Typography Task 1/ Exercises
7.4.2023 - 5.5.2023 (Week 1 - Week 5)
Chong Hui Yi / 0363195
Typography / Bechelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 1 / Exercises
LECTURES
Week 1: E-portfolio & Introduction
Mr. Vinod asked us to watch the video 'Typo_0_E-portfolio Briefing' to set up our own e-portfolios. During class, he provided important instructions regarding labeling, theming, the importance of writing feedback, etc.
Mr. Vinod highlighted the importance of explaining our work to reflect on our process and outcomes. He emphasized that while creativity is one wing of the bird, effective communication is the other wing that must be equally developed for success as a designer. I aspire to improve my skills in explaining ideas and communicating with others, while also cultivating my own unique creative style in producing my work.
Typo_0_Introduction
- Evolution: Typography has evolved over 500 years from calligraphy and lettering.
-
Impact of democratization:
- The widespread availability of typography software has led to a decline in typographic quality globally.
- Calligraphy vs. lettering:
- Calligraphy emphasizes writing & lettering focuses on drawing the outlines of letters
- Typography terminology:
- Font: The individual font or weight within the typeface.
- Typeface: The entire family of fonts/weights that share similar characteristics/styles.
Typo_1_Development
1. Early letterform development: Phoenician to Roman:
2. Hand script (3rd - 10th century C.E.)
Square capitals
• Serifs added to finish of main strokes
• Stroke width achieved with reed pen held at angle of approximately 60° off perpendicular
Rustic capitals
• Compressed version of square capitals
• Faster and easier to write
• Slightly harder to read (due to compressed nature)
• Pen or brush held at an angle of approximately 30° off
perpendicular
Roman cursive
• Commonly used for everyday transactions
• Faster writing speed
Uncials
• Incorporate some aspects of Roman cursive hand, especially in
the shape of A, D, E, H, M, U, and Q
• Alternatively seen as small letters
• Broad forms of
uncials are more readable at small sizes compared to rustic capitals
Half-uncials
• Formalization of
cursive hand
• Mark the beginning of lowercase letterforms
• Include
ascenders and descenders
Caloline miniscule
• Set the standard for calligraphy for a century
Fig. 1.2.7 Caroline miniscule
3. Blackletter to Gutenberg’s type
4. Text type classification:
Week 2:
Mr. Vinod introduced himself, showed some of his own and students' work, and then began to provide feedback and suggestions on our "text expression" drafts (please see specific feedback for Week 2 for details).
"You gain from mistakes" and "mistakes should not be repeated" - Mr. Vinod's words have been very beneficial to me. Everyone makes mistakes, but correcting them and gaining experience from them may be the most important thing.
Typo_2_Basic
Describing Letterforms
The Font
- Uppercase
- Capital letters + certain accented vowels, c cedilla & n tilde, a/e & o/e ligatures
- Lowercase letters
- Small Capitals (small caps)
- uppercase drawn to the x-height of the typeface
- primarily found in serif fonts as part of an expert set
- Uppercase Numerals (lining figures)
-
same height &
same kerning width
as uppercase letters
- Lowercase Numerals (old style figures / text figures)
- set to x-height with ascenders and descenders
- less common in sans serif type-faces than in serif
- Italic
- not common in small caps (only roman)
- refer back to fifteenth century Italian cursive handwriting
- Punctuation, miscellaneous characters
Describing Typefaces
- Roman (the standard version of a font)
- Book (lighter stroke)
- Boldface (thicker stroke than a roman form)
- Semi bold
- Medium
- Black
