Thinking with Type

1. Typography is a tool, not just a font collection.

This is not a book about fonts. It is a book about how to use them.

Beyond the Font Menu. Typography is not merely about selecting a visually appealing font; it's about understanding how to use typefaces to shape content, convey meaning, and create a visual experience. It's about the art of arranging type to make language visible and engaging.

• Typefaces are resources, like materials for an architect.
• Designers choose and combine typefaces based on audience and context.
• Knowledge of letterform evolution is essential for effective use.

Purposeful Application. Effective typography requires a deep understanding of how letterforms have evolved and how they interact with each other. It's about making conscious choices that enhance readability, create visual interest, and support the overall message.

• Typography shapes content, gives language a physical body, and enables the social flow of messages.
• It's a tool for doing things with, not just a collection of pretty letters.
• It connects designers with a tradition, past and future.

Thinking with Type. The emphasis is on "with," highlighting typography as a collaborative tool. It's about using type to shape content, give language a physical body, and enable the social flow of messages.

• Typography is an ongoing tradition that connects you with other designers, past and future.
• Type is everywhere you go—the street, the mall, the web, your apartment.
• This book aims to speak to, and with, all the readers and writers, designers and producers, teachers and students, whose work engages the ordered yet unpredictable life of the visible word.

2. Typefaces have histories and cultural contexts.

The history of typography reflects a continual tension between the hand and the machine, the organic and the geometric, the human body and the abstract system.

Evolution of Forms. Typefaces are not static entities; they have evolved over centuries, reflecting cultural shifts, technological advancements, and artistic movements. Understanding this history is crucial for making informed design choices.

• Early typefaces emulated calligraphy, reflecting the work of the hand.
• The rise of industrialization led to the creation of bold, decorative display faces.
• Avant-garde movements explored the alphabet as a theoretical system.

Humanism to Abstraction. The evolution of type can be seen as a journey from humanist forms, which were closely tied to the body and calligraphy, to more abstract and geometric forms. This tension between the organic and the geometric continues to influence typography today.

• Renaissance typefaces were modeled on classical handwriting.
• Enlightenment-era typefaces were constructed on grids, reflecting scientific ideals.
• Modern typefaces often combine geometric forms with calligraphic influences.

Connotations and Context. Typefaces carry cultural connotations and associations that can influence how a message is perceived. Choosing a typeface is not just about aesthetics; it's about selecting a voice that aligns with the content and the intended audience.

• Typefaces like Garamond and Baskerville evoke a sense of tradition and elegance.
• Geometric sans-serifs like Futura and Helvetica convey modernity and neutrality.
• Display faces can be used to create a sense of drama or playfulness.

3. Spacing is as crucial as the letters themselves.

Design is as much an act of spacing as an act of marking.

Negative Space Matters. Typography is not just about the positive shapes of letters; it's also about the negative spaces between and around them. These spaces—between letters, words, and lines—are just as important as the letters themselves.

• Spacing creates rhythm, texture, and visual hierarchy.
• It affects readability, legibility, and overall visual impact.
• It's a crucial element in the art of typographic composition.

Kerning, Tracking, and Leading. Designers manipulate spacing through various techniques, including kerning (adjusting space between letter pairs), tracking (adjusting space across a range of letters), and leading (adjusting space between lines).

• Kerning addresses awkward letter combinations.
• Tracking adjusts the overall density of text.
• Leading controls the vertical rhythm of a text block.

From Concrete to Fluid. In the era of metal type, spacing was a physical act, involving the insertion of metal slugs and strips. In the digital age, spacing has become more fluid and flexible, allowing designers to manipulate it with precision.

• Spacing has evolved from a concrete artifact to a flexible system of attributes.
• It's a tool for creating visual texture, rhythm, and hierarchy.
• It's a crucial element in the art of typographic composition.

4. Text is a fluid, dynamic system, not a static block.

Text is a field or texture whose grain, color, density, and silhouette can be endlessly adjusted.

Beyond the Rectangle. Text is not a static, monolithic block; it's a dynamic system that can be manipulated and shaped. Designers can adjust its grain, color, density, and silhouette to create different visual effects.

• Text can be viewed as a field or texture, not just a collection of words.
• It can be made to feel solid or liquid, heavy or light.
• It can be broken up into pieces and reassembled in new ways.

Navigating the Flow. Typography helps readers navigate the flow of content by breaking up text into pieces and offering shortcuts and alternate routes through masses of information.

• Indents signal the entrance to a new idea.
• Highlighted links announce a jump to another location.
• Typography helps readers avoid reading by providing visual cues.

From Closed to Open. Technology has shaped the design of typographic space, from the concrete physicality of metal type to the flexibility offered by digital media. Text has evolved from a closed, stable body to a fluid and open ecology.

