Prices Fall

In case you were wondering, the employment development departments often collect
data on the consumer price index on a regional basis. Still, all a good headline
has to state is that prices are falling.

Passive Voice

Write headlines and headings in an active voice. Always begin headline with who or what did or does what is being discussed. If you need a preposition, you probably wrote a passive headline.

Readers
Attracted by Headlines

should read:

Headlines
Attract Readers

The clue in the example is the preposition by – indicating the readers are not doing anything. As you can tell by the rewrite, headlines do the attracting.

Split Phrases

Phrases should not be split across the lines of a heading or
headline. This includes prepositional, verb, noun, and almost any other phrase
that can be confusing when split. Readers might read only the first line of
a headline, missing the point or getting confused.

Tips for All Text

The following tips apply to all text elements. There will be
times when a design violates these suggestions – but be careful. Following
these tips at least prevents disasters.

Reunite Widows and Orphans

A widow is a single line of text or a headline at the bottom of a column, apart from the following lines. An orphan is a single line at the top of a column. Widowed headlines are design nightmares.

A wise use of tracking can help correct some widows. At worst, you might have
to add artwork or pull quotes to lengthen a text column. Orphans are corrected
by removing a word, sentence, or a paragraph.

Consistency

We harp on consistency throughout this book. Audiences like
to be comfortable with documents. As an in-house designer, use this fact to
your advantage.

Other text elements need to complement the body copy and headline fonts you
select for a layout. Bylines, teasers, captions, and other elements are often
set in agate versions of the headline typeface to ensure consistency.

Summary & Tips

• Typesetting requires forgetting how to type.
• Use typographical symbols and special characters.
• Set column widths with readers in mind.
• Be consistent with a handful of typefaces.