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We’ll need to be on the same page when talking about web typography. The terms covered here will help us define what we’re talking about down the road.
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Now that we understand what typography is,
0:00
let's talk about some of the terms used to
describe its different elements.
0:02
This will include typefaces, parts of
letter forms layouts, and more.
0:06
Instead of ambiguously trying to describe
something like that low swoopy part of
0:11
the lowercase y, these terms will make it
much easier to
0:15
know what we're talking about as we dive
into web typography.
0:18
As mentioned in the previous video,
typography revolves around working with
0:22
premade letter systems like typefaces to
layout and arrange content.
0:26
So first, let's look at what a typeface is
and the elements that define and shape it.
0:31
The terms typeface and font are sometimes
used interchangeably today, but
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they are in fact, distinctly different.
0:40
A typeface is the design of a collection
of characters.
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So the term should be used when talking
about the look of those letters,
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numbers and symbols.
0:50
For example, I dig Futura.
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It's such a good looking typeface.
0:54
This is called a font family in CSS
because a typeface comprises
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multiple fonts.
0:59
A font is a single instance or embodiment
of a specific weight, width or
1:01
style of a typeface.
1:06
For example, the computer file for
1:08
Helvetica Bold Italic would be a font,
whereas Helvetica would be the typeface.
1:10
Historically, this term carried another
level which dealt with its
1:15
point size because fonts were cast metal
pieces at a certain size, so
1:19
Helvetica Bold ten point would be an
example of a font.
1:23
Today, we have the ability to change sizes
without changing fonts on a computer.
1:27
Now that we've got a grasp on that,
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let's look at the numerous elements that
shape a typeface.
1:35
First, we have the cap height.
1:38
This is simply the height of the capital
letters.
1:40
Next is the baseline which is pertinent to
both uppercase and
1:43
lowercase letters, as it's the guideline
for which the majority of characters rest.
1:46
The height of the lowercase letter set is
determined by the lowercase x, so
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this is labeled as the x-height.
1:56
The x-height varies across typefaces and
can greatly affect legibility.
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Let's look at that.
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A high x-height means the lowercase is
larger in relation to the uppercase,
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whereas a low x-height means the opposite,
it's smaller.
2:08
When smaller font sizes come into play, a
typeface with a high x-height can help
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retain legibility, because the lowercase
is larger in relation to the uppercase.
2:16
Let's say you have two different
typefaces, and
2:21
both are set at 12 point size.
2:24
One could be easier to read than the other
due to a higher x-height.
2:26
You'll also notice there are certain areas
where some lowercase letters descend below
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the baseline and others ascend above the
x-height.
2:35
These are called descenders and ascenders,
respectively.
2:40
The p here has a descender, and the b has
an ascender.
2:44
You might be wondering,
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how low can descenders go or how high can
ascenders climb?
2:49
Well that also varies across typefaces.
2:54
In some typefaces, ascenders climb above
the cap height, in others they sit below.
2:57
And in some cases cap height and ascenders
are aligned.
3:02
This last case though, can affect
readability and letter recognition.
3:05
For instance, let's say you're using
Helvetica where the cap height and
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ascender height are similar.
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You're writing out a headline which
includes the word, ill.
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The uppercase I and those two ls are hard
to tell apart.
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Some might read it as ill, but
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others might read it as the Roman numeral
for three.
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This would be even harder to decipher if
the letters appeared mixed up in
3:27
a coupon code where uppercase, lowercase
and numbers are present.
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I'm not saying don't use Helvetica or
typefaces with a similar cap height and
3:35
ascender height.
3:39
I'm saying pay close attention to your
ascenders and
3:40
descenders, and know what's at stake.
3:42
Let's move on to the next term.
3:44
The typeface we are looking at has Serifs
on it.
3:46
Serifs are projections that finish off the
main strokes of a letter.
3:49
They can some times aid legibility and
letter recognition.
3:53
For example, the problem we just
encountered with the I, l, l would
3:56
not happen here because the serifs are
distinctly different on those two letters.
4:00
Other typefaces forego serifs on their
letter forms.
4:04
These are called Sans Serif typefaces,
sans meaning without.
4:08
Next, let's talk about contrast.
4:12
Contrast can relate to a few different
things in typography.
4:14
The first deals with the actual letter
forms in a typeface.
4:18
A typeface with high contrast would have
thick vertical strokes and
4:21
thin horizontal strokes.
4:25
A typeface with low contrast would appear
as if the horizontals and
4:27
verticals are the same stroke size.
4:31
Contrast can also refer to the actual
text, and how it relates to the page.
4:34
Pure black text on a pure white page
creates high contrast,
4:38
whereas a light grey on a medium grey
creates low contrast.
4:42
We'll later look at when creating high or
low contrast is appropriate.
4:47
Lastly, let's discuss color.
4:51
Like contrast, color can mean a few
different things in typography.
4:54
The first is the simplest, and probably
what comes to your mind.
4:57
It's the actual color of words or elements
like red, blue, yellow et cetera.
5:02
We can create page contrast with changes
in color.
5:06
The second meaning refers to the overall
density of ink or text on a page.
5:10
If we want, we can utilize different
weights of typefaces at different sizes to
5:15
create even color on a page.
5:19
We can have lighter weights at larger
sizes and
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regular weights at smaller sizes.
5:24
Or we can create uneven color by setting
our headings to
5:27
be bolder weights while keeping the
paragraphs the same.
5:30
These heavy areas of color can add
emphasis as needed.
5:34
When we use this term, we'll distinguish
its context to avoid confusion.
5:38
There are many other terms used to
describe different parts of
5:42
letter forms and typography.
5:45
We'll get into them more in future
sessions as we arrive at that stage.
5:47
If you're hungry for more now, you can
also check out the teacher's note
5:52
section which includes links to a couple
glossaries.
5:55
With what we know now from this video,
5:58
we'll be able to better understand the
different types of type in our next video.
6:00
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