The Spacing and Alignment of Typography

Name: The Spacing and Alignment of Typography
Author: Joseph Tury

Learn about text layout, hierarchy, and common alignments

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hi, this is Joe Tury. In this lesson, you will learn how to create hierarchy in typography. In typography, hierarchy is established by creating an importance for some words while in essence, diminishing the importance of others. This can be achieved in various ways, but in this lesson, we will focus on the basic methods including using size, underlining, positioning, all caps, and color. You want to establish hierarchy so that your viewers will read the content in the order that you would prefer them to read it. In InDesign, create a new document, letter-size, 8.5 inches wide, and a 11 inches tall. First, make a text box at the top and write "COMPANY NAME" in all caps. The first method that we will look at to create order of importance is through size. In this case, we are making the company name largest so it stands out the most. This is probably the most basic way of creating hierarchy. Notice if I make three more titles the same, then none of them stand out, and none of them seem more important than the other. But what if we decrease the size of the other two? By doing so, the eye will naturally read from the largest to the smallest. Create a new text box and start with the word, "administration". And for this, I will be using Adobe Caslon Pro. Let's write some of our officers out. Start with John Smith. John will be the president. Karen Smith as vice president. And then Steve Smith as another vice president. First thing we want to do is give this a little bit of order or hierarchy. I want people to read the word administration first. I'm gonna switch that to a different font. Let's go with Arial Black. And we can make that just a little bit larger. For President Smith, we're gonna bold the title. And go ahead and do that with the other titles. Right away, you can see how this is broken up. We know this is the administration and who the officers are. However, let's make John stand out a little bit more because he is the president. Another way to create hierarchy is with color. By changing John's name to red, you can see how it stands out from the other two, not only in order of importance of being at the top, but because he is in red. It keeps the text consistent, but still makes it stand out in another way. Make another column on the other side. We are going to create an agenda. We don't have to write all of it out, but you will get the idea. The agenda is for October, November, and December, so go ahead and type those out. Notice how these titles compete with the word agenda. We don't really want to do that. We want to break that down, and we can do that by making them the same consistency as the list on the other side. Another way we could add a little bit more to the hierarchy is to underline some things. Go ahead and underline the headings for the columns. As you can see, hierarchy is about organization. You are establishing an organization of the text by making certain texts stand out from the rest. What if we want this column to stand out a little bit more from this column? Another way to establish hierarchy in typography is with all cap letters. Just by capitalizing, this column stands out more than the one on the other side. Use these basic methods as you continue to expand upon your typography skills. In the next lesson, you will learn about using a grid system to help with your layouts. Thanks for watching.

Beginner Provider : Joseph Tury 5 Lessons · 32m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

As your typography skills increase and layouts become more complex, you will begin to realize that font variances will create their own unique issues regarding space constraints, recognition, too much open space, natural flow, and composition alignment. The dimensions of a layout can inhibit or enhance certain font designs and you must have the knowledge to deal with this so that your messages will look pleasing to the audience and to your client.

In this module, you will learn about the different spatial challenges that can occur when working with type layouts, how to develop hierarchy within your messages, and what the common text alignments are and when to use them. You will also learn how to use a grid system to help you design layouts. Whether dealing with body text or large headlines, this module will help you navigate spatial issues and give you the knowledge to create visually pleasing message compositions.

What You'll Learn

Recognize spatial anomalies that arise when working with type layouts
Identify problematic letterforms and apply methods to compensate for design flaws
Develop hierarchy to create an order of importance with letterform styles
Apply kerning, tracking, leading, and line spacing to manage type spacing
Choose common text alignments and know when to use each
Use a grid system to design and structure layouts

Key Takeaways

Font variances create unique issues around space constraints, recognition, open space, natural flow, and composition alignment.
The dimensions of a layout can inhibit or enhance certain font designs, so designers need the knowledge to address this.
Developing hierarchy helps establish an order of importance within a message.
A grid system helps designers structure and lay out their compositions.
These spacing and alignment principles apply to both body text and large headlines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this module cover?

It covers the spatial challenges that can occur when working with type layouts, how to develop hierarchy within messages, the common text alignments and when to use them, and how to use a grid system to design layouts. Lessons include Kerning and Tracking, Leading and Line Spacing, Type Alignment, Hierarchy, and Using a Grid Layout.

What will I be able to do after completing this module?

You will be able to recognize spatial anomalies, identify problematic letterforms and methods to compensate for design flaws, and understand how to create an order of importance with letterform styles.

Who is this module for?

It is intended for those building typography skills who are working with increasingly complex layouts and need to navigate spatial issues to create visually pleasing message compositions for an audience and client.

What skills does this module help build?

It helps build skills in Document Layout Analysis, Grid Layout, Project Layout, Spatial Design, Type Design, and Typography.

Does this module apply to both body text and headlines?

Yes. Whether dealing with body text or large headlines, the module helps you navigate spatial issues and create visually pleasing compositions.