One of the most painstaking skills that any designer can take on involves combining typefaces, mainly because putting two different fonts together in a similar design can cause various flavors in both sets of typefaces.
Even better is that every design constructed with combining typefaces is unique in its own way, meaning there’s really no way for it to look bad.
There are a multitude of different ways to combine various typefaces, with some of them being much more useful than other ones. However, the best place to start with any kind of project involving mixing fonts together is to come to an understanding of the roles of each typeface, as well as how to focus on all of their different qualities.
It’s important to keep in mind that creating typefaces is not considered to be a science, but an art. There really are no set rules to follow, but when it comes to the ability to mix typefaces in a design, it’s important that you both understand and apply all of the best practices when constructing these projects. When these practices are utilized, the end result will always be projects that look wonderful and appealing.
Here are some of the best tips to utilize in terms of how to combine fonts.
Complementary fonts look better
Image source: Dupla
Each type of font possesses its own distinct personality. This makes it important to ensure that the font you select for your project coincides with the specific message that you are trying to convey. For example, if you utilize a font that contains a strong personality, consider combining it with something that is either more conservative or more neutral.
If you take the time to determine whether or not two fonts are truly made to complement one another, the entire process can feel more like a guessing game.
In the end, if you decide to act on a hunch or a gut feeling, it’s perfectly fine to take that route. In fact, this is perhaps the best way to help you figure out personally which styles and combinations work the best, as well as which ones don’t.
Focus on contrast, never conflict
Image source: ALEO and Archive
When it comes to combining typefaces for a project, contrast is something that’s important to utilize, as it can find different, yet complementary typefaces that will ultimately fit together for the project that they will be included in. If you try to pair together two typefaces that are similar, this could create a form of conflict.
Creating a hierarchy should be priority number one for anyone who is a designer. This is a process that can involve such tasks as changing the size and weight of the typefaces being used, as well as changing exactly where the typefaces vary, which, in the end, is where combining typefaces should be as careful and crucial as possible.
Keep things simple
No matter what kind of a project that you’re taking part in, it’s always a good idea to keep things as simple as possible. In terms of combining typefaces, this essentially translates into “do not use too many fonts in your project.” If you utilize too many different fonts for your project, the end result can lead to a message that is rather confusing to the viewer.
Serifs and sans-serifs go well together
Image source: Lanz and Garibaldi
If you find yourself needing to select two different fonts rather quickly, consider going with one serif and one sans-serif. These two typefaces always work well together, even when they are different sizes; however, there has also been a debate raging as to whether or not these two typefaces are the best in terms of readability.
When serif fonts are used in large amounts of text on paper, they tend to allow the eye to flow more effectively and increase overall reading speed. On the other hand, when it comes to sans-serif fonts, these typefaces are best used on surfaces such as computer screens, as they can be displayed more clearly thanks to screen resolutions.
Combine their characteristics
It’s important to always consider the x-heights, cap heights, and strokes of all of the different typefaces that you are surveying.
Typefaces that are being combined together should always be the same x-height. If the x-height of these typefaces are different, it can really mess with the eyes of your readers. In addition, if you are using a certain character style designed to call out all of the run-in heads, consider reducing the size of the typeface with the larger x-height, which wll then bring it in line with the rest of the text.
If word play is part of your project, simply adjust the sizes of the typefaces to match the overall cap height while switching to optical kerning.
Creating contrast
Image source: Hagin and Bitter
As previously mentioned, contract is the one thing that can bring together typefaces that are different in a way that will help to make a project more visually appealing. Designers who are looking to bring a sense of contrast to their projects can do so via the following: Size, style, weight, color, spacing.
When you implement these kinds of options, distinct roles are created for each font, which allows them to essentially become another form of information for the viewer.
Contrasting styles
It’s common knowledge that you can create a single characteristic out of these various styles; however, most designers will utilize the option of creating various contrasting styles with the exception of one. This particular process is a rather easy one.
The first step is to identify the main characteristic of your first typeface before searching for and selecting one that shares that same specific characteristic. While this process can seem rather challenging at first, it’s also a process that can produce many great results in the end.
Contrasting characteristics
Image source: Fenix and Summit
If the typeface that you have selected is legible, consider selecting a display face that is the opposite. This is a process that can also work for aspects such as geometric shapes and other displays.
Don’t combine fonts that are similar
As previously stated, it’s never a good idea to combine typefaces that are too similar to one another, as this can cause a visual type of conflict. Since the fonts will be very distinguishable from one another, attempting to combine them can be extremely problematic and can prevent you from establishing any kind of a hierarchy for your project.
On the other hand, it isn’t exactly necessary for typefaces to be visibly similar to one another to not be compatible. If two typefaces are different but share some of the same visual properties such as proportion and weight, your design can still appear to be confusing to the viewer.
However, there is an extremely easy process that can help you to determine whether or not two different fonts are truly compatible with one another. Simply place them next to each other on your computer screen, then back away and squint slightly. If they appear to look the same visually, it’s best to come up with a different combination of fonts.
Want to play it safe? Use the same font family
Image source: Graviola Font Family
Perhaps the safest route to take is to use typefaces that come from the same font family. In order to ensure that you have more than enough variations to work with, look through font families that come with a myriad of different options. However, it’s also important to plan things out carefully in order to establish a good hierarchy and sense of contrast.
By concentrating on selecting options from one particular font family, you are guaranteeing that your project will become much more streamlined. The selection process itself can be rather time-consuming, but once you have chosen exactly what you want to do, everything will be much easier to create in the end.
Don’t forget about visual hierarchy
The best examples of visual hierarchy with typefaces can be found in publications such as newspapers and magazines. They are able to combine fonts in such a way that separates headlines, titles, subtitles, etc. Your eye will navigate the page and grab your attention much easier thanks to aspects such as the boldness, spacing, and size of the font.
Any kind of design that you come up with can have a hierarchy created for it; however, when you are selecting various fonts for a project, it’s important to stop and think about the areas of the piece that viewers will want to look at first.
Ending thoughts
Your design, whatever it may be, will bring out various flavors thanks to various typefaces that are used in different proportions. Again, it’s also important to keep in mind that the process of selecting typefaces for projects