- Extra bold
- Super
- Poster (notably Bodoni)
- Light (lighter stroke than a roman form)
- Thin (lighter stroke)
- Condense (a narrower version of the roman font)
- Compressed
-
Extended
(An extended variation of a roman font)
Comparing Typefaces
Week 3:
Today we didn't have class due to a public holiday, but the teacher
gave us feedback on our type expression.
Typo_3_Text_Part 1
Tracking: Kerning and Letterspacing
Kerning: refers to automatic adjustment of space between letters
Letterspacing:
to add space between letters
tracking: Addition and removal of space in a word or sentence
Fig. 1.4.1 Comparison of Kerning and Tracking
Uppercase letters can stand alone, but lowercase
letters need the counterform between them to
maintain readability. Counterform refers to the
space enclosed by the letterform, which is the shape
of the black space between the white letter
forms.
We do not recommend adding letter spacing between lowercase letters
because it can disrupt the counterform shape and
reduce the readability of words or sentences.
Formatting Text
#note: Gray value refers to the gray scale created by text on a
white page
- too dark:
not enough spacing
- too light: too much spacing
Flush left: The flush left format mirrors the experience of
handwriting and creates an even gray value by keeping
spaces between words consistent throughout the text.
Flush right: Flush right is an alignment format that emphasizes the
end of a line and is useful in situations like captions
where a strong orientation to the right is needed to
clarify the relationship between text and image.
Justified: This format imposes a symmetrical shape on the text by
expanding or reducing spaces between words and letters.
However, it can create 'rivers' of white space running
through the text. Careful attention to line breaks and
hyphenation is required to minimize this problem.
The typographer's first job is to present the author message clearly and appropriately. If the type draws attention away from the words, it should be
changed.
Text / Texture
-
The x-height and stroke width of a typeface
affect the layout effect.
-
Typefaces with a relatively larger x-height
or heavier stroke width create a darker mass
on the page.
-
Sensitivity to these color differences is
essential for creating successful
layouts.
Leading and Line Length
Type size:
- Text type should be large enough to be read easily
at arms length.
Leading:
- Text set too tightly: encourages vertical eye
movement.
- Text set too loosely: creates striped patterns that
distract the reader.
Line Length:
- Shorter lines require less leading; longer lines
require more.
- Keep line length between 55-65 characters.
- Extremely long or short lines impair
reading.
Type Specimen Book
- Type specimen book for reference in choosing
typeface, size, leading, and line length etc.
- Printed pages necessary for selecting typeface.
- On-screen choice only for on-screen reading.
Tracking: Kerning and Letterspacing
Kerning: refers to automatic adjustment of space between letters
Letterspacing:
to add space between letters
tracking: Addition and removal of space in a word or sentence
Fig. 1.4.1 Comparison of Kerning and Tracking
We do not recommend adding letter spacing between lowercase letters because it can disrupt the counterform shape and reduce the readability of words or sentences.
- The x-height and stroke width of a typeface affect the layout effect.
-
Typefaces with a relatively larger x-height
or heavier stroke width create a darker mass
on the page.
- Sensitivity to these color differences is essential for creating successful layouts.
Week 4:
Typo_4_Text_Part 2
Indicating Paragraphs
Pilcrow (¶): a typographical symbol that is used to indicate the start of a
new paragraph
Paragraph Spacing

