The Rules of Typography in Web Design

Typography is usually one of the unattended elements in web design. It can break or make a website and with the popularity of CSS and HTML, typography has become more important. In this article we discuss The Rules of Typography in Web Design.

Web designer experts believe that good typography makes a good website. It not only creates readable content but also produces visual hierarchy. So, what is typography?

On websites, sans serif fonts are generally used, as they are more legible. Typography is not an art of creating decorative fonts but is a science that develops and aligns reader friendly fonts.

Here we wanted to leave some basic advice on the use of typography in web design that web designers find very obvious. We can assure you that everyone will find it very helpful.

Table of Contents

Techniques in Typography

Using White Space Effectively

White space need not necessarily be a white colored space but it is the empty space between the elements of the webpage. It can be the space between the letters, sentences, or text and graphics.

If white spaces are properly managed on the website, then it will increase the readability of the content and make the navigation easier.

Another important point when applying typography is to leave a line spacing that facilitates the reading of the contents.

This is vital, since if we leave little space between lines we will provoke a sensation of great density of text and also we will make the reading more complicated to the users. Obviously, it is not convenient to overdo it.

Using the Right Font Type

The choice of the font type is based upon its screen readability rather than its style. A readable font is one that is tall, has wide glyphs, and free from styles and curves.

It is also recommended not to use too many typefaces. You can use two different typefaces but don’t go beyond three.

Font type also affects readability of the text; as difficult fonts will require much effort in reading. Serif fonts can also work well on the web if your font size is above 12. For 12 and below use Sans serif font.

Moreover, nobody can use ten typographies on the same page because they are very distracting. If we want the importance of the web in content, it is counterproductive.

This doesn’t mean that there are people who can get a fantastic website with a multitude of typographies, but it is something really complicated to achieve without making the staff dizzy.

It is advisable to stick to no more than three typographies per page.

Creating Hierarchy

To grab the attention of the reader, the designer must highlight those points. You can do so by increasing the size and adding weight to the font. This will create a hierarchy of fonts.

The bigger the font, the greater the importance it has. To understand it clearly, consider an example of a blog where the title is written in a much larger font as compared to the rest of the content.

Using the Right Color Contrast

The choice of font color is an important factor in typography as it affects the readability of the text. A good color contrast may not result in readable content.

For example, pink and blue contrast well but if used in typography they usually don’t result in a readable text but a black and white color compliment well and are readable too.

So, a designer chooses font color while keeping the color scheme in mind to create an enjoyable experience.

Do not Exceed the Use of Centered Texts

To begin with, it is not comfortable for the user to read centered text at all. There is a simple reason – each line usually starts at a different height and that makes it more complicated to follow the thread of what is read.

Not to mention that it is much more complicated to play with the rest of the objects on the web. Finally, when you find a website where most of the texts are centered, the feeling is that it is unprofessional.

Use the centered texts in a moderate way and you will get it right.

Do not Make the Text too Small

We always believe that everyone acts, feels and sees as we do when carrying out the design of a website and that is not the case.

You have to know that not all of us have the same taste or see equally well.

That’s why we must always establish a minimum size for the typography so that people can read the contents without leaving their sight. A size of 14 points can be quite acceptable.

Benefits of Typography

Implementing these techniques will not only make the webpage readable but will also offer the following benefits:

Increases Readability of Your Web Page

A well typographic website will create a great user experience, as the reader will be able to sift through the text easily. Clear and well-aligned fonts will result in readable text.

Increases the Appeal of the Page

A proper typographic text will increase the appeal of the webpage. Designers try their utmost to design a layout of text that makes the webpage attractive.

Attractive is not only related to adorned text but visually appealing.

Highlight the Focus Points

Every designer knows that readers usually scan the content on the web. A web reader always scans the text in “Z” or “F” patterns so most important things are written on the lines.

So, designers who keep the typographic rules in mind highlight those certain points by changing either the color or the size of the font.

Affects the Mood

Typography elevates the mood of the reader. An easily readable text makes the reader happy and he may spend more time on your website than intended.

We hope you have enjoyed this article about The Rules of Typography in Web Design, and we hope it has helped you to understand it ands importance.

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Author Bio
Linda S. Davis, a web developer and designer. She likes writing informative essays. In this case, she has her own pages on some outsourcing websites. It gives her an opportunity to share her knowledge with others.