Type Faces Weight and Sizes

There are thousands of different styles (faces) of type from which to choose, but there is no need to work with more than a very few. To see some obvious differences among them, see Figure 2.3. You may not find the exact same faces on your computer, but they will be close.

Major Type Families

Every typeface belongs to one of three families:

• Cursive type imitates script or handwriting. It has little use in the body of an ad but is sometimes used for headline or logo.

• Serifs are the small curlicues or fine lines at the tops and bottoms of letters. This book is set in a serif face.

• Sans serif means "without serif' and is any type in that family. The "Major type Families" above is a sans serif face.

The Serif Advantage. Most adults find serif type easier to read than sans serif, with a group of serif designs known as "reader faces" easiest of all. Of the tens of thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers published in the United States, practically every one uses such a reader-friendly type.

The Sans Serif Advantage. Sans serif, too, has its advantages, chief among them the following:

• Compressibility. Sans serif condenses, or compresses, type better than serif does. That is, you can get more letters per inch without distorting the type.

• Contrast. Often, it pays to be different. If everyone else is using a serif face, at least consider the alternative. Or you may want to draw particular attention to one portion of your ad, such as a special offer.

• Everyone else is doing it. If everyone else advertising to your audience is using sans serif faces, try to find out why. Ask the representatives of the media where the ads run and the advertisers themselves. Better yet, run the same ad both ways and track the results. Unlike designers or authors of books, your interest isn't in typography; it's in sales. Do whatever works!

• Reverse type. White or light-colored type on a dark background is easier to read in sans serif than serif (although it is generally harder to read

This is 10-point Bembo Roman, often chosen for its suggestion of tradition. First designed in Italy in 1495, it was revived in 1929. As you can see, Bembo Italic projects an image of grace and refinement. Bembo is often used with Small Caps and Oldstyle Figures, such as 1234567890. It is frequently employed in annual reports and publications of nonprofit organizations.

This is 10-point Garamond 3 Roman, preferred for its classic feel. It was designed in France during the sixteenth century and bears its creator's name. Garamond3 Italic, like Bembo Italic, is graceful and refined. It also enjoys a complement of Small Caps and Oldstyle Figures, such as 1234567890, in addition to the normal 1234567890. It is frequently used in university and hospital publications that solicit contributions from alumni or philanthropists.

This is 10-point Sabon Roman, which was designed in the 1920s but is based on Garamond, with much of the same charm. Sabon Italic differs only slightly, yet perceptibly, from Bembo Italic. Designers often use Sabon as a substitute for Bembo or Garamond for a change of pace.

This is 10-point Bodoni Roman, classified as "modern," with its distinctive slab serifs and sharp contrasts. Bodoni Italic is dignified and not at all flowery. First designed during the Italian Renaissance, Bodoni was all the rage in the earlier part of this century and is now making a comeback in annual reports and high-quality newsletters.

This is 10-point ITC Berkeley Oldstyle Book, based on a 1938 design, and often selected for its elegant details. ITC Berkeley Oldstyle Book Italic is even more detailed, as evident on the Q, & and z. The face is sometimes used in advertising for a less subdued traditional look, and sometimes in brochures and other shorter publications.

This is 10-point Palatino Roman, a more modern serif face. Its contemporary feel comes from the taller x-height on its lowercase letters and the wider feel of its upper case. Palatino Italic lends a touch of elegance when needed for emphasis or titles. Palatino can be used for anything from newsletters to fine art books.

This is 10-point Future Extra Block Condensed, often chosen for its excessive boldness. Previously thought suitable for headlines only, it is now sometimes used in text to achieve a radically modern feel. At this size, it requires additional letterspace to be readable. The face has been used in invitations to art gallery openings and nightclubs, for example.

This is 10-point Univers 55, often chosen for its sans serif simplicity and its subtle character. That subtle character differentiates it from Helvetica (not shown), whose ubiquity from train platforms to instruction manuals renders it undistinguished. Univers is less blocky than Helvetica, yet just as consistent.

Figure 2.3 Eight typefaces used by leading designers for catalogs and other advertising projects. All are 10 point in size, despite their seeming differences.

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Figure 2.4 A violator.

in either typeface than standard black on white, such as what you're reading here). Use reverse type only in headlines, logos, and what ad pros call "violators" (see figure 2.4), those star-bursts, such as the one on the cover, or other shapes that highlight a very bold statement, as in the bicycle ad described earlier. No matter what your designer says never use reverse type for an entire ad, especially in body copy. It slows down the ability to read.

• Overprinting. Using sans serif definitely improves the legibility of type printed on top of ("over") a background color or illustration. However, improved does not necessarily make it good. The key is contrast between type and background. Equally important, when seniors are your target, larger type sizes are needed. Always let legibility be your guide.

• Subheads. Many designers use sans serif for subheads, with the rest of the ad in serif type. The authors' personal preference for subheads is a bolder (darker) version of the face used in the body of the ad.

About Type Weight

"Weight" refers to the thickness of type. Practically every face ranges from a very thick, "bold" style to a "regular" version considered the most legible for text body, to a thin or "light" design. All of these weights are also available in italic and bold, especially on more-sophisticated computerized typesetting machines, which can italicize a term or make it bold at the click of a mouse. The names given to the degrees of boldness or thinness vary from face to face and are not really comparable. One design's "black" may be darker or lighter than another design's "ultra bold." Your typesetter will have samples with the appropriate names. For desktop setting, your computer can print each version in the styles available to it.

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