• Text has become more open and flexible in the digital age.
• It can be reformatted, repurposed, and recombined.
• It's no longer a fixed object but a dynamic system.

5. Grids are flexible frameworks, not rigid constraints.

The grid has evolved across centuries of typographic development.

Underlying Structure. Grids are not just lines on a page; they are underlying structures that provide a framework for organizing content. They can be simple or complex, specific or generic, tightly defined or loosely interpreted.

• Grids are about control, but also about flexibility.
• They provide a system for arranging content within a space.
• They are a tool for creating order and visual hierarchy.

From Frame to Field. The grid has evolved from a frame that encloses a block of text to a field that extends beyond the edges of the page. This shift reflects a move away from the classical model of the page as a fixed entity.

• Early grids served as frames for fields of text.
• Modern grids are more flexible and dynamic.
• They can be used to create a sense of openness and expansion.

Modular Systems. Modular grids divide space into equal units, allowing designers to create flexible layouts that can accommodate different types of content. These systems are not rigid formulas but rather frameworks for generating variation and surprise.

• Modular grids are based on standard measures.
• They allow for the creation of diverse yet genetically linked solutions.
• They are a tool for creating order and visual interest.

6. Hierarchy guides the reader through content.

Scale is the size of design elements in comparison to other elements in a layout as well as to the physical context of the work.

Visual Organization. Typographic hierarchy is about creating a visual structure that guides the reader through content. It's about emphasizing some elements and subordinating others, making it easy for readers to scan, navigate, and understand the information.

• Hierarchy is created through changes in size, weight, style, and spacing.
• It helps readers know where to enter and exit a text.
• It expresses the organization of content.

Multiple Cues. Designers use a variety of cues to create hierarchy, including size, weight, color, and spacing. Redundancy is often used to reinforce the hierarchy, with multiple cues signaling the same level of importance.

• Boldface, italics, and small caps are used for emphasis.
• Changes in size and leading create visual contrast.
• Spatial cues, such as indents and line breaks, also contribute to hierarchy.

Context and Scale. The scale of typographic elements is relative to the context of the work. What looks small on a screen might look large in print, and vice versa. Designers must consider the physical context of their work when creating a visual hierarchy.

• Scale is relative to the physical context of the work.
• Changes in scale create visual contrast, movement, and depth.
• Scale helps express hierarchies of importance.

7. Editing is a crucial part of the design process.

The proofreader’s craft ensures the faithfulness of the printed text to the author’s handwritten original.

Beyond Design. Designers are often expected to be editors as well, but editing is a distinct skill that requires specialized training and a neutral perspective. A good editor is crucial for ensuring the correctness, accuracy, and consistency of written content.

• Editing is a separate skill from writing and design.
• It requires a neutral perspective and attention to detail.
• It's crucial for ensuring the quality of a publication.

Three Phases of Editing. The editorial process typically involves three phases: developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. Each phase addresses different aspects of the text, from its overall structure to its minute details.

• Developmental editing addresses the content and structure of a work.
• Copy editing focuses on grammar, spelling, and consistency.
• Proofreading checks the final designed pages for errors.

Avoiding Errors. Errors can occur at any stage of the design process, from the initial manuscript to the final printed piece. Designers must be vigilant in identifying and correcting these errors, and they must also be able to distinguish between printer's errors, author's alterations, and editor's alterations.

• Printer's errors are the responsibility of the printer.
• Author's alterations are the responsibility of the author.
• Editor's alterations are the responsibility of the editor.

8. Digital typography requires new considerations.

With the rise of digital design tools, typography revived its connections with the body.

Screen-Specific Design. Digital typography requires a different approach than print typography. Designers must consider the limitations and opportunities of screen displays, including resolution, anti-aliasing, and font embedding.

• Screen fonts are designed for optimal display on digital devices.
• Anti-aliasing creates the illusion of smooth curves on screen.
• Font embedding allows designers to use custom fonts on the web.

Bitmap and Vector. Digital typefaces can be either bitmap or vector. Bitmap typefaces are built out of pixels, while vector typefaces are based on mathematical outlines. Each format has its own advantages and limitations.

• Bitmap fonts are used for low-resolution displays.
• Vector fonts are scalable and can be used at any size.
• Many designers like to exploit the visible geometry of pixelated characters.

Accessibility and Universality. Digital typography must be accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. Designers must create structural hierarchies and use semantic markup to ensure that their designs can be easily read by screen readers and other assistive technologies.

• Accessibility is a crucial consideration in digital design.
• Structural hierarchies help make websites understandable to search engines and accessible to diverse users.
• The web was invented to provide universal access to information.

Last updated: January 23, 2025