Typography Worksheet

Label and define all of the above numbers:

1. The ascender line is the imaginary line which determines the height of ascenders.
2. The base line is the imaginary line on which all characters rest. Descenders hang below the base line. 
3. The ascender height is the x-height plus the height of the ascending stroke. It’s the distance between the base line and the ascender line.
4. The cap height is the height of capital letters. It is the distance between the base line and the cap line.
5. The descender is the stroke of a letter which dips below the base line, as in the letters g and j.
6. The ascender is the stroke of a letter which rises above the mean line, as in the letters d, f and k.
7. The x-height is the distance between the flat top and bottom of a lower case letter which has no ascender or descender, such as x. It is the distance between the base line and the mean line. The curved tops and bottoms of the p, o, and g extend beyond these lines so that they appear visually to fit the x-height.
8. The cap line is the imaginary line which determines the height of capital letters.
9.  The mean line is the imaginary line which determines the height of lowercase letters. Ascenders rise above the mean line.
10. The descender line is the imaginary line which defines the bottom reach of descenders.

Type Families:   http://www.nhsdesigns.com/graphic/typography/type-families.php

Define Serif: The fine line that extends from the top and bottom of letters making them easier to read, used for the body text of a book.
Define Sans-Serif: A style of typeface which has serifs.
When do you use Antique Fonts? When you are trying to evoke a period feel.
At most how many words should be Decorative Fonts at a time? Three words
What does a script font resemble? Script font resembles handwriting.
What element of design does script represent? (From elements lesson)
Why use Symbol Fonts? To provide embellishments to text.

Essentials:  http://freelancefolder.com/typography-essentials-a-getting-started-guide/

Define Typography: The art and process of arranging type for a variety of media purposes and is made up of several parts.
Why do designers need a solid foundation in typography? To make their fonts and logos more appealing to the average consumer.
Kerning: Kerning is the space located between individual letters of a word.
Leading: Leading is the space between the lines of text.
Tracking:  

When do you use the following?
Center Alignment: Headlines or titles
Right Alignment: A more professional look, business cards, etc.
Justified Alignment:  Newspaper print and body text for textbooks.

Styling:  http://www.nhsdesigns.com/graphic/typography/styling-formatting.php

What is remembered: good styling or bad styling? Bad
What is legibility? The quality of being readable or distinguishable by the eye.
Type size smaller than 7pt is: difficult to read
Type size smaller than 3pts is: utterly illegible
Type range for legible type is: between 8 and 14
What do you use for long passages? 8 and 14
What case do we use for Body? 9 or 10
What is measure? The width of the text column. It is also a critical factor in the legibility or type.
What can you tell me about Ragged Edges? Places where a new line starts to indicate to switch lines. Makes it harder to read faster.

Text as Image: http://www.nhsdesigns.com/graphic/typography/text-as-image.php

What are some ways text can be used and what font types do you use for each?  You can use text as an image, you can experiment with both symmetrical and asymmetrical text arrangements. asymmetrical text arrangement to create different shapes.

Choosing and Using Type:  http://www.will-harris.com/use-type.htm

**Read ALL of it.  Answer the following:

Why is choosing and using the right font important? (Two reasons)

1. Because it is an unconscious persuader, it will get people’s attention.
2. It sets the style and tone of the document or sign.

What are the two most important things to remember?  

Type is on the page to serve the text, the text should make the words easy to read. Type should not overpower the text. There are no good and bad typefaces, there are however inappropriate and appropriate typefaces.
What is appropriate? What do you have to consider?

Using the right style of font for your business, or document. For a more serious business use a serious text so people will take you seriously, do not use a university roman. If you have a playful business use a playful font.  

Tell me the rules:  (there are 10)

1. Body text should be between 10 and 12 point, with 11 point best for printing to 300 dot-per-inch printers.
2. Use enough leading (or line-spacing). Always add at least 1 or 2 points to the type size. Example: if you’re using 10 point type, use 12 point leading.
3.  Don’t make your lines too short or too long. Optimum size: Over 30 characters and under 70 characters.
4. Make paragraph beginnings clear. Use either indent or block style for paragraphs. NOT both or neither.
5. Use only one space after the period not two.
6. Don’t justify text unless necessary
7. Don’t underline anything especially headlines or subheads.
8. Use italics instead of underlines.
9. Don’t set longs blocks of text in italics, bold, or all caps.
10. Leave more space above headlines and subheads than below them, and avoid setting them in all caps. Use subheads liberally to help readers find what they’re looking for.