Newspaper typography

"A few well-chosen typefaces can breath new life into a paper; and, in the process, help create informative and inviting pages" ("Fonts" 30).


There are many choices available to the newspaper designer regarding typography. I will discuss five sections of typography in newspapers: text, headlines, standard type, info graphics and nameplates.

Text: The majority of all body text in newspapers is serif type, with most papers using one of four or five basic faces. Research has shown that it takes slightly longer to read sans serif type, and serif type is more visually pleasing to the eye as it has a horizontal flow. A heavy typeface should be used in order to contrast the black text with the gray paper. Hairline elements of a typeface should be avoided because the print quality of newspapers is low and parts of letters could disappear if they’re too faint. The face should be a bit narrower than regular type in order to save space.

Headlines: Headline type is the most dominant typographic element on the page. Headlines should be chosen to reflect the overall personality of the paper. Both serif and sans serif type are used for headlines. However, serif faces are seen to be more expressive and less impersonal (Aldrich-Ruenzel 79). “For the best legibility, headlines should have a tight leading to correspond to correct word-and letterspacing” (Aldrich-Ruenzel 80). There should be a little white space on either side of a headline in order to give the page some breathing room.

Standard: Standard typography is used to announce regular features or daily columns. It aids readers by showing them where certain stories are as they glance through the paper. A good choice for standard typography would be a sans serif face to contrast with serif text. Sometimes standard typography is set apart with a different style (bold, italic, caps) or in reverse type (white letters on a dark background).

Info graphics: The point of a graphic is to quickly help the reader understand something in as few words as possible. Many times there is unnecessary type added onto info graphics. Often all that is needed is a headline and a short summary, and this is usually done in a sans serif typeface. When a lot of text is necessary, it’s a good idea to break it up into manageable modules.

Nameplate: Most newspapers are identified by their nameplates. When people look at a newspaper, the first thing they see is the nameplate. First used in England and then in America, the most popular nameplate is in Old English style. Many newspapers today still have this style. Examples of newspapers that use this style include The Register-Guard, The Oregonian, and The New York Times.

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Image source: http://www.newseum.com/todaysfrontpages/default.asp