Back to Back Issues Page |
![]() |
Book design: Editor's Notes #169 July 31, 2014 |
Hello, --Booker T. Washington In this issue: 1. Font matters 2. Tickled my funnybone 3. Interesting Web site For those who have been waiting for Facebook author #3's story, do not despair. A combination of circumstances has forced me to postpone that issue, but it is coming. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy learning a little about fonts. 1. Font matters Desktop publishing has made us all designers to some extent. Those of us who self-publish do well to know at least a little about design whether we hire a designer or not. Here is a quick introduction to some of the things a designer knows and considers when choosing a font for a book. First, some terms:
Now let's use these terms to help you choose a font for your book, your business cards, or the body of your letters. Good font choice sends a message about you or your content. If you want to convey conventionality, use a serif font with a small x-height and long ascenders and descenders. If you want to give an air of being contemporary, use a sans-serif font with high x-height and short ascenders and descenders. For dignity, choose a serif font with slightly pinched bowls. If you want to send a message of friendliness, choose a font with rounded bowls and rounded serifs. Now, open your list of fonts, and choose wisely. (Note that the rules change somewhat for display text like headlines, letterhead, or posters.) =========== 2.Tickled my funnybone What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus. =========== 3. Interesting Web site Here is a good jumping-off place to move further into the understanding of fonts. http://desktoppub.about.com/od/typetutorials/a/bodycopy.htm =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html |
Back to Back Issues Page |