The reason for this is quite simple; “the feet” on serif typefaces promote the horizontal flow of reading and the quick identification of the individual letters. They direct the reader along the line of text. This is not needed with headings, subheads or small blocks of text, since they are shorter in length.
As a general rule… NEVER USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. By using all caps, the eye has a difficult time scanning and deciphering the letters. This is because the eye needs the “mountains and valleys” of upper and lower case letters to view the letters quickly. Some exceptions to the rule are using all caps in headlines, as they are short and singled out on a page.
What is Kerning and Why Worry About It?
Kerning is the space between letters in a word. Most typefaces have a set amount of space for each letter. This can cause problems when specific letters or numbers are placed next to each other and create a gap. A good example of this can be seen viewing 1192 or Team. You can see more space allocated between 11 and Te than the other numbers/letters. Bad kerning could cause problems in the readability of your text.
We are accustomed to reading black type on a white background. Type that is “reversed,” that is, white type on a black background, is readable but has drawbacks. White type on a black ground has a tendency to sparkle, making it harder on the eyes. Studies have shown that long passages of reversed type may go unread. Also, be careful choosing your typeface and size for reverse type. A typeface that is too thin or too small tends to fill in and become difficult to read.
There are thousands of typefaces available. Therefore, it can sometimes become a huge headache to match a typeface on an existing piece. When trying to identify an unknown typeface, always look to the individual characters that contain the most design information, such as the uppercase R, T or W and lowercase a, e, or g. These letters hold the most clues as to their typeface name.
Leading is the vertical space between lines of text. Leading is very important for readability and design. To prevent the same line from being read twice, long lines need extra leading. San serif typefaces benefit from additional leading because they lack the horizontal flow that serifs provide.
In general, the length of a line of type should be comfortable to read: too short and it breaks up words and phrases; too long and the reader must search for the beginning of each line. If you ever found yourself reading the same line twice, the lines were too long and the text insufficiently line spaced (leading).
If a table has more than four rows, shade every other row to make it easier for the reader to scan horizontally. Use grey shading, not a color. The eye can read black text on a grey background more easily than on a colored background and it is easier to print.
Letterhead: Fax Before You Finalize.
If you often fax your letterhead, run the proposed design and paper through the fax machine to see the quality of the faxes. Recycled papers sometimes look too dirty and are difficult to read when faxed. Some colors fax as dark grey or not at all, reducing readability.
The Shrinking Blind Embossment:
Create type, that is to be embossed, a few points larger than normal. This will compensate for the fact that blind embossing has a tendency to make the type look as if it has shrunk.
Who Says Being Dull is Bad?
Using a dull varnish on a gloss sheet will produce more surface contrast than using a gloss varnish on a dull paper stock.
