header pattern
Home > Blog > The font of all knowledge: the importance of typography

The font of all knowledge: the importance of typography

Typography is a major part of the design process and can make or break print design. Whether we’re printing something to be inserted in a magazine or posted on a ten-foot high billboard, it takes some clever print management and design to create a print with text that is engaging, easy to read and that is fitting to the overall design. You see typography every day and while you might think nothing of it, the way a particular text has been presented to you has likely taken great consideration and careful planning. Typography must both compliment and assist your brand, and while it has no definite guidelines or rules, it can just as easily complete a picture as it can ruin it. Here are some things you should consider during the typographic process…

Selecting the font

Every font is unique and has its own style different to any other. While two fonts might look similar, the smallest of flicks at the bottom of a vowel can separate them, making one appropriate for one design and entirely inappropriate for another. Every font has a personality and it is important that you select a font that supports the message you are trying to get across in your design. For example, if your subject were of an adult nature, you wouldn’t use a childlike bubble font to tell the story. Selecting the right font can take some time and a great deal of trial and error; make sure you keep going until you find one that’s just right.

Visual hierarchy

If you have several pieces of text on one print, it is important that you create a strong visual hierarchy so that readers can quickly navigate from one to the other in the correct order. While we commonly read from left to right, certain fonts can attract the eye far quicker than others, so should an attractive font be used for a word or phrase you would like to be read second, chances are your readers will be drawn to the second piece of text first. Test your fonts and the way the text is read with a number of different readers to ensure they all read it in the same way.

Size

The size of the font will depend on the size of the overall print and how important the text compared to anything else on the page. Some fonts can be affected by the size and look better smaller or larger. It is important to test the fonts in the size that you plan to have them to ensure that they still read well and have the desired effect. The last thing you need is to find the perfect font, only to discover that when it is printed in a flyer the letters appear too close together and are unreadable.

Colour

When choosing the colour of your font, you should not only consider the background it will be appearing on and just how clear it will read, but also how it is being printed. Certain print finishes will have different effects on the final print and can affect the clarity of the text, while some colours will come out differently depending on the material they are printed on. You might also want to consider which colours are likely to get people’s attention, should the text be the priority on the page.

Blank spaces

While some white or blank space between letters is necessary in order for the text to be read easily, there are some that can look untidy or ruin the overall design. Some companies who have discovered blank spaces have used their creativity to fill them, for example, FedEx discovered a noticeable space between the ‘E’ and the ‘x’ and so turned it into a noticeable arrow that acts as a symbol of the service they provide.

Wherever type is used, in publishing, packaging or advertising, the designer must adapt their technique to suit the brief, before handing it over to us at PMG to ensure it will be printed out exactly how it was imagined. However, we believe that simply offering print is easy; instead, we like to take it a step further and get involved with the entire process, suggesting better and more cost-effective ways of printing right from the start and creating smarter designs with our PMG Clever Design Studio. If you have a project in mind that you’d like our help with or would like to find out more about the services we can offer, get in touch today.

pattern up green pattern down