Web typography, like design, and images, plays an important role in having an appealing website. The fonts you use for your website reflect the site's tone and visual impact. A great and effective typography is when it communicates the designer's ideas, when the text is readable, and when there is visual appeal. Typography allows for web pages to come to life. This article gives an introduction to typography and talks about some guidelines toweb typographyin terms of its fundamental elements.
What is web typography?
Web typography is how the text in a website is arranged and displayed. It is the art of arranging and designing letters, and has a big influence on how the message is presented and interpreted.
Typeface vs. Font
Some designers are uncertain about the difference between typeface and font, and most of the time interchange them or use the terms for the same thing. Typeface is a font family, and font is the weight or style within the family. For example, Arial is a typeface while Arial Bold and Arial Narrow are fonts. In choosing a typeface for web typography, it is recommended that you use web safe typefaces. Web safe typefaces are certain set of fonts that will display on all browsers.
The generic typefaces include Serif, Sans-serif, Monospace, and Script. The most common among these font families are Serif and Sans-serif. Serif fonts are more traditional fonts distinguished by decorative markings, or serifs, on the end of character strokes and stems. Serif fonts include Times New Roman, Baskerville, and one of the most popular web fonts, Georgia. Sans-serif fonts, on the other hand, do not have serifs on their characters, and are considered as modern fonts. Sans-serif fonts include Helvetica and Arial. Sans-serif fonts are more preferred in web typography than serif fonts because they are often more readable especially on smaller devices.
Four Elements of Web Typography
Other than distinguishing typefaces and choosing a font, there are four elements that construct effective web typography.
Web typography is crucial to a good design and effective communication. Conforming to all the four elements of good web typography will have a positive effect on the readability and visual appeal of your web page.
What is web typography?
Web typography is how the text in a website is arranged and displayed. It is the art of arranging and designing letters, and has a big influence on how the message is presented and interpreted.
Typeface vs. Font
Some designers are uncertain about the difference between typeface and font, and most of the time interchange them or use the terms for the same thing. Typeface is a font family, and font is the weight or style within the family. For example, Arial is a typeface while Arial Bold and Arial Narrow are fonts. In choosing a typeface for web typography, it is recommended that you use web safe typefaces. Web safe typefaces are certain set of fonts that will display on all browsers.
The generic typefaces include Serif, Sans-serif, Monospace, and Script. The most common among these font families are Serif and Sans-serif. Serif fonts are more traditional fonts distinguished by decorative markings, or serifs, on the end of character strokes and stems. Serif fonts include Times New Roman, Baskerville, and one of the most popular web fonts, Georgia. Sans-serif fonts, on the other hand, do not have serifs on their characters, and are considered as modern fonts. Sans-serif fonts include Helvetica and Arial. Sans-serif fonts are more preferred in web typography than serif fonts because they are often more readable especially on smaller devices.
Four Elements of Web Typography
Other than distinguishing typefaces and choosing a font, there are four elements that construct effective web typography.
- Contrast
- Size
- Hierarchy
- Space
Web typography is crucial to a good design and effective communication. Conforming to all the four elements of good web typography will have a positive effect on the readability and visual appeal of your web page.
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