The Lexicon of Letters

19 Rules of
Typography
From the book: Digital Color and Type, Rob
Carter. Rotovision, 2002

The design and production of this book was

completed by Ellen Scahrfenberg in the Spring
2016.
Some things never change, and
in the typographic realm, principles
upon which sound practice relies
have remained essentially the same
for centuries.
Rob Carter
Remember, rules must first be
understood before they can
be broken. Once you have a
good foundation of these rules,
you can freely journey into
unconventional terrain.
 Well I guess it
only natural
1

For optimum legibility, choose classical, time-test-

RULE 1

We all spend a
ed typefaces. These typefaces should be drawn
and crafted with consistency among characters,
and exhibit highly legible proportions. Examples
include: Baskerville, Bembo, Bodoni, Caslon, Cen-
taur, Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, Futura, Garamond,
Gill Sans, Goudy Old Style, Helvetica, News Goth-

going down th
ic, Palatino, Perpetua, Sabon, Times New Roman,
and Univers. Fig. 1

The things the

theyre lining u
Be mindful not to use too many different type-
you. You got yo
RULE 2

faces at any one time. The main reason for using

more than one typeface is to create emphasis

against the wa
or to separate one part of the text from another.
When too many different typefaces are used, the
reader is unable to determine what is and what is
not important.

on the telepho
Fig. 1
Dyed in the wool, youve been c
Times New Roman

You want to hop along with the gi

Garamond

But how will you learn to steer w

Minion Pro
Fig. 2

Avoid combining typefaces that are too similar in

RULE 3
appearance. If the reason for combining typefac-
es is to create emphasis, it is important to avoid
the ambiguity caused by combining types that
are too similar in appearance. Fig. 2

2
3

Text set in all capital letters makes reading more

Rule 4
laborious. Use upper and lower case letter for
optimum readability. Ascender and descenders
provide the necessary visual cues to make text
more readable. Text set entirely in upper-case
letters form monotonous, rectangular shapes.
Upper-case letters can successfully be used in
display type (headlines; type above 16 points).
Fig. 3

Fig. 3
BUT DID YOU REALLY T
SHUT AN OPEN DOOR?
THE FUTURE'S CALLIN
THE WHEELS IN MOTI
DRANK YOUR POTION
AND I KNOW IT BREAK

But did you really think

The futures calling and I
The wheels in motion, I n
And I know it breaks you
5

8 point
For text type, use sizes that, according to legi-

Rule 5
Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all
bility studies, prove most readable. These sizes
in my mouth. Only, I dont know how they got generally range from 8 to 12 points for text that is
out, dear.Turn me back into the pet I was when read from an average distance of 12 to 14 inches.
we met. I was happier then with no mind-set. Be sure to remember that sizes (based on the
And if youd a took to me like a gull takes to the x-height of letters) appear different from one type-
wind. Well, Id a jumped from my tree. face to another. Fig. 4
9 point

Gold teeth and a curse for this town were

all in my mouth. Only, I dont know how
they got out, dear. Turn me back into the
pet I was when we met. I was happier then
with no mind-set. And if youd a took to
me like a gull takes to the wind. Well, Id a
jumped from my tree.

10 point

Gold teeth and a curse for this town

were all in my mouth. Only, I dont
know how they got out, dear.Turn me
back into the pet I was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.
Avoid using too many different type sizes and
Rule 6

And if youd a took to me like a gull

takes to the wind. Well, Id a jumped weights at the same time. Some experts rec-
ommend using no more than two sizes, one for
from my tree.
display titles and one for text type.
11 point

Gold teeth and a curse for this

town were all in my mouth. Only, I
dont know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet I was
when we met. I was happier then
with no mind-set. And if youd a
took to me like a gull takes to the
wind. Well, Id a jumped from my
tree.
Fig. 4

12 point

Gold teeth and a curse for this

town were all in my mouth.
Only, I dont know how they got
out, dear.Turn me back into the
 Use text types of book weight. Avoid typefaces

Rule 7
appearing too heavy or too light. Text typefaces
that are too light cannot easily be distinguished
from their backgrounds. In typefaces that are too
heavy, counter forms diminish in size, making
them less legible. Fig. 5

Light:
God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs, and bleed into their buns till they melt away. I
might be doomed never to find. Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine? And if youd a took
the queen of the eyesores and the rest of our lives would a fared well.

