🔗 🧠 #12: Type Matters

Typography is everywhere. From the moment you wake up and check your phone, to that menu board at your favorite coffee shop, to the street signs guiding you home—you're constantly interacting with carefully (or sometimes not so carefully) chosen letters.

While we might take it for granted, typography is more than just picking a pretty font. It's about how we’re using type to enhance experiences, setting the right tone, and making sure people can actually read the dang thing. This week, we're taking a little peek into the world of type—not just the what, but the why and how.

Let’s take a look at some links to help you think about type.

— Jake

TODAY'S EDITION

1. A Checklist for Choosing Type

2. Typography Terms: Glossary

3. Font Review Journal

4. Canva's Ultimate Guide to Font Combinations

5. What’s Trending in Type

CHECK THE BOXES

Google Font’s knowledge library is a goldmine of information for understanding typography. Everything from why you should care about typography to considering the emotions of using certain type to using type in AR/VR. But sometimes you don’t have the time to dig deeper to understand everything. This handy checklist sums up some of the most important bits. Keep it nearby to help justify your decisions when you’re in a time crunch.

THE JUICE

Project Fit:

• The personality should match the intended emotional response

• Design suits the use case (e.g., body text vs. display)

• Technical requirements align with project needs

Design Comprehensiveness:

• Multi-language support for your target regions

• Clear distinction between similar characters (1, l, l)

• Basic weights covered (regular, italic, bold, bold italic)

• Proper spacing and kerning pairs

• Clear legibility at intended sizes

Power Features to Look For:

• OpenType features (fractions, small caps, number styles)

• Extended weight range for flexibility

• Multiple widths for layout control

• Optical size variations for different scales

• Alternate glyphs for design options

Technical Reliability:

• Font files include all advertised features

• Features work consistently across the family

• Spacing and kerning is professional quality

• Files work in your required environments

Practical Considerations:

• Compatible with existing brand typefaces

• License covers your intended usage

• Cost fits within budget constraints

• Files available in required formats

Time-Saving Tip: Before diving deep into a typeface's design details, check the technical requirements and licensing first. Nothing worse than falling in love with a typeface you can't actually use.

Smart Defaults: If in doubt, major type foundries and Google Fonts typically offer reliable options that check most of these boxes. Just verify language support and licensing for your specific needs.

Dive deeper

A WHOSIEWHATSIT?

Learning (and remembering) jargon for anything is tough. All the terms for typography is no different—luckily this glossary from Nielson Norman Group is here to remind us what we try so hard to forget. Though it’s probably not important to memorize these—it is important to understand that all of these things inevitably impact your design and choices.

THE JUICE

Typography Powers Design: Mastering typography terminology is crucial for creating legible interfaces, maintaining brand consistency, and streamlining the design process. Good typography isn't just about aesthetics—it's about making digital experiences more usable and enjoyable.

Character Anatomy: Understanding how letters are constructed—from x-height to serifs—lets you make informed decisions about typeface selection for different contexts and screen sizes.

Spacing Mastery: Grasping kerning, tracking, and leading principles enables you to fine-tune the rhythm and readability of text, ensuring comfortable reading experiences across devices.

Font Variations: Knowing the nuances between weights, styles, and OpenType features helps you build clear visual hierarchies and maintain consistency in your designs.

Text Structure: Being familiar with proper line and paragraph formatting prevents common typographic mistakes that can distract readers.

Technical Foundations: Understanding units like ems and web-safe fonts ensures your typography works reliably across different platforms and scales appropriately on all devices.

Dive deeper

10/10 WOULD USE AGAIN

A thorough font review isn't just about aesthetics—it's about understanding how and when to use a typeface effectively. Font Review Journal does the analysis for you so you just need to sit back, sponge it up, and decide what you’re needing for your project.

THE JUICE

Context & History: Every font has a story that shapes its purpose. Understanding why a font was created (like Untitled Sans aiming to be unmemorable) helps you use it appropriately in your designs.

Design Details: Breaking down the technical aspects—from character shapes to spacing decisions—reveals what makes a font unique and helps you understand its design language for better pairing and usage.

Notable Glyphs: Key characters showcase a font's personality and potential issues. These distinctive elements often determine whether a font will work for your specific needs.

Strengths: Understanding where a font excels helps you match it to the right projects. Every font has its sweet spot—whether it's body text, display use, or specific contexts like brutalist design.

Quirks & Eccentricities: Knowing a font's limitations and peculiarities (like spacing issues or weight gaps) helps you avoid surprises in production and informs whether it's right for your project.

In-Use Examples: Real-world applications show how others have successfully (or unsuccessfully) implemented the font, providing practical inspiration and warning signs.

Dive deeper

THE DARK ART OF PAIRING FONTS

Great font combinations are essential to great design, but finding them often like an impossible task. Lookbooks are great resources to get general vibes, but it’s always helpful to take a step back and really try to describe what it is about those vibes.

THE JUICE

Balance of Distinction & Harmony: The single biggest challenge is choosing fonts that are different enough to create hierarchy, but not so different that they compete. As a safe default, pair a serif with a sans serif.

Weight Relationships: When in doubt, using different weights of the same typeface can be just as effective as combining different fonts, especially when starting out.

• Don't be afraid to use different weights of the same font family

• Contrast light and bold weights to create clear hierarchy

• Consider how weights work together across headings and body copy

Functional Considerations:

• Match fonts to content type (e.g., formal documents vs flashy landing pages)

• Consider readability needs for your specific medium

• Ensure fonts complement your message or brand tone

Structural Compatibility:

• Round and narrow typefaces often offset nicely against each other

• Look for fonts with similar proportions or intentional contrast

• Consider x-height compatibility between paired fonts

Emotional Impact: Along with the importance of technical constraints and visual properties of each font pairing, don’t forget to understand what sort of emotional impact is present. Choose the right pairing to elevate these emotions—try not to detract.

Dive deeper

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Knowing what you know now, take a peek around Typewolf and see what sticks out. What do you think the emotional impact is of each of the fonts you’re looking at? Is it doing a good job? Any surprising choices in kerning or line height? Hopefully this inspires you to take a step back the next time you’re looking at words on a page or a screen.

THE JUICE

Typography Is All Around Us: From the coffee shop menu we’re expected to focus on in the morning, to the app interface that frustrated you last night—typography shapes every interaction we have with text. It's not just about choosing pretty fonts—it's about creating experiences that guide, inform, and delight.

Dive deeper

THANKS FOR READING—SEE YOU NEXT WEEK

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Cheers, Jake