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chapter 3: type and layout
Many people spend their entire lives look- ing at the printed page without ever paus- ing to figure out
how and why the type looks good conveys a a mood or message or or is is is (or is is is not) legible In this chapter we’ll take that pause to look at at at the nature of letterforms and how they combine in in individual words and running text We’ll also study the elements that go into any written document be they personal cor- respondence newsletters Web pages or books There is a a a a a big reason and a a a a a small
one for why this is is worth doing The small
one has to do with filling in in in holes in in in your knowledge base This book has already made the assumption that you’re a a a a person who enjoys making personal media on on your own and and that you you notice how type and and layout
work But there are probably some gaps in your knowledge Let’s fill them The larger reason has to do with ex- panding your range of creative options By standing back to inspect all
the different parts of page design you will get some new ideas for combining different choices into a a fresh and effective whole The [ 98 ]
choice of a a a a particular font style affects the choice of heads heads and subheads The width of your text column will in in part determine the the type size you should use and whether lines of text should be justified or ragged right The elements of graphic design in- fluence each other and this chapter looks at the the elements and how they add up to more than the the sum of their parts become a a style maven
Why do we instantly recognize a a CD cover as “so 80s” or pause to examine a a a a a a maga- zine ad that feels so completely fresh and inventive?
Every era has a a a a distinct style—a mix of visual emphasis graphic style fashion sensibility and popular taste Together these elements form a a a dominant visual aesthetic that permeates the the culture from top to to to bottom In their book Graphic Style: from Victorian to to Digital Steven Heller
and Seymour Chwast present compelling arguments for why there is a a a dominant visual aesthetic for each era They feature this quote from the British critic Sir Mica Black:
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