Brice Montgomery
Creative Director
Brice likes to think through how messages are best translated for different audiences and purposes. He also makes baked goods.
Let’s start with the big picture. You clicked on this article for a reason. Why is understanding typography confusing? What even is typography? Isn’t that just fonts? Are we needlessly complicating a simple word by adding more syllables?
Trust us, we would never do that to you.
We defined Typography in another post in this series as follows: “typography is the art of selecting the size, spacing, and style of type that will most effectively convey not just the message, but also the spirit of the message.” Fonts are to typography what paint is to painting.
Fonts are a part of typography, but they are more like a tool, whereas typography is the process of choosing how to use that tool. Fonts are collections of type, and type is the pieces that make up the font.
Hopefully, that’s a little clearer than before, but even if you don’t quite have the definitions down, there are still a lot of basic tips and tricks that will elevate your typography game.
Let’s be real—
If you’re like us, you’ve probably tumbled down the rabbit hole of your word processor’s font book. There are hundreds of options, and it’s easy to get carried away with a little Lucida or indulge in a bit of Rage. Sometimes, there are just too many good options, and you think, “Hm, I’ll make this really pop by combining several fonts!” Before you know it, you’ve got a powerpoint or poster that is a visual cacophony—a three-car pile-up of serifs and sans-serifs.
So what’s the solution?
Do less.
Seriously.
Go take a look at effective print ads or engaging web content, and you’ll likely notice a common characteristic—The use of typography is pretty straightforward. It’s all about doing a little and doing it well. Understanding typography can be as simple as not overthinking it.
One of the best “hacks” for understanding typography is to think in terms of meaningful blank space. You know how a freshly painted room in an empty house or apartment is appealing? That’s because anything you add to it exists as a form of contrast. Think of your work as deciding how to fill an empty room.
If you’re making, say, a handout for a presentation, think of it first as a blank space. First ask what is absolutely essential to fill that space, and then think of how you can organize it without clutter. It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s often best to choose typefaces that are “boring.” There’s a time and a place for flowery type, but when we’re creating, we often forget the sheer amount of written content that people encounter on a daily basis, so even if we have chosen something “creative,” it generally doesn’t land well because readers are approaching our work for information, not artistic expression. If we understand typography, it prevents our readers from having to understand it.
Often, it may be helpful to include two fonts—maybe one for headers and one for content—and distinguish them as much as possible. This might mean that one font has a lot of “weight,” which means that it has thicker lines, whereas the other is thin. Or it could be as simple as choosing two fonts that exist at opposite ends of the spectrum, pairing a “traditional” font like the one you’re reading now with something more “out there.”
Another thing to keep an eye out for is your use of tracking and kerning. We have a more detailed explanation in this great post from Amelia, but the quick and easy explanation is that this is the distance between letters. Every typeface has a default space between each letter, but if you’ve ever thought, “Hm, I wish these weren’t quite so close together,” we’ve got good news—You can actually adjust that. It’s a great way to use your “blank space” more dynamically, and it opens up countless creative possibilities.
Ultimately, each of these tips come back to a single important question, one you should constantly ask yourself—“Is this easy on the eyes?” If the answer is no, you should take a step back and consider why it’s difficult to look at. There are several possible reasons, and Creative Market has a great exploration of ways to improve both readability and legibility, complete visual examples. We highly recommend giving it a read.
If you take nothing else away from this post, remember the importance of simplicity. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more complicated type and design is a mark of your professionalism, but the classics are a classic for a reason. If you’re selective and strategic, even the simplest use of type can be eye-catching and engaging.
