Making copy look good on paper (or screen) requires a good working knowledge
of which typefaces are suitable for certain items. As touched on in my Typography
Basics series, setting body copy in a decorative typeface is a big no-no.
Personally, I don’t like seeing any type running across a two page spread,
effectively bridging the gutter, but there are exceptions where this may be
fine.
The best way to make your type setting shine is to give attention to the details.
Small details might go unnoticed to the average eye, so when something looks
out of place to the untrained eye they might not be able to pinpoint what’s
bothering them visually. Those visual mistakes are sometimes the typographical
errors in type setting, which a designer would try to correct. What are some
common typographical errors? How can one adjust their copy to look more polished?
A Diamond In The Rough
This quote has been typeset for a magazine article. The magazine body copy
is set in a serif typeface. There are problems with this setting, however. First,
the typeface chosen is too bland. A matching serif face would be more appropriate.
Second, there is a conflict between the weights of the quote and the by line.
Those weights need to visually contrast more.
There are strengths in the setting of the quote. The hanging quote is a nice
touch. A good detail that is not necessary. An em dash has been used before
the author; a hyphen in this case would look unprofessional. The color choice
is also appropriate given the rest of the magazine article has a consistent
color scheme.
Now the typeface has been changed, in this case to Fenice Light and Bold. Small
changes provide grater visual appeal. At this point, the designer’s trained
eye would still notice a couple details that need adjustment. Can you find them?
The first thing to change is the apostrophe in the word “I’ll”.
The way it is now, the apostrophe is a foot mark. Not a glaring error, but one
that looks much improved when corrected. Also some of the letter pairs could
use some kerning. This would be more of an issue if the type were set at a larger
point size.
In this example the quote is polished, and when surrounded by polished body copy in the
magazine article it would add much interest to the design. So be sure to give
attention to the details of your typography. With time, giving attention to
these smaller details will become part of your design process and they will
strengthen the overall design.