Bold:
God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs, and bleed into their buns till they melt awa
I might be doomed never to find. Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine? And if youd a to
like the queen of the eyesores and the rest of our lives would a fared well.
Fig. 5

Use typefaces of medium width. Avoid type-

Rule 8
faces that appear extremely wide or narrow in
width. Rather than distorting text by stretching or
squeezing the text width, use type families that
include condensed and extended faces that fall
within accepted proportional norms.

6
7

For text type, use consistent letter and word spac-

Rule 9
ing to produce an even, uninterrupted texture.
Letters should flow gracefully and naturally into
words, and words into lines. This means that word
spacing should increase proportionally as letter
spacing increases. Fig. 6

I think I ll go home and m u l l this over

Before I c r a m i t down my t hr oat
At lon g last i ts c r a s h e d , its colossal
mass
H a s broken up into bits in my moat.

Lift the mattress off the floor

Walk the c r a m p s off
G o meander in the cold
Ha il to your dark skin
H i d i n g the fact youre dead again
Underneath the power lines s e e k i n g shade
 Fig. 6

I think Ill go home and mull this over

Before I cram it down my throat
At long last its crashed, its colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat.

Lift the mattress off the floor

Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact youre dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade
Far above our heads are the icy heights that
 9

Use appropriate line lengths. Lines that are too

Rule 10
short or too long disrupt the reading process. As
the eye travels along overly long lines, negotiating
the next line becomes difficult. Reading overly
short lines creates choppy eye movements that
tire and annoy the reader. When working with text
type, a maximum of about 70 characters (10 to 12
words) per line is thought to be most acceptable.
Fig. 7

66 characters
Fig. 7

Its a luscious
Itsmix
a luscious
of words
mix
and
of tricks,
words and
thattricks,
let us bet
thatwhen
let usyou
betknow
whenwe should
fold. On rocks
you Iknow
dreamt
we of
should
wherefold.
we'dOnstepped
rocks and
I dreamt
the whole
of where
messwed
of roads
were now on.stepped and the whole mess of roads were now on.

For optimum readability, use a flush

Rule 11

For text type, use line spacing that easily

carries the eye from one line to the next. Lines
Rule 12
left, ragged right type alignment.
of type with too little space between them slow Although in special situations, other
the reading process; the eye is forced to take in type alignments (flush right, rag-
several lines at once. By adding one to four points ged left; centered, and justified) are
of space between lines of type (depending on the acceptable, the tradeoff is always a
specific typeface), readability can be improved. loss, however slight, in readability.
Fig. 8
Flush Left- Fig. 8

Hold your glass up, hold it in. Never betray the way
youve always known it is. One day Ill be wondering
how I got so old just wondering how I never got cold
wearing nothing in the snow.

Flush Right-
Hold your glass up, hold it in. Never betray the
way youve always known it is. One day Ill be
wondering how I got so old just
wondering how I never got cold wearing nothing
in the snow.
Centered-
Hold your glass up, hold it in. Never betray the
way youve always known it is. One day Ill be
wondering how I got so old just wondering how I
never got cold wearing nothing in the snow.

Justified-
Hold your glass up, hold it in. Never betray the 10

way youve always known it is. One day Ill be

wondering how I got so old just wondering how
11

Strive for consistent, rhythmic rags. The purpose of

Rule 13
effective rags is not only to achieve aesthetic beauty,
but to enable readers to move gently and effortlessly
down a text column. Effective rags consist of lines
establishing an informal but consistent pattern
of line endings. Fig. 9

