Typography in branding

Member lesson

Display versus text faces in a system

Lesson 4 of 8 in Typography in branding.

Different Kinds of Text – 3 Questions to Start for Choosing the Right Typeface · Pimp my Type
Lesson

Display and text are different engineering problems wearing the same name. A display face can afford hairlines, tight fitting and idiosyncratic shapes because it will be seen at 90 point. A text face cannot afford any of them.

primaryheadlines · the voicesecondarylong text · the worksysteminterfaces · already therea brand that licenses one weight has a system with one voicecount the seats before you fall in love with the family
Three type roles: one for headlines, one for text, one already on every device.
A delicate letter shape breaks apart when drawn tiny, while a sturdier version of it stays clear at the same small size, with a row of graded metal type blocks in the corner.
A fine display letter loses its thin strokes when shrunk, while a sturdier text version stays clear at the same small size. Faces made for big and small sizes solve different problems.
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  1. Question 1, locked

    Body copy has been set in a display face. How does the page give it away?

    • The text renders noticeably bolder than the same size set in a text face
    • The page looks loose and slightly dull until the tracking is closed up
    • Readers give up around the third paragraph without knowing why, because the counters are tight and the contrast fights them
    • Line breaks fall in odd places, since display faces carry no hyphenation data
  2. Question 2, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Drawn to be seen large. Tight spacing, fine detail, extreme contrast.”

    • System stack
    • Utility face
    • Display face
    • Primary typeface
  3. Question 3, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Drawn to be read small. Open counters, sturdier strokes, generous spacing.”

    • Perpetual versus subscription
    • Set solid
    • Optical size
    • Text face

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