This document is a presentation by Francesco Fraioli on web typography. It contains information on choosing typefaces, font size, kerning, line height, breaking words, and references for further reading. The presentation provides tips on proper typography techniques for the web, including using em units for font sizing, adjusting letter spacing with kerning, setting line height with leading rather than pixels, and preventing single words from ending lines.
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Web typography
1. Web Typography ( Helvetica Bold, 64pt )
thinking with types ( Georgia Italic, 36pt )
Francesco Fraioli
( Georgia Regular, 18pt )
@ Hackatron 09/04/2013
2. Hi,
Im Francesco Fraioli, Skills:
I studied visual communication and
multimedia at the Department of Art and
Design at the Iuav University of Venice.
I graduated in April 2008 with a thesis project
which involved the design and implementation
of a social network to enable music
collaboration over the web. In June of that
year, I presented my thesis in H-Farm: here
begins the collaboration that gave birth to
Thounds.
Now I am a freelance interaction designer
linkedin
website
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
3. Web Design is 95% Typography
by Oliver Reichenstein - informationarchitects.net
Correct leading, word and letter spacing, active white
space, and dosed use of color help readability.
Use Text as user interface
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
6. Choosing a typeface
is not typography
by Oliver Reichenstein - informationarchitects.net
Information design is not about the use of good
typefaces, it is about the use of good typography.
Which is a huge difference. Anyone can use typefaces,
some can choose good typefaces, but only few master
typography.
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
7. Web Safe Fonts
http://www.w3schools.com
Serif Sans-Serif Monospace
suggested for paragraph suggested for headings suggested for paragraps
and code example
Georgia Arial / Helvetica Courier New
Platino Arial Black Lucida Console
Times Impact
Lucida
Tahoma
Trebuchet
Verdana
Comic Sans
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
8. Georgia Palatino Times
Georgia, serif "Palatino Linotype", "Book "Times New Roman, Times, serif
Antiqua", Palatino, serif
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
9. Arial Arial Impact
Arial, Helvetica, "Arial Black", Gadget, Impact, Charcoal,
sans-serif sans-serif
sans-serif
Lucida Tahoma Trebuchet
"Lucida Sans Unicode", Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif "Trebuchet MS", Helvetica,
"Lucida Grande", sans-serif
sans-serif
Verdana Comic
"Lucida Sans Unicode", "Comic Sans MS", cursive,
"Lucida Grande", sans-serif
sans-serif
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
10. Courier New Monaco
"Courier New", "Lucida Console",
Courier, Monaco,
monospace
monospace
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
11. 1. Font Size
The body of a web page has 16 px text by default.
1 em is a distance equal to the type size. In 6 point type, an em is 6 points.
Thus a one em space is proportionately the same in any size.
body { font-size:100%; }
h1 { font-size:2.25em; /* 16x2.25=36 */ }
h2 { font-size:1.5em; /* 16x1.5=24 */ }
h3 { font-size:1.125em; /* 16x1.125=18 */ }
h4 { font-size:0.875em; /* 16x0.875=14 */ }
p { font-size:0.75em; /* 16x0.75=12 */ }
Sizing text using the em unit is the next most appropriate approach.
The em is a true typographic unit and was recommended by the w3c from the
outset of css. Ems are a relative unit and act as multipliers based on the text
elements parent element.
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
12. 2. Kern
Adjust the spacing between (letters or characters) in a piece of text to be printed
Dont use letterspace without a reason!
Letterspacing lower case on the Web is particularly risky as only some faces
actually benefit from it
.kern { letter-spacing: -0.1em; }
...
<h1><span class=kern>T</span>rust</h1>
http://kerningjs.com/
http://type.method.ac/
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
13. 3. Line-Height
Vertical space is metered in a different way [to horizontal space]. You must
choose not only the overall measure the depth of the column or page but also
a basic rhythmical unit. This unit is the leading, which is the distance from one
baseline to the next.
Dont using absolute units such as points or pixels to set up line-height.
p { font-size:1em; line-height: 1.25 }
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
14. 4. Break
Questo 竪 Questo
sbagliato 竪 corretto
Most important rule in typography is never leave a single word such
as a conjunction as last word in a text line.
In web design is quiet difficult to do it for a long paragraph but I suggest to do it
for headlines.
<h1>Questo<br/>竪 corretto</h1>
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
15. References
A practical guide Information
to web typography Architects
http://webtypography.net/ http://informationarchitects.net/
Robert Bringhursts book iA plans, designs, and builds
The Elements of Typographic Style digital products.
for web design
Cool links Books
http://typographica.org/ Thinking with types
http://www.markboulton.co.uk/ by Ellen Lupton
http://ilovetypography.com/
The Elements of Typographic Style
http://www.typetester.org/ for web design
by Robert Bringhurst
Web Typography | Francesco Fraioli | @ Hcktrn 09 Aprile 2013
16. Thanks ( Helvetica Bold, 64pt )
and dont use Comic Sans ( Georgia Italic, 36pt )
Francesco Fraioli
( Georgia Regular, 18pt )
@ Hackatron 09/04/2013