Fig. 9

Young and andbrightbrightbut but

now justnow
ajust
dima light
dim light
off in off
thein the dis-
distance.
tance.
A fallenAstonefallen stone follow-
following the
ing the
path path resistance.
of least of least resistance.
If I
If I still
still fight,fight, it'sthat
its just just Im
that I'm
I'll slide under that
afraid Ill that spell
spell
again. Taken
Takenfor fora fool,
a fool,yesyesI I
becauseIIwas
was because wasa fool.
a fool.TellTell
what youd
me what youddo, do,lost
lostmymyway way
when she shetooktookme meto to school.
school.
So many times caught up in my
head at at night
nightwith withaaleash
leashand anda
a label.
label. If IIfcould
I could
learnlearn
anythingany-
thing from
from this thisId
then then Id be
be like thelike
 Clearly indicate paragraphs, but be careful not to upset
Rule 14
the integrity and visual consistency of the text. The two
most common ways of indicating paragraphs are by
indenting and inserting additional space
between paragraphs. Fig. 10

Fig. 10

If I still fight, its just th

The way we used to carry
Taken for a fool, yes I wa
was a very honest tool. Ta
was a fool.
12
13

Avoid widows and orphans whenever possible. Emphasize elements within the text with discre-

Rule 16
Rule 15
A widow is a word or very short line at either the tion and without disturbing the flow of reading.
beginning or end of a paragraph. An orphan is a You can use italics, underlined type, color type,
single syllable at the end of a paragraph. Fig. 11 different typeface, small capitals, capitals, bold
type within light type, light type within bold
type, larger type, and outline type to emphasize
elements but never overdo it. Use minimum
means for maximum results.

Fig. 11

I do relate to you in so many wa

through what you must have ha
You had to be strong at such a v
A new life from lemonade. So w
now.
 You moved back in with us in the fall of 82
to help me through. You told me that a dow
were right, so Im thanking you.

ays,You
butmoved back ingo
I didn't with us in the fall of 82
to help me through. You told me that a dow
ad in those early days.
were right, so Im thanking you.
very young age
Always maintain the integrity of type. Avoid arbitrarily
Fig. 12
Rule 17

won't you listen?To me

stretching letters. Well designed typefaces exhibit
visual qualities that make them readable. Arbitrarily
distorting them compromises their integrity. Fig. 12

14
15

Always align letters and words on the baseline.

Rule 18
Letters are designed to coexist side-by-side on an
invisible baseline. Fig. 13

Fig. 13

Sister,
Sister, youve known m mee lost in aa
strange What had
strange world. What ha d it
it shown
shown
me? What had it gone through?
had it through? Sis-Sis-
ter, you ve known me
youve been lost in
me been in a
strange wo
strange rld b
world ut what
but what hhas hown
as it sshown
me? But what has it done?
October chillchill in that ol
oldd du st to
dust town.
wn.
Ha
Halloween ame, I was
lloween ccame, was still feel ing
feeling
d
down.
own. M ama lost m
Mama myy swe
sweet ooth,
et ttooth,
wh at's the point in going
what's going 'round? Your
'round? Your
boy is losi
boy ng count may
losing maybebe try the
the lost
count
So wont you listen? To me n
Something I never told you,
Im about to try see, you wer
my life line when the world
I wouldnt be the man I am.
Fig. 14
When working with type and color, ensure that
Rule 19

sufficient contrast exists between type and its

background. Too little contrast in hue, value or
saturation, or a combination of these factors, can
result in type that is difficult, if not impossible,
to read. Be careful when using photos or texture
behind text. Fig. 14

16
17

Digital Type and Color explains how to work

About the Book
effectively on screen by mastering the fundamen-
tal principles of traditional typography: type and
color. The book opens with a through examina-
tion of the basics of type, color and traditional
typographic rules. It then explores how those rules
can be broken to achieve new and innovative
design. A wide variety of fully illustrated academic
and professional case studies reveal the rationale
behind the work profiled. This is a useful reference
book that provides graphic designers with a fresh
set of possibilities for screen work.
 Rob Carter teaches typography and visual com-
About the Author

munication at Virginia Commonwealth University.

His design work has been exhibited at the Ameri-
can Institute of Graphic Arts, New York Directors
Club, the Society of Typographic Arts and else-
where. He is the author of American Typography
Today, and co-author of Typographic Specimens:
The Great Typefaces, and the classic Typographic
Design: Form and Communication.

