To
design a good-looking web site, designer has to give importance
to each & every part in the layout. In the last newsletter
we have discussed about colour & their importance in layout
designing. A current news letter focuses on fonts, typography
& their importance in web designing.
Proper formatting
of text will help users to read the content easily that is why
you will see text in majority of newspapers & web sites set
in serif type using both lower & uppercase. Generally text is
written using a roman font in black on white background rather
then reverse white on black background. Using of text in reverse
makes it difficult to read.
Serif means "finishing strokes" or "fillips" going off the
ending lines of a letter. For example, when the number "1"
or the letter "I" are drawn with a bar across the bottom,
the two halves of the bar are serifs. If the serif is joined
to the letter by a slight flaring out, it is said to be "bracketed."
Serifs at the bottom of letters help the eye visualize the
"virtual" base line of the type.
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Serifs
were originated by Roman stone cutters to give more strength
& crisp effect to the end of letters carved in stone.
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Typefaces
without serifs are known as sans (without) Serifs and
were developed in the year 1800 & later. |
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Sans-serifs
were designed to be used with caption & not for text.
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Serif
types are more suitable for body text. |
The types of serifs are:
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Bracketed:
traditional, safe, and rather staid. |
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Hairline:
graceful and nearly feminine |
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Wedged:
impression of power |
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Square:
exaggerated bulk that is energetic and forceful. |
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Rounded:
familiarity with strength |
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Calligraphic:
freely styled and informal |
Certain type fonts are so neatly designed which makes content
transparent to the reader. The families of true Garamonds
and Times New Roman falls under this category. These fonts
are ideal for body text, which allows contrast with display
fonts used with headings.
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