Notes
- The eye is focussed to adverts in magazine. This is hierarchy, and the manipulation a graphic designer can have. These adverts annoy but capture attention
- We have discussed altering a word, a sentence and now a paragraph. We were given a piece of text that we needed to fit into a column. I made this fit by justifying the text and by making the point size smaller. This doesn't look very good however. I could have also changed the text by altering the leading.
- In the second, third and fourth boxes I have made each text a smaller point size, and changed the leading. I think the column that looks the best is the third, but in between the second and third would probably look best.
- Fundamental rule: if the type is to be printed, print out a copy to have a look. Put it in context and you will understand what size/leading type works best. We did this and it helped us to make the decision that the second column is the best.
- We also need to know what the text is for, as text for a book will be set out differently to in a magazine. Can it be read when held at arms length? Consider factors like this.
- Talk about type as not just the point size, but the point on leading, as this relationship between the two is important for the layout.
- The computer puts in automatic leading as it does with the kerning. Don't stick to the automatic settings, change things so that the text is easier to read.
- Adding leading increases readability but if you put too much in it makes it worse
- Changing the font will alter how the texts sits, even if the font is the same point size, due to the 'x' height.
- Every font fits differently. Learn the characteristics of a font to rely on - which size and leading works best, etc.
- 10pt type automatic leading is about 12pt, 12pt is about 14pt- there is about a 2pt difference. As it gets
bigger the difference is nearer to 3, as it gets smaller the difference is nearer to 1.
- Be careful not to go into negative leading when editing text.
- Trying to make it as easy as possible to read.
- Looking at what is the ideal column size. We split the page into 12 columns, then placed the text to fill 1 column, then 2, then 3, then 4. I think filling the third column looks best. It looks less intimidating than the fourth column but more reasonable that the others.
- The average word is 5 letters plus one letterspace. The average line contains six words.
- Rule: never less than 6 words, never more than 12.
- Don't want to read the text in a wide column as you think about how long it will take you to read, so it is up to a graphic designer to place this text so that its easy to read.
- Need to consider audience, as this will impact your choices.
- Need to consider audience, as this will impact your choices.
- Text size depends on a font, but if its bigger than 9pt for a book there needs to be a reason
- Split the page into three columns. Fill a column with the given piece of a text. Then copy the text, and change the font. Don't change any other details, and see what the difference in size is. Arial and Baskerville, both 8.4pt text 12pt leading
- Split the page into three columns. Fill a column with the given piece of a text. Then copy the text, and change the font. Don't change any other details, and see what the difference in size is. Arial and Baskerville, both 8.4pt text 12pt leading
- If we want to make someone read something, paragraph line spaces can make it easier to read than taking them out and using the space to enlarge the text, as shown (with and without indents). Never use both indents and paragraph line spaces at the same time. A tab is 1cm.
- Paragraph ending with just three characters on one line with a big indent underneath causes a problem as the gap is too big.
- Indesign: type->paragraph->select all text and click second button down, add indents to the start of all lines. This example shows the automatic indent next to the controlled one, which looks far better.
- However, even with indentation, we would all still rather read text with paragraph line breaks.
- We are now moving on to working with whole pages of text, making sure that we don't go in to negative leading. We then worked with adding an image.
- Example using the full, uncropped image. I've changed font and pt and leading sizes too.
- Now we are trying to get the image as big as we can, without cropping the image or losing any of the text. I've used indents, changed the font, font size and leading. You should start with editing the text first, making sure you have as much space as possible, then the image. Could turn image around or take it out of the margins.
- Next we tried it with three columns, bearing in mind what we picked up on with the last task. There needs to be a geometrical relationship between the elements on the page.
- Tip: white space makes it easier to read as you don't think there is as much on the page.
- Experiment with placing all the text and image how you want it, so that it is easy to read and looks better than the previous examples.
- Justifying the text alters the space between each word space to make all the words on a line even. The problem with justified text is when the columns are thin, there can be huge spaces between the words. Justified text has created shorter column length.
