Graphic design is a discipline that covers a lot. Before creating a product such as a logo, many elements must be taken into account and worked on, such as the idea, colour, typography, position, distances or composition, and ensure that they all combine harmoniously. We can compare this work to that of a symphony in which a bad note can ruin an entire presentation.
However, typography and font sale plays a very important role that goes beyond not clashing with the other elements, since the font itself can communicate ideas such as prestige, emotions or joy, in addition to functioning as a sign of identity. Let’s not forget that just as there is corporate colour, we also work with corporate typography.
Table of Contents
TYPOGRAPHY
But what is typography? We can say that it is the one that is in charge of the visual materialization of verbal language, that is, of writing.
It is the art of playing with the graphic elements of the written text: using the spaces and defining the shape of the letters according to a specific objective that can range from optimizing the readability of the text to adapting it to express a concept such as elegance.
So that you have a clearer idea, we are going to say simply that they are the fonts of the menus of the word processing, design or video programs. This means that all the typographic possibilities that you choose from daily in Word, for example, are not there by magic, but each one has been thought, drawn and materialized by someone with some purpose.
FORM AND MEANING
These concepts are essential to understand the territory in which typography moves. When we speak of form, we refer to the tangible, to what we see, that is, the line, the geometry, the style and the axis of inclination of the letters. The meaning for its part is something mental, it is the concept, idea or emotion that the form transmits to us, it is the message of the typography.
From then on, typography takes on a new meaning, as we can understand that they are not just random strokes, but that each one with its characteristic features shares a story with us, provokes emotions and conveys a specific and determined message.
Let’s see how this applies to some of the major font families.
SERIF
Serif fonts are characterized by having small strokes that extend to the ends of the letters, expressing a classic and traditional sense.
WITHOUT SERIF
Unlike the Serif, these do not have lines that protrude from their ends, but clean and precise cuts, they are better legible and are related to modernity and elegance.
HANDWRITING
Depending on the context in which it is used, it can express fun or modernity, however, they are not very legible in long texts, so care must be taken in their use.
TYPOGRAPHY IN GRAPHIC DESIGN
Once we have broadly understood how typography works and what some of the typographic families express, it is necessary to reflect on the possibilities and considerations of its use in graphic design.
The key words here are harmony and coherence: harmony at the level of the form in relation to the other elements and coherence with the meaning, since the typography expresses specific ideas or concepts and these must be in sync with the concepts that the other elements such as the color transmit.
In other words, the typography has to be an element that blends harmoniously with color, space, distance and the isotype so that it is visually pleasing. But it must also be coherent with the ideas that you want to convey. If the logo is for a company that intends to emphasize its sophistication, then all the elements must be consistent with that idea, since perhaps alone they do not have enough expressive force, but together they clearly transmit the message.
VIsit more Article : forbesblog.org
