A foundation course in typography

Tag: alignment

Class 8 – How Text and Paragraphs are Affected by Different Alignments

We took a look at the various formats of text alignments and how text is affected. Here are some the things we noticed:

  • flush left/ragged right – when using this text alignment, we are given a bit of breathing room, or negative space. This makes the page seem less crowded with text and allows places for the eyes to rest. In our culture, we read from left to right, and setting type flush left gives the reader an exact starting place on each line. The reader isn’t slowed down by trying to find the starting place for the next time.
  • flush right/ragged left – when using this text alignment, the reader is slowed down because the eye has to find the starting point of each line. Have the left margin set as ragged means each line will begin at a different location. It is ok to use this very small amounts of type such as for captions, but you wouldn’t use this for large bodies of type.
  • center alignment – not a good choice for large bodies of text. Again, each line of text has a different starting place and this slows down the reading. Poetry and songs often use this alignment.
  • justified alignment – both sides of the type are justified and line up evenly. Because of this, type is pushed out which can cause excess word spacing, which can cause rivers. In order to fix the word and letter spacing problems, each line may need tracking. Another problem that may arise might be too many hyphenated words. InDesign will try to fit as many words on each line as possible but so justified text can also fit more text on a page.

 

Homework – Due Wed, 10/5

  • Type Book – Type Alignment exercise. You can download the pages of instructions here.
  • Type Book – Type Alignment 2. This packet contains the rest of the exercises for alignment, leading, tracking and kerning. Download that file here. Both assignments are due Wednesday, 10/5.  Write the directions for each exercise very carefully.

Class 5 – The Grid System and Why We Use It

Here’s a brief recap from  Wednesday’s class. One of the main things we covered was how to work with the grid system.

A grid is a non-printing system of horizontal and vertical lines which help the designer align the elements of the layout. This system of alignment helps to create a more organized layout. In multiple page documents, the grid assists in the consistent placement of design elements. Think of the grid as the skeleton of the layout.

Vocabulary used:

  • text page – the area on a page, within the margins, where text appears.
  • margin – the area of the page around the text area.
  • folios – the page number. In most instances this is at the bottom of the page below or outside the text area.
  • header – the area at the top of the page, outside the text area. A running header is a header that is repeated across many pages
  • footer – the area at the bottom of the page, outside the text area. A running footer is a footer that is repeated across many pages.
  • gutter – the gutter separates the columns and rows from each other. It is also the area where two facing pages meet.
  • active corner – the upper left corner of any field in a grid system. This is where the top of the text is aligned.
  • passive corner – the bottom right corner of any field in a grid.

Review pages 177-221 of our textbook for full details.

In InDesign we learned to set up columns for a grid, how to use a template, and how to save a file as a PDF. We did this as we were introduced to the Type Book project.

Homework Due Monday, 9/19

Class 4 – Introduction to Adobe InDesign CC

During class we reviewed letterspacing/tracking and kerning. We also began to explore the working environment of Adobe InDesign.

Areas covered:

  • Creating a new document
  • The InDesign workspace
  • Working with text boxes, fonts, point sizes, leading alignment
  • Leading, measurements, kerning

We also discussed increments of measurements:

  • type is measured in points (pts)
  • 12 pts = 1 pica
  • 6 picas = 1 inch
  • 72 pts = 1 inch

 

If you missed the class, or need a review, here is a video that might help you with getting started in InDesign. It is a bit long but pretty thorough in helping your get started:

 

Others Videos Viewed in Class:

Homework — Due Wed, 9/14/16

  • Reading Assignment in textbook: Grid System pgs 177 -221 (be prepared to answer one quiz question on this topic)
  • Spend a some time reviewing the articles posted by your classmates and leave comments.
  • Watch the video: Typography & Design – How Typography Impacts Design below, and be ready to discuss during class.