Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication
27/10/2025 - 3/11/2025 (Week 6 - Week 7)
Cher Pei Ying (0389055)
Typography
Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
2.2 Editorial Layout
3. Feedback
4. Reflections
1. LECTURES
1.1 Typo 5 Understanding
Understanding Letterforms
- Uppercase letterforms are not symmetrical
Figure 1.1.1 Baskerville stroke form Figure 1.1.2 Univers stroke form
- How stems of letterforms finish and how the bowls meet the stems reveals the palpable difference in character (shows complexity of each individual letterform)
Figure 1.1.3 Comparison of lowercase "a" in Helvetica and Univers
- Curved strokes such as letter "s" must rise above the median or sink below the baseline in order to appear to be the same size as the vertical and horizontal stokes they adjoin.
Figure 1.1.4 Lowercase "s" in a word
- Developing sensitivity to the counterform is important
Figure 1.1.5 Counterforms in letters
Figure 1.1.6 Contrast between letterforms
1.2 Typo 6 Screen & Print
Type for Print
- Type was designed intended for reading from print before reading from a screen
- Good typefaces for print: Caslon, Garamond, Baskerville (elegant and intellectual, highly readable when set at small font size)
Type for Screen
- Typefaces intended for use on the web
- Enhanced readability and performance onscreen through optimization and modification:
~ taller x-height
~ reduced ascenders and descenders
~ wider letterforms
~ more open counters
~ heavier thin strokes and serifs
~ reduced stroke contrast
~ modifies curves and angles
- Typefaces designed for screen: Verdana, Georgia
- More open spacing (leading and spacing) are required for typefaces intended for smaller sizes
Hyperactive Link/ hyperlink
- a word, phase or image that you can click on to jump yo a new document or section within the current document
- text hyperlink are normally blue and underlines by default
- cursor will change to a small hand pointing at the link when hovered over a hyperlink
Font size for screen
- 16-pixel text on a screen= 10 points as text printed in a book or magazine (reading distance of few inches away) / 12 points (reading distance at arm's length)
Figure 1.2.1 Font size for Screen vs Print
Web Safe Fonts
- Web safe fonts appear across all operating systems (fonts that overlap from Windows to Mac and to Google):
~ Open Sans
~ Lato
~ Arial
~ Helvetica
~ Times New Roman
~ Times
~ Courier New
~ Courier
~ Verdana
~ Georgia
~ Palatino
~ Garamond
Pixel Differential Between Devices
- Text seen on-screen differs in proportion because they have different sized pixels
- A single device class will have a lot of variation
Figure 1.2.2 Pixel differential between devices
Static Typography
- has minimal characteristic in expressing words
- traditional characteristics (bold/italic) offers only a fraction of the expressive potential of dynamic properties
Motion Typography
- Dramatizes type to become fluid and kinetic
Figure 1.2.3 Static vs Motion
2. INSTRUCTIONS
2.2 Editorial Layout
For this task, we are required to design an editorial layout in Adobe InDesign. There are three articles provided to choose from:
I choose to continue my work on Article 2 and did some sketches for the layouts. I also attempted to sketch out some type expressions of the key words from the headline to choose from too:
Figure 2.2.4 Sketches of Editorial Layout
Figure 2.2.5 Sketches of "Punk's" and "Breaking" from Article 2
#1 First Editorial Layout Attempt
Figure 2.2.6 Sketch of First Editorial Layout Attempt
Figure 2.2.7 Type Expression in Adobe Illustrator
Figure 2.2.8 First Editorial Layout attempt in Adobe InDesign
This is the outcome:
Figure 2.2.9 First Editorial Layout attempt
Figure 2.2.10 Sketch of Second Editorial Layout Attempt
Next I want to attempt creating an editorial layout according to this sketch. I created the type expression in Adobe Illustrator too before using it in Adobe InDesign with the body text.
