A Time & Place for Everything

Guidelines for Using Typography

Typography can add beauty and elegance to a product or it can entirely ruin a product. So, how do you know what typography is right for a product? That all depends on the audience, the purpose of the product, and the style trends that are current to the time. But, there are a few rules to remember that can help through any typography decision-making.

Typography Theory - University of Hawaii

• Use 1-2 typefaces per layout
• Use styles to emphasize, not for entire body text
• Do not use ALL CAPS Scripts for Headings
• Use Display Type sparingly
• Use appropriate line lengths of text
• Adjust your space after paragraph returns
• Only one space after a period in paragraph text
• Use proper typographers marks
• Choose Font Sizes relative to elements on your page
• As your type gets larger, adjust your tracking, leading & line-length.
• Use proper and relevant hierarchy when setting your text

Lathbury's Rules for Typography

• Avoid the strange. Type that says “Look at me!” is distracting.
• The smaller the type, the more even you want the letter
• If you mix two type styles, make the contrast between them strong. If you don’t, the reader will pick up the contrast, but it will look like an error.
• Look at the Italic, condensed, bold, and extended versions of the face, especially the Italic
• If trying to decide between a smaller or larger point size, the smaller always looks better.