Typography is considered to be one of the elements which can redefine the way a website looks. You might take the role of typography in website design as miniscule but if you go deeper into the aspect of website design, a website cannot stand anywhere without the proper utilisation of typography.
To introduce typography to you in brief, it can be said that it is the art and the technique of arranging the character to make it visible. Typography is responsible for alluring the visitors to the site along with the images and designs.
This is an era when content is considered to be the king. The proper content comprises a thorough use of typography. If typography is being used the wrong way, it would definitely be damaging for your website. The website designer has to keep in mind the content should be presented in such a way that it should be visually appealing. A good application of typography does just that.
This blog post would try to elucidate the ways by which you would be able to implement typography in a proper manner in your website.
A Guide to Implement the Right Typography
As a website designer there are certain responsibilities which have to be fulfilled even before you make your website go live especially from the point of view of positioning the typography. The following lines of the post would be elucidated on this point.
1] Give It A Thorough Reading
Website Designers work is never done just by designing the website. It is just the beginning. In several cases an absent minded website designer just carelessly puts up the text without even going through it. You should have the habit of reading instilled within you and you should work as a proofreader. You should give the text a thorough reading before even posting it on the site. The visual balance of the website is highly dependent on the content. Have a thorough test to find out if it has the proper visual impact on the audience.
2] Going By The Hierarchical Structure
Hierarchy forms the very important part of the website design. It is the hierarchical structure which helps the readers to decipher where to start the content or where to end it. One of the crucial objectives of hierarchy is to make the reader locate the most important part of the content. Using the large fonts in the headline and the small fonts in the body would help the reader to differentiate the important points from the fillers. As a website designer, it is very important for you to give importance to the line spacing and alignments tallying with the website.
3] Fonts and Hues
The subject of font color is very important. Color is a prime factor which helps the reader to read. A common mistake made by the amateurish website designers is to use font colours which are similar to the background. It renders the readers absolutely blind. Keep in mind designers, red fonts never go well with purple backgrounds. So it is best to stick to the basic. Black font on white backgrounds is the way to go.
4] Character Spacing And Micro & Micro Typography
The Beauty of the website specifically lies on the spacing of the characters. Micro typography specifically deals with the spacing and readability. On the other hand Macro deals with beautification and the aesthetic part of the paragraph. Seasoned Web designers have to deal with the proper structuring of the white space as well, so that the font should soothe the reader’s eyes. The trick of the trade is not to overdo it.
5] Font Size does matter
The font size is something which defines the typography of website design. As a website designer, you have to be judicious enough to use the right font size for your website design. Too large or too small fonts would be distracting for your readers. Select the right font site which won’t prove to be a hassle to your readers while they read.
6] Maintaining the Line Height
Before even going live with the website, you should check with the line height of the text content. There should be an ample amount of virtual spacing between them so the whole process of reading would go smoothly for your visitors. The lines too close each other might lead to too much inconvenience for the readers.
7] Aligning the texts
Human Beings in most cases have a habit of reading from left to right. So keep in mind to align the content to the left. Aligning the text can help in getting rid of confusion amongst the readers while going through your text.
8] …And Don’t Forget To Highlight The Links
Every webpage comes to the visitor embedded with a lot of links. It is the job of the website designer to colour the links. The colour of the links helps in segregating the normal text from the hyperlinks. Don’t forget to underline these links.
9] Fonts to be used
Don’t ever go by the fancy and flashy fonts which you get it for free. Not all browsers can recognize this type of fonts. Use the typefaces which are adaptable with all the browsers and not the ones which might look awesome but are not available for all the browsers. Web Safe fonts are your only option. Times New Roman, Verdana as well as the Courier are the most commonly used fonts in a website. You might also go for other options such as Helvetica, Garamond, Futura or the Bodoni.
So if you are planning to make your website live, double-check the site content keeping these points in mind. If you have any comment of your to post about website typography, you can always post it in the comment section below. And all the best with your website design.