18
 19
Its Only Life
Dyed in the wool, you've been cornered by a
Illustration text from The Shins
natural desire.
You want to hop along with the giddy throng through life
But how will you learn to steer when you're grinding all
your gears?
You've been talking for hours
You say, "Time will wash every tower to the sea,"
And now youve got this worry in your heart
Well I guess it's only life, its only natural
We all spend a little while going down the rabbit hole
The things they taught you, theyre lining up to
haunt you.
You got your back against the wall
I call you on the telephone, wont you pick
up the receiver?
Ive been down the very road youre walking now
It doesnt have to be so dark and lonesome
It takes a while but we can figure this thing out
And turn it back around
You used to be such a lion
Before you got into all this crying on my lap
Back when you thought Id never get this far
But did you really think Id shut an open door?
The futures calling and Imma answer her
The wheels in motion, I never drank your potion
And I know it breaks your heart
Open up your parachute, somethings gotta stop the
free fall.
Ive been down the very road youre walking now
It doesnt have to be so dark and lonesome
It takes a while but we can figure this thing out
And turn it back around.
New Slang
Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all
in my mouth.
Only, I dont know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet I was when
we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.
And if youd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, Id a jumped from my tree
And Id a danced like the king of
the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would a fared well.
New slang when you notice the stripes, the
dirt in your fries.
Hope its right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
never shouldve called.
But my heads to the wall and Im lonely.
And if youd a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, Id a jumped from my tree
And Id a danced like the king of
the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would a fared well.
God speed all the bakers at dawn may they
all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns till they melt away.
Im looking in on the good life I might be
doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am I too
dumb to refine?
And if youd a took to me like
Well Id a danced like the queen of
the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would a fared well.
Caring Is Creepy
I think Ill go home and mull this over
Before I cram it down my throat
At long last its crashed, its colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat.
Lift the mattress off the floor
Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact youre dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade
Far above our heads are the icy heights
that contain all reason
Its a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when you know we should
fold. On rocks I dreamt of where wed
stepped. And the whole mess of roads
were now on.
Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way youve always
known it is.
One day Ill be wondering how
I got so old just wondering how
I never got cold wearing nothing in the
snow. This is way beyond my remote con-
cern. Of being condescending
All these squawking birds wont quit.
Building nothing, laying bricks.
For A Fool
Young and bright
But now just a dim light off in the dis-
tance. A fallen stone
Following the path of least resistance.
If I still fight
Its just that Im afraid Ill slide under that
spell again.
Taken for a fool,
Yes I was because I was a fool.
Tell me what youd do,
Lost my way when she took me to
school. So many times
Caught up in my head at night with a
leash and a label. If I could learn
Anything from this then Id be like
The fox in the fable all right
If I still fight,
Its just that Im afraid Ill slide under that
spell again.
The way we used to carry on
Is stuck in my head like a terrible song.
Taken for a fool,
Yes I was and I was a fool.
Following the rules
Guess I was a very honest tool.
Taken for a fool,
Yes I was because I was a fool.
Fall Of 82
I do relate to you in so many ways
But I didnt you through what you must have
had in those early days.
You had to be strong at such a very young
age. A new life from lemonade.
So wont you listen?
To me now. Something I never told you, that
Im about to try
See, you were my life line when the world
was exploding, yeah.
You moved back in with us in the fall of 82
I fell into dark times and you were there to
help me through.
You told me that a downturn would |
eventually improve
and you were right, so Im thanking you.
So wont you listen?
To me now. Something I never told you, that
Im about to try See, you were my life line
when the world was explodingfootholds
eroding.Had you never been my friend,
I wouldn't be quite what you see
I wouldnt be the man I am.
Sister, youve known me
lost in a strange world.
What had it shown me?
What had it gone through?
Sister, youve known me
been lost in a strange world
But what has it shown me?
But what has it done?
October Chill in that old dust town.
Halloween came, I was still feeling down.
Mama lost my sweet tooth, whats the point
in going round?
your boy is losing count
maybe try the lost and found.
20