CHAPTER 9 The Next Steps for Web Typography
Here is a quick overview of what we will cover. First, the big picture,
the things I wish I’d known much earlier. Not many code examples here:- Not too frightening context models,
- A list of actors that participate in content creation and publishing.
Then practical details, with plenty code examples and tips:- Preparation, typefaces and the typographic design in general
- Organization and performance
- Typesetting
- Advanced techniques
Before we get started, one thing to bear in mind is that practicing
typography as an isolated discipline can be very intoxicating, especially
when diving straight into the tiniest of typeface particularities and histori-
cal anecdotes. As the Web in its purest context is multifaceted, let’s start by
observing typography as an integral part of the bigger picture.The Big Picture: Universal Typography
In 2012, Tim Brown, type manager at Typekit^1 presented his talk “Univer-
s a l Ty p o g r a p hy^2 ” in which he explained the nature and the challenges of a
Web design process.
He argued that in print design, where the medium and physical vari-
ables are inherently fixed, on investigating the options open to you, you
can determine the best typographic setup; that is, a typeface, font grade,
font weight, font width, letter size, line length, line spacing, hierarchy and
layout. And once you have decided, you’re more or less done. At the end,
there is a single design which is unchangeable. It is permanent. The work1 http://typekit.com
2 http://universaltypography.com/