A foundation course in typography with emphasis on using type for a multiple of industry related applications

Author: Prof. Mary Brown (Page 2 of 2)

Class 4 — Controlling Space, Leading, Tracking and Kerning

We covered three main topics during our last class that deal with spacing—tracking, kerning and leading. It is important to understand the difference between tracking and kerning.

  • Tracking deals with the adjustment of letter-space which will affect entire lines or blocks of text. By adding tracking, the letter-spacing, which is the amount of space between the characters, will be increased or decreased. The goal is to have consistently even space between all the characters
  • Kerning is often confused with tracking but kerning deals with the letter-space adjustments between a specific pair of letters. You only have to be concerned about kerning display or headline text. Certain letter pairs don’t fit well together, so the designer’s goal is to adjust the space so that letter-spacing looks consistent.
  • Leading is the amount of space between lines of text. It is measured from baseline to baseline. It is important that line-spacing is not too tight or too far apart.
  • All three of these—tracking, kerning, and leading—are important to the overall look and to make reading easier.

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Class 3 —Variation in Type

During our third class, we not only covered The History of Typography and the Five Families of Type, but  we also reviewed Typographical Anatomy.

  • If you missed the lecture on the Variation in Type and the Five Families of Typography, you can download the slides Variation in Type.
  • We learned the parts of type of similar to our body parts. Download the Type Anatomy sheet and keep it handy to help you identify the different parts of letters.
  • We watched several videos in class:

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Classes 1 and 2 — Introduction to Typography & InDesign

So, we’ve made it through the first week. Hopefully everyone is feeling a bit more relaxed and you’ve made some new friends.

Here is a recap of some of the topics that we covered the first week of class. Hopefully this will be helpful if you need to review.

  • On Tues, Aug 28th we reviewed the syllabus, and if you need another copy, it can be downloaded COMD1127SyllabusFA18
  • At this point, of course, everyone should have access to their City Tech email. This will be the way that I will communicate with you. Please check it at least every few days so you don’t miss any important information. Usually when I make a new post, you get an email notification.
  • We viewed a few videos on the history of typography:

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Neighborhood Typography – Type Journal

Type Journal

Take 20-30 pictures of typography in your neighborhood, write a 1-page paper on what that typography tells you about your neighborhood, print it and add to your type journal. Use double-spacing and set 1″ margins on all four sides. Be mindful of grammar and spelling. You can do this in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Embed your photos in the document.

Due Date: Thursday,  Aug 30, 2018

Contact Information

The easiest way for me to collect everyone’s contact information is for you to fill it in yourself. Please take a moment to fill out this form today. If I don’t have your email address, you will miss out on important notifications from me, and it is important that you regularly check your City Tech email.

Welcome to Type & Media

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Fall semester of Type & Media,  COMD1127, section D139. This is your class website and part of your required reading. Here you will find loads of resources to help you get through the course. As often as I find interesting materials that will supplement and enhance your learning, I will update this site with them.  Sometimes you will find a recap from the day’s lesson. If I find no one is utilizing the info, I will stop posting it here. Therefore, you should plan to check in here before and after each class—especially to get updates to class and homework assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with the information that is posted, and your participation on this site will contribute to it’s usefulness and help to enhance it. So, remember to post and comment when assigned to do so, and as often as possible to keep the discussion going. You contribution can make a big difference. There is no required textbook for this class.

Let’s get started! In the comments below, share a few of the things you hope to learn in this class.

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