Typesetting is the act of placing type on the page. This is one of the final steps of creating a graphic design layout for publication. It's used by designers in all kinds of publications and digital media from websites to book typesetting. Really, it's just the process of making that text look good and looks readable. There are plenty of things to worry about in typesetting design. Designers must pick their type fonts; decide on size, color and effects. They also need to pay attention to placement, spacing and leading. Designers even spend time looking at the spacing between characters in words and between the words of a sentence. Typesetting can become a fine and exacting art if you let it. Let's just look at some basic typesetting tips to help you get through the process of finalizing a document for printing.
1. Write down the fonts
It's easy to forget what font you last used in your website or book typesetting. However, it can be a pain to go back through all of the font selections trying to remember it when you need to use that font again. Start keeping track of your font styling with an improvised style guide. This can be a piece of paper that you scribble on from time to time as you work. It serves as an excellent reference and saves time.
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2. Use different fonts for different purposes
Don't be afraid to experiment with different type fonts in your graphic design layout. Sure, your high school English teacher only wanted you to use Times New Roman. As an adult and designer, you have some leeway to use multiple type fonts in a document.
3. Use the right color font
Font color is important in typesetting too. The standard is to make your font black on a white background. This is high contrast and easy to read. However, you may be designing for a website with a peach background or even black background. The best option is usually to pick the color with the most contrast, such as, complementary colors. That peach background can use a dark blue-green color. That black background obviously gets a white font.
4. Make sure the font fits the content
This is an extension of the second tip. When using a certain font on your document, make certain that it's appropriate. You don't want to use Comic Sans on an obituary. Keep in mind that websites and digital documents use sans serif fonts because that's easier to read. Most books use a serif font like Times New Roman.
5. Deciding to center, justify or leave ragged
The placement of the text on the page has an effect on the overall design and also on readability. Centering is good for headers and sub headers or even for website copy. Ragged right always works for books and other longer printed publications. Justify is used in special cases when designers need to pack as much content onto the page as possible. When using justification, designers will need to pay extra attention to character and word spacing.
These are only a few tips that designers can pick up about typesetting design. It's easy to neglect the text of a design document, but designers are expected to meld text and design well. Spend a few minutes thinking about the typesetting of your next publication before getting started. Consider the fonts, the color and whether to center or not.
Ref: http://www.articlesbase.com/graphic-design-articles/5-effective-typesetting-tips-5978057.html
Monday, July 30, 2012
5 Effective Typesetting Tips
