Industies that use type

Books: Book design is the oldest form of typography, and it continues to be a strong force in the typographic world. Ten billion dollars are spent on book publishing annually. In the book, there is typography involved with the jacket, the inside text, and the illustrations and graphics. The type on the jacket of the book establishes the mood. This is usually the most creative part of the book and this typography should reflect the message and content of the inside pages. The body text is usually chosen to be most legible, which is usually a serif face like Times Roman. Type accompanying illustrative material should allow people to understand it immediately--nothing too ornate or decorative. “Book typography, then, must be emotive, legible, and informative as the situation demands” (Labuz 11). Books can use traditional or revolutionary typography.

Newspapers: Newspaper designers lay out the page and use various typefaces for headlines, subheads, summary decks, cutlines, and body text. The newspaper designer is responsible for the overall appearance of the paper. Where should the photos go and how big should they be? How thick will the rules be? What should be bold? What should be sans serif? There are certainly limitations on creativity, though. Type sizes, typefaces, and other considerations are usually predetermined by a certain style guide. Newspaper designers should also be aware of the poor print quality of the news page so very small photos and graphics end up being lost.

Magazines: The typography of magazines is similar to that of newspapers, only magazine designers are allowed more creative freedom. Body text is usually consistent, but the headlines can be much more elaborate and decorative than newspaper headlines. Another typographic element in magazines is the banner on the cover. It’s important to make this big and easily identifiable. A publication that has a recognizable banner is Time magazine. It’s so commonly known that many times a photo or illustration covers part of the banner but people still are able to tell what magazine it is.

Advertising: Typography in ads is used to sell. An important job of an advertisement is to be able to catch someone’s attention. This is why display type is so important. There can be great visuals in an ad, but it doesn’t work unless there’s type. The decision as to what type to use and how to style it is of utmost importance. “Novelty and creativity are the bywords of the advertising typographer” (Labuz 14).

Click here for a slide show about how typography is used in these industries.