Book jacket typography

There are many forms of type involved in a book, but the most creative kind is on the jacket. Louise Fili was art director at Pantheon Books for 11 years starting in the late 1970s during which time she designed hundreds of book jackets. (See the Web site for Pantheon Books here.) One interesting thing about Fili is that she believes there is only one typeface that is right for every jacket. She has used faces from the early part of the 20th century and come up with creative uses for them. She is also a collector of antique faces, many of which she found at European flea markets and used book shops (Aldrich-Ruenzel 72). She finds much of her inspiration from European poster design of the 1930s and early ‘40s.

Fili was interested in calligraphy since she was very young. She eventually became a designer and then an art director. When she’s designing the cover for a fiction book, she’ll usually read the whole thing and for non-fiction, she’ll usually read a synopsis and first couple chapters. She does this to get an idea about the message and tone of the book. “I don’t want to use a typeface that anybody can use. I feel I have to go a step further to make it unique and, of course, appropriate to the subject matter, which is also something that is very important to me” (Aldrich-Ruenzel 73).

In her super old typefaces in her collection, sometimes the whole alphabet does not exist or there are letters missing. In those cases, she has someone hand draw the rest of the letters. She emphasizes good communication with illustrators, designers, and letterers in order to have a successful project. “With art direction, it’s a communication game and there is always something that gets lost along the way” (Aldrich-Ruenzel 74).

Image source: Aldrich-Ruenzel, Nancy, and John Fennell. Designer's Guide to Typography. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1991.

Magazine typography

"Good magazines use lots of type--to tell their stories, to create attractive pages, to aid the reading process--and to help sell more copies" ("Fonts" 30).

In magazine design, much like in newspaper design, there is a style guide, or a stylebook. It is this that addresses all typographic elements of the magazine including text, captions, pull quotes, headlines, bylines, and so forth. In Graphic Communications Today by William Ryan and Theodore Conover, it states, “the physical appearance of the magazine should reflect the editorial content and appeal to the audience for which it is intended” (482). This is a good summary of the function of magazines and how typography, as part of the visual makeup, plays a part in the message.

There are two types of situations regarding typographic headers. One is that there is a consistent family used throughout the magazine for all headlines and titles, and the other is to vary the typography depending on the feeling, attitude or image the designer wishes to convey. Time, U.S. News and World Report, Esquire, and Sports Illustrated have set type for which they use for headers. Rolling Stone, Seventeen and National Geographic vary their feature heads to accommodate preference.

“A magazine’s success is closely tied to the ability of its producers to isolate the target audience and create a product that will appeal to that audience. Thoughtful, appropriate design can help ensure that goal” (Ryan and Conover 482-3). A sports magazine should be hard-hitting with bright colors and action shots, while a business magazine should be more subdued and professional looking. Typography on the cover and inside pages plays a major role in creating the visual feeling of a particular magazine.

Advertising typography

"One of the first things graphic designers learn is the power of type. They are taught how to use type to attract a reader's attention, present information in a pleasing and effective manner, help the reader understand information, and to rank data in order of significance. Graphic designers take advantage of large typeface libraries to help them do their job" ("Fonts" 30).

Ad veteran Gene Federico is one of the most successful art directors for advertising. He says that’s it’s important to try something unexpected when dealing with typography in an ad. However, the type shouldn’t be overemphasized or isolated as to break from the message. When designing an ad, he wants to create a visual identity for his clients, and integrating typography is one way to do that.

Two important elements of typography in an ad are rhythm of the line breaks and “sound tones” of a typeface. The line breaks of type help aid the understanding of the message. Many times designers will break lines just for the visual aspect but this is dangerous in terms of comprehension of the idea. “I read the copy until I learn where to break the line properly,” Federico says. “If I find it doesn’t work well visually, maybe I will go to another type that is more condensed” (Aldrich-Ruenzel 58). The “sound tones” refer to the personality a typeface conveys. You want to choose a typeface that fits the meaning and tone of the message. He says that one of his favorite faces, Bodoni, can be elegant or strong, depending on the size.

Just as line breaks are important to comprehension, so is placement of type. Federico thinks that the use of stacking type and centering it can actually hamper readability. He believes that one's eye would get tired of reading centered type a few lines down. Newspapers are flush left for a reason: because it’s easier to read that way. In terms of using a computer, he thinks that it is a helpful tool, but it won’t help visually communicate a message—a designer has to do that.

More newspaper typography

A basic design decision for a newspaper is whether the paper should be tabloid or broadsheet. The broadsheet usually has a six-column format but five-columns are popular too. Many major newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Oregonian are all broadsheet. Tabloids are half the size of broadsheets and are usually divided into five or four columns. A tabloid is closer in size to a magazine and has elements of magazine design, such as huge photos and headlines. Some examples of tabloid newspapers include the Philadelphia Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Rocky Mountain News.

The most important part of the paper is the top half of the front page, which is above the fold. That is the part that is seen in newspaper boxes and many times is the deciding factor as to whether or not a person will buy the paper. The designer has to deal with multiple design elements: the flag, which is the name of the paper, the headlines, the art (photos, graphics, illustrations) and the text. Consistency of typographic elements like captions, decks, and headlines, is very important to the overall design of the newspaper. Many newspapers set up a certain style guide for the newspaper designer to follow. This would include the sizes and styles of headlines spanning various numbers of columns. For instance, a headline spanning three columns may run two lines deep and be set in 36 point, depending on where it is on the page. Less important stories will be shorter and have smaller typefaces. A basic rule is to stay away from having “butting heads,” when two headlines run into each other. Some piece of art should separate headlines on the same horizontal line (Labuz 107). The designer should also be aware of the poor print quality of newspapers. Halftones should be 85-dot screens, and illustrations should have bold lines.

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.

Click here for a blog about newspaper design.

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

Corporate identity

The principles of typography in corporate graphics and signage are consistent with other uses in graphic design. Logotypes may be composed of type, or from altered or newly drawn letterforms. Logotypes are marks which consist of pronounceable words, such as "Coca Cola," "Ford," or "Exxon." "They make excellent identity devices because they are related to visual and phonic codes with which we are familiar, unlike abstract symbols" (Berryman 16). It's important to note how the logotype sounds and how the letters relate to one another. One challenge is to maintain a balance between visual creativity and legibility. Logotypes that are highly unique may be difficult to read and therefore lose value, as do very clear and boring logotypes with no visual appeal.

Alan Peckolick, a New York-based designer, believes that abstract symbols are overused in corporate identity and that it’s time to go with type and image. He believes the all-type Coca Cola logo is the most effective because it’s so easily recognizable. “The graphics and the type that I put into a logo should help solidify the message both on an intellectual and an emotional level,” says Peckolick (Aldrich-Ruenzel 46). He wants people to be able to relate to corporate identities. Peckolick likes to either create an original letterform, or change an existing one. He thinks this gives attitude and flavor, not to mention a personal touch.

For one logo Peckolick created for a soft drink bottle, he drew inspiration from neon signs of 1950s diners. The labels on the soft drink bottles are die cut aluminum, which reflects that signage. He drew the letters by hand and the different colors of the background circle reflect different flavors. Another logo he created that’s used by New York University is based on Times Roman. The letters are tightly kerned, which makes it a symbol rather than a word. The letters are all small caps, with the first letter of New, York, and University being upper caps. He chose this style because it creates a beautiful shape (Aldrich-Ruenzel 47).



Image source 1: http://www.toponesrl.com/coca_cola/coca_cola_med.jpg
Image source 2: Aldrich-Ruenzel, Nancy, and John Fennell. Designer's Guide to Typography. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1991.

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.