Fig 1.5.0 Line space vs leading
Standard indentation:
Indent is the same size of the line spacing or the same as
the point size of the text. If indentation is used, justified alignment should be
used instead of left alignment.
Extended paragraphs:
It create wide columns of text and pose problems for
readability, but there can be valid reasons for using them
based on composition or function.
Widows and Orphans

Fig. 1.5.1 Widow & Orphan
TWO UNPARDONABLE GAFFES:
-
Widow:
a short line of type left alone at the end of a
column of text.
-
Flush right and ragged left text is somewhat
forgiving towards widows, but only slightly.
-
Solution: rebreaking line endings throughout the
paragraph.
-
Orphan:
a short line of type left alone at the start of new
column.
# note: When adjusting kerning and letter spacing, it
is recommended to limit the spacing to a maximum of plus
or minus three.
Highlighting Text
- Change to italic font
- Change to bold font
- Change font
- Change colour (limited to black, cyan, and magenta)

Fig. 1.5.2 Size comparison of Serif
& Sans-Serif Fonts
To change highlighted text from a serif font to a
sans-serif font, you need to reduce the font size,
as sans-serif fonts tend to look larger. This is
shown in Fig. 1.5.2. Aligned figures and
capital acronyms reduced by 0.5.
Headline within Text
Paragraph Spacing
Fig 1.5.0 Line space vs leading
Widows and Orphans

Fig. 1.5.1 Widow & Orphan
TWO UNPARDONABLE GAFFES:
-
Widow:
a short line of type left alone at the end of a
column of text.
-
Flush right and ragged left text is somewhat
forgiving towards widows, but only slightly.
-
Solution: rebreaking line endings throughout the
paragraph.
-
Orphan:
a short line of type left alone at the start of new
column.
# note: When adjusting kerning and letter spacing, it
is recommended to limit the spacing to a maximum of plus
or minus three.
Highlighting Text
- Change to italic font
- Change to bold font
- Change font
- Change colour (limited to black, cyan, and magenta)

Fig. 1.5.2 Size comparison of Serif
& Sans-Serif Fonts
To change highlighted text from a serif font to a
sans-serif font, you need to reduce the font size,
as sans-serif fonts tend to look larger. This is
shown in Fig. 1.5.2. Aligned figures and
capital acronyms reduced by 0.5.
Headline within Text
Fig. 1.5.1 Widow & Orphan
- Widow: a short line of type left alone at the end of a column of text.
- Flush right and ragged left text is somewhat forgiving towards widows, but only slightly.
- Solution: rebreaking line endings throughout the paragraph.
- Orphan: a short line of type left alone at the start of new column.
Highlighting Text
- Change to italic font
- Change to bold font
- Change font
- Change colour (limited to black, cyan, and magenta)

Fig. 1.5.2 Size comparison of Serif
& Sans-Serif Fonts
To change highlighted text from a serif font to a
sans-serif font, you need to reduce the font size,
as sans-serif fonts tend to look larger. This is
shown in Fig. 1.5.2. Aligned figures and
capital acronyms reduced by 0.5.
Headline within Text
Fig. 1.5.2 Size comparison of Serif & Sans-Serif Fonts
Headline within Text
- Indicates a clear break between topics within a section
- Set larger than the text in small caps and bold
B Head:
- Subordinate to A heads
- Indicates new supporting arguments or examples for the topic at hand
- Shown in small caps, italic, bold serif, and bold sans serif
C Head:
- Although not common, highlights specific facets of material within B head text
- Shown in small caps, italics, serif bold, and sans serif bold, and followed by at least an em space for visual separation
Cross Alignment
Cross aligning headlines and captions with text type reinforces
the architectural sense of the page—the structure—while
articulating the complimentary vertical rhythms.
Week 5:
Typo_5_Understanding
Understanding letterforms
Fig. 1.6.0 Letterforms are not symmetrical
The uppercase letters may appear symmetrical, but in fact,
they are not. Each bracket connecting the serif to the stem of
a letterform has a unique arc, and there are often differences
in stroke weights.
Maintaining x-height

Fig. 1.6.1 Median & baseline
X-height:
The size of the lowercase letterforms.
Curved strokes like
's' must rise above or sink below the median and baseline to
appear the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they
connect to.
Form / Counterform

Fig. 1.6.2 Form / Counterform
Counterform, or the space between strokes of a letterform, is
just as important as recognizing specific letterforms. It
becomes particularly important when working with letterforms
like 'r' that have no counters. How well you handle the counters
when setting type determines how well words hang together and
how easily they can be read.
Contrast

