Typography Rules for Web Designers
Let’s face it, web design is difficult without having to worry about what type of typography you’re using. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to web design or consider yourself a professional, we all have the same issues. Luckily we have a list of several typography rules – the dos and don’ts – to help you stop wastingso much time when it comes to typography for web design.
You’re using way too many fonts
When was the last time you checked your font library? Go ahead, pull up your favorite word processor or graphic editor and see how many fonts you have to choose from. Notice a trend? You’ve probably got hundreds if not thousands of fonts available to pick for your project. It is very easy to use a bad combination of fonts in your graphics that just don’t work well together. Just stop! Save yourself the headache and make things easier to read. Try to limit how many different fonts a user can see at once.
You’re not watching for kerning
You’re probably wondering, “What the heck is kerning?”. That’s just one part of the issue. Kerning is the
balancing of white space between characters. If you are using a pre-designed font, look closely at the spacing between the letters. If they are even than you made the right choice, generally. Things just look strange? Try using a different font with better kerning.
You’re using ornate fonts in large blocks of text, don’t!
Ornate fonts are simple. Yes, it’s acceptable to use bold and outlandish fonts for headlines. However, it’s just not for large blocks of text. There’s a saying I enjoy that can be applied to this scenario. Ready? KISS. What does that mean? Keep it simple stupid. Your readers don’t want difficult to read blocks of text. Use simple text with good kerning and you’ll have much better designs.
You’re not paying attention to hierarchy
It doesn’t matter if you are a veteran or a newbie to web design, hierarchy can be difficult to master. Using correct hierarchy gives your page good structure and readability. Make sure you use proper HTML tags for your important sections including headlines, sub headlines, and body text. Some popular tags to use are <h1>, <h2>, and <strong>.
You’re using comic sans way too often!
What’s considered way too often? Using comic sans at all is too often in today’s market. Comic sans is a
font that will automatically make you think of the 1990s – it just looks unfinished. You don’t want your designs to look incomplete and unprofessional, do you? Take our word for it, just stay away from it!
You’re afraid to break the rules
Don’t get us wrong, following the guidelines in this article can help you greatly! Just don’t be afraid to break the rules. Think of these more as guidelines per say. Always double check your work and take breaks often. If you’re doing some design and it just isn’t coming out right, stop what you’re doing and take a break. Leave for an hour or so to clear your brain and come back. You’ll be ready to get to work with a fresh frame of mind.
Final thoughts
Aren’t you glad you went through this guide of helpful typography rules? Now get out there are start designing something beautiful!
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