184. THE NON-DESIGNER'S TYPE BOOK

Is the purpose of the piece
rather sedate, or can the text
be a little playful?

Sometimes even when there is a fair amount of text, as in a brochure, you
don't want or really need an invisible typeface. There are many typefaces
that are certainly readable enough for short text, but also distinctive
enough to create a look that emphasizes your message. Realize you are
making a choice between ideal readability and an impression, and get as
playful as you like as long as you can justify your choice.

A casual look versus a serious look

О I'm sure you already have a sense of which typefaces appear more casual and
informal than others, but noticing exactly what hinds of features create that
look gives you more strength behind your choices.

Ѳ Са$ма1 faces tend to be more distinctive; their features often
have quirks. Hounded, soft edges make it more comfortable;
Serifs that curve or branch off at odd angles give it a
friendly twitch. face$ that resemble handlettering or hand-
■writing of course have a casual feel. These quirky or
Softened features are comparable to wearing red cowboy
boots or sneakers —they create a distinctly casual
impression no matter what the words themselves say.

Ѳ The typefaces with a more professional, or serious and stable look are
the "invisible" faces I mentioned in the readability chapter, the ones that
simply communicate clearly with no quirks. These are the gray suits of
typography, the bastions of respectability, the guys in the mold.

So which of the three paragraphs above is the gray suit,
which is the evening gown, and which is the t-shirt?

Typefaces are Bernhard Modern, Improv, and Caslon Regular.

CHOOSING A TYPEFACE

Is the project to be skimmed
or really read?

In a job like a catalog or parts list where the reader will primarily be skim¬
ming headlines to find the text they want to read, keep in mind that sans
serif faces are more legible, meaning the separate character forms are more
easily distinguished at a quick glance (as long as they are not set in all
caps!). You are also more likely to find condensed versions of sans serif
faces, which are often necessary in the kind of piece where you're trying to
get a lot of information onto the pages. And a sans serif will hold up well
under the often less-than-ideal printing conditions of many catalogs or
parts lists.

If the sans serif catalog headlines are meant to lead readers into paragraphs
of text, consider using a serif face for the paragraphs, both for maximum
readability and for visual contrast.

HEADS

Storage for the mind.
Available in many sizes
and preferences.

SHOULDERS
Come in broad, narrow,
strong enough to carry
the worries of the world.

KNEES

Choose from knobby,

knock, bad, or weak.

TOES

Order ten at a time for

the most comfortable fit.

EYES

Wide range of colors.
Can choose an attitude
to go along with.

EARS

Everything from small

and sweet to large and

winglike.

WAISTLINES

Whatever you order,
take care of it as they
tend to disappear as
you get older.

Heads

Storage for the mind.
Available in many sizes
and preferences.

Shoulders

Come in narrow, broad,
strong enough to carry
the worries of the world.

Knees

Choose from knobby,
knock, bad, or weak.

Toes

Order ten at a time for
the most comfortable fit.

Eyes

Wide range of colors.
Can choose an attitude
to go along with.

Ears

Everything from small
and sweet to large and
winglike.

Waistlines

Whatever you order,
take care of it as they
tend to disappear as
yon get older.

So what is making the
second list easier to
read, and making the
heads easier to scan?

* Upper- and lower¬
case instead of all
caps.

V Extra space above
each head.

* Contrast with the
body copy.

* Sans serif for heads
(Formata Bold),
serif for body copy
(Garamond Light).