Figure 2.2.11 Type Expression in Adobe Illustrator
Figure 2.2.12 Second Editorial Layout attempt in Adobe InDesign
This is the outcome:
Figure 2.2.13 Second Editorial Layout attempt
#3 Third Editorial Layout Attempt
Figure 2.2.14 Sketch of Third Editorial Layout Attempt
For this design, I wanted to separate the page into two columns and place the body text in three rows with the headline going left and right to create contrast. This is the process and outcome done:
Figure 2.2.15 Third Editorial Layout attempt in Adobe InDesign
Figure 2.2.16 Third Editorial Layout attempt
After looking through all three designs, I went with the second attempt to be reviewed by the lecturer, and after receiving feedback, some changes had been made.
I turned on margin and columns to set the page column to two, that way I can align the body text correctly and avoid placing the text on the gutter.
Figure 2.2.17 Adjustment to Second Editorial Layout attempt
This if the final outcome:
Figure 2.2.20 Final Outcome of Second Editorial Layout Attempt
Same as the second editorial attempt adjustments, I widen the gap between "A" and "K" for the headline to avoid placing them on the gutter.
Figure 2.2.21 Adjustment to First Editorial Layout attempt
Other than that, the headline was also aligned with the body text.
Figure 2.2.22 Adjustment to First Editorial Layout attempt
Lastly, I adjusted the font size, leading, paragraph spacing and ragging to get an ideal character length for each line.
Figure 2.2.23 Adjustment to First Editorial Layout attempt
This is the final outcome:
Figure 2.2.24 Final Outcome for Editorial Layout
Figure 2.2.25 Final Outcome for Editorial Layout (with grids)
HEAD
- Font/s: Futura Std Extra Bold
- Type Size/s: 28pt
- Leading: 33.6pt
- Paragraph spacing: 33.6pt
BODY
- Font/s: Univers LT Std 45 Light
- Type Size/s: 8 pt
- Leading: 10 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 10 pt
- Characters per-line: 60 characters
- Alignment: Align Left
Page Margins
- 10mm + 10mm + 10mm + 10mm
- Columns: 2
- Gutter: 7mm
3. FEEDBACK
Week 6
General Feedback
If paragraph spacing is too big, it will cause bad composition, therefore paragraph spacing and leading should be the same. The way the paragraph is placed may cause problem in readability as well so we should avoid scattering the paragraph around too much. Other than that, we should avoid creating designs in a diagonal form. The body text should all start at the same level to avoid it looking like it's floating.
Specific Feedback
Complete the task before week 7 for review.
Week 7
General Feedback
Mr.Vinod did not give any general feedback this week.
Specific Feedback
Always turn on columns to align the texts correctly in the page and avoid placing text in the middle of the gutter. Alignment is important when designing an editorial layout, always check for that.
4. REFLECTIONS
Experience
This task is conducted mostly on Adobe InDesign with the assistance of Adobe Illustrator for the headline. I am more familiar with the softwares now and can carry on my task with more ease.
Observations
Everyone's editorial looks very creative and visually attractive compared to my design, I think I need to work more on being creative and use the tools in Adobe more to achieve a better work.
Findings
Editorial Layout is not easy. Sometimes the layout in my head does not look the same with the one I created, and some layouts I tried out does not meet the requirements. For example I wanted to use more columns for my design, in that case the font size has to be smaller, but then it does not reach the minimum 55 characters for each line. Therefore designs that I tend to choose at the end are more simple to adapt to the requirements needed.
5. FURTHER READINGS
Typographic Design Form Communication
Figure 5.2 Page 112 of Typographic Design Form Communication
After reading this page of the book, it is known that typography has evolved into a new form of artistic and expressive communication, it may be viewed and interpreted, heard and interpreted audibly. For example the word “ping pong” uses repeated words and circular letters such as “p” and “o” to represent the sound and motion of a ping pong ball, however the full impact of this word is achieved when it is read aloud because the typographic message is strengthened when we hear sounds while viewing the typographic forms.
During the twentieth century, experimentation in all the visual and performing arts was affected by potent social and philosophical changes, industrial and technological developments, and new attitudes about aesthetics and modern civilization in Europe. Therefore, artists realized that both meaning and form could be intensified in communication through typography. Artists disdained that typography has become “a decorative art form far removed from the realities of the time”.
In summary, typography evolved into a dynamic, expressive art that must be read, seen, heard, felt, and experienced rather than just be looked at.
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