Typography definitions-hw 8/31/09

Typography definitions- hw 8/31/09

01. absolute measurement: These measurements are measurements of fixed values. For example, a millimeter is a precisely defined increment of a centimeter. Equally points and picas, the basic typographic measurements, have fixed values. All absolute measurements are expressed in finite terms that cannot be altered.

02. relative measurement: Many measurements, such as character spacing, are linked to type size, which means their relationships are defined by a series of relative measurements. For example ems and ens are relative measurements.

03. point: The point is the unit of measurements used to measure the type size of a font. For example 7pt. Times New Roman is the height of the type block.

04. pica: The pica is a use of measurement equal to 12 points that is commonly used for measuring line type. There are six picas in an inch, which is equal to 25.4 millimeters.

05. em and em dash:
The em is a relative use of measurement used in typesetting to define basic spacing functions, and therefore linked to the size of the type. The em equals the size of a given type, for example the em of 72 pt. type is 72 points. The ‘M’ character will rarely be as wide as an em. The em is used for defining elements such as paragraph indents and spacing.

06. en and en dash: The en is a unit of relative measurement and is equal to half of one em. For example in 72 pt. type, an en would be 36 points. An en rule is used to denote nested clauses. For both em and en they are used in punctuation to provide a measurement for dashes. Not to be confused with hyphen, an en is half of an em while a hyphen is one third of an em.

07. legibility: The analysis of legibility involves a range of factors, perspectives, and methodologies. Legibility is largely addressed intuitively or, more accurately, through accumulated knowledge and experience. Legibility depends on the ease with which the eye can identify letters, and distinguish them from one another. So it therefore depends as much upon the relationship of letters in the font as upon the design of the actual letter.

08. rag: rags form when highly noticeable shapes form by the line ends of text blocks that distract from simple, uninterrupted reading. Rags can include exaggerated slopes or noticeable inclines. In extreme cases they will overhang other lines of text creating gaps in text blocks.

09. type alignments: flush left, flush right, centered, justified. list advantages and/or disadvantages:

flush left: type set to an even left margin, giving an uneven or ragged right margin. The advantage of flush left is that the space between words remains consistent and it is not necessary to hyphenate words. The disadvantage of Flush left is asymmetry, the ragged right margin may disturb the balance of an otherwise symmetrical page layout.

flush right: type set to an even right margin, giving a ragged left margin. The advantage is that flush-right text is rarely used for text of any length. It is however effective for setting small bodies of texts, captions, and so on within asymmetrical layouts. The disadvantage is that it reduces readability; the absence of a left margin makes it harder for the reader to distinguish where the next line begins.

centered: The type is set on a central axis, with even word spacing and ragged left and right margins. The advantage is that it is rarely used for the setting of large quantities of continuous text. The disadvantage is that it reduces readability; the absence of an even left margin makes it more difficult for the reader’s eye to identify the beginning of the next line. This can be addressed by increasing the leading.

Justified: The space between the words is adjusted in each line, giving even margins both left and right. The advantage is the even margins left and right, giving a neat rectangular text area. The disadvantages are the space between the words will necessarily vary from one line to the next, because each is adjusted to fill the same column width, it requires hyphenation, and requires wide columns/large number of characters per line.

10. word spacing: what is the ideal?: Tracking adjusts the space between characters while word spacing adjusts the space between words. Note that the spaces between the characters within the words remain the same. This allows for greater control of word spacing in a text block.

11. rivers: This occurs when the separation of the words leaves gaps of white space in several lines.

12. indent:
Text blocks can be indented to where some or all of the text lines are moved in from the margin by a specified amount. Indentation provides the reader with an easily accessible entry point to a paragraph.

13. leading: This is the measurement in points from one baseline to the next. This allows for both size and leading to be combined within a concise specification. For example, 12pt type on 18pt leading (abbreviated 12/18). Type set with no additional leading is described as a set solid.

14. kerning: If the letters in a typeface are spaced too uniformly, they make a pattern that doesn’t look uniform enough. Gaps occur, for example, around letters whose forms angle outward or frame an open space (W, Y, V, T, L).

15. tracking: Adjusting the overall space the overall space between letters, rather than the space between two characters also known as letter spacing. By slightly expanding the tracking across a body of text, the designer can create a more airy field. There are three types of tracking, normal tracking, positive tracking, and negative tracking.

16. weight: typefaces customarily include a choice of weights, from the single bold variant common to most text faces to intermediate weights, such as book, medium, and demi; or extremes, such as black or ultra bold.

17. scale: content may be differentiated through the scale of the type, by increases in point size. For example, a title or subtitle, an introductory paragraph, or pull-quote may be differentiated from the main text may be set in larger sizes for emphasis.

18. typographic variation: Whether in the use of typefaces, weights, and sizes, the introduction of bold, italic, or small-cap fonts, should serve to clarify visually for the reader specific kinds of emphasis and prioritization, and to establish consistent distinctions between different kinds of content. It separates the design of the page into levels or layers.

19. orphan:
is the final one or two lines of a paragraph separated from the main paragraph to form a new column, and should be avoided at all costs.

20. widow: is a lone word at the end of a paragraph.