Fig. 1.6.3 Example of contrast
The basic principles of graphic design, particularly
contrast, apply directly to typography
Typo_6_Screen&Print
Fig. 1.6.1 Median & baseline
Curved strokes like 's' must rise above or sink below the median and baseline to appear the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they connect to.
Fig. 1.6.2 Form / Counterform
Fig. 1.6.3 Example of contrast
Typo_6_Screen&Print
Print Type Vs Screen Type
Type for Print
-
Type was originally designed for print.
-
A designer's job is to ensure that text is smooth,
flowing, and pleasant to read in print.
-
Caslon, Garamond, and Baskerville are common typefaces
used for print due to their elegance, readability, and
versatility.
-
These classic typefaces are easy to digest and neutral,
making typesetting with them simple
Type for Screen
-
Web typefaces are optimized for onscreen readability and
performance.
-
Adjustments can include taller x-height, wider letterforms,
more open counters, heavier thin strokes and serifs, reduced
stroke contrast, and modified curves and angles.
-
Open spacing is an important adjustment for typefaces
intended for smaller sizes on the web.
-
Screen fonts (like Verdana, Georgia and etc.) should not be used for printed materials.
Hyperactive Link/ hyperlink
a word, phrase, or image that you can click on to jump to a new
document or a new section within the current
document.
Font Size for screen
-
16 pixels font size is about the same as 10-point font in
print media.
-
When reading from a distance, larger font sizes are
needed, at least 2 points.
-
It is recommended to use font sizes of 20-24 points for
reading on a screen.
-
Font sizes on screens are measured in pixels, but points
are a better unit of measurement.
System Fonts for Screen/ Web Safe Fonts
-
Windows, MacOS, and Google Android use different font
groups.
-
"Web safe" fonts appear across all operating systems
and are a small collection of fonts that overlap from
Windows to Mac to Google.
-
Cross-platform fonts: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica,
Times New Roman, Georgia, Palatino, Garamond and etc.
Pixel Differential Between Devices
The screens used by our PCs, tablets, phones and TVs are
not only different sizes, but the text you see on-screen
differs in proportion too, because they have different sized
pixels.
Static Vs Motion
Static Typography
-
Has limited expressive potential compared to
dynamic properties.
-
Used in various designs, including billboards,
posters, magazines, and fliers.
Motion Typography
-
Temporal media offer typographers opportunities to
“dramatize” type, for letterforms to become “fluid”
and “kinetic”
-
On-screen typography has become expressive and
helps establish the tone of associated content or
express a set of brand values.
- Type was originally designed for print.
- A designer's job is to ensure that text is smooth, flowing, and pleasant to read in print.
- Caslon, Garamond, and Baskerville are common typefaces used for print due to their elegance, readability, and versatility.
- These classic typefaces are easy to digest and neutral, making typesetting with them simple
- Web typefaces are optimized for onscreen readability and performance.
- Adjustments can include taller x-height, wider letterforms, more open counters, heavier thin strokes and serifs, reduced stroke contrast, and modified curves and angles.
- Open spacing is an important adjustment for typefaces intended for smaller sizes on the web.
-
Screen fonts (like Verdana, Georgia and etc.) should not be used for printed materials.
a word, phrase, or image that you can click on to jump to a new document or a new section within the current document.
- 16 pixels font size is about the same as 10-point font in print media.
- When reading from a distance, larger font sizes are needed, at least 2 points.
- It is recommended to use font sizes of 20-24 points for reading on a screen.
- Font sizes on screens are measured in pixels, but points are a better unit of measurement.
- Windows, MacOS, and Google Android use different font groups.
- "Web safe" fonts appear across all operating systems and are a small collection of fonts that overlap from Windows to Mac to Google.
- Cross-platform fonts: Open Sans, Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Georgia, Palatino, Garamond and etc.
The screens used by our PCs, tablets, phones and TVs are not only different sizes, but the text you see on-screen differs in proportion too, because they have different sized pixels.
Static Vs Motion
Static Typography
-
Has limited expressive potential compared to
dynamic properties.
-
Used in various designs, including billboards,
posters, magazines, and fliers.
Motion Typography
-
Temporal media offer typographers opportunities to
“dramatize” type, for letterforms to become “fluid”
and “kinetic”
-
On-screen typography has become expressive and
helps establish the tone of associated content or
express a set of brand values.
- Has limited expressive potential compared to dynamic properties.
- Used in various designs, including billboards, posters, magazines, and fliers.
- Temporal media offer typographers opportunities to “dramatize” type, for letterforms to become “fluid” and “kinetic”
- On-screen typography has become expressive and helps establish the tone of associated content or express a set of brand values.
~ THE END ~
INSTRUCTIONS
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Task 1: Exercise - Type Expression
1. Sketches
2. Digitalization
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Final Type Expressions
3. Type Expression Animation
Final Outcome:
Task 1: Exercise - Formatting Text
We'll receive incremental exercises aimed at improving our familiarity and
skills with different formatting aspects.
Completing these exercises will help us understand information hierarchy
and spatial arrangement. After two weeks, we're required to submit one A4
layout that showcases our learned skills. Adobe InDesign is the software to
be used for this task.Kerning & Tracking Exercise:
We familiarized ourselves with tracking and kerning through the following exercise, but I realized that it can be challenging for beginners without experience to determine when to use tracking and kerning.

Fig. 3.3 Draft layout, week 4 (4/5/2023)

Fig. 3.5 text with tracking and without tracking, week 4 (4/5/2023)

Fig. 3.6 Layout, week 4 (4/5/2023)

Fig. 3.7 Reducing uppercase font size, week 5 (9/5/2023)

Fig. 3.8 Adding leading, week 5 (9/5/2023)
FINAL Text Formatting Layout
HEAD
Fig. 4.2 Final Text Formatting Layout - Grids (PDF), week 5 (9/5/2023)
FEEDBACK
- Are the explorations sufficient?
- Does the expression match the meaning of the word?
- On a scale of 1-5, how strong is the idea?
- How can the work be improved?
Week 4:
Specific Feedback: The “I am" and “Helvetica" in the title should have the same point size, leading, and letter spacing, which needs to be adjusted. The image can be moved up slightly, and there is no problem with paragraph ragging.
REFLECTIONS
FURTHER READING
Why Handlettering is Not Type
This article discusses how the term "handlettered type" is a contradictory phrase and a sign of ignorance or laziness. It also explains the difference between type and lettering, with type being prefabricated letters that can be set, rearranged, disassembled, and reused, while lettering refers to hand-drawn letters that involve combining letters to form a composition that is greater than the sum of its parts.- Lack of training in penmanship and calligraphy, as many schools have discontinued these classes.
- The convenience of digital technology, which can make people overlook the differences between handwritten letters and prefabricated letters.
- Changes in design school curricula, which may focus more on digital technology and computer graphics rather than handwriting and calligraphy.
Typography design 101: a guide to rules and terms

Fig. 5.1 Image taken from article, week 5 (7/5/2023)
This is a brief history and overview of typography design,
which is the art of arranging text in a visually appealing
and readable way. There are three main styles of typography:
serif, sans serif, and cursive, each with their own
variations. A typeface or font family is the design of the
letterforms, which can come in multiple styles and formats.
The anatomy of letters is complex and has many different
elements and terms. Typography can also create optical
illusions, which can be used to make letters appear more
symmetrical or visually equal.
Fig. 5.2 Optical illusions, week 5 (7/5/2023)
Illusions:
- The upper part of the letter S is smaller than the lower
part.
- Circular letters are actually slightly larger than other
letters.
- The letter O needs to be thickened on the sides to make
it look symmetrical and consistent.
- The letter A is not symmetrical when horizontally
flipped.
- Even simple geometric letters, such as the letter T,
require calligraphic rules, with the top line being thin,
the bottom line being thick, and the horizontal line being
thin again.
- The horizontal lines of letters E and A are not located
in the center of the letters.
- Letters B, P, and R are sister shapes, but their
proportions are different.
Fig. 5.1 Image taken from article, week 5 (7/5/2023)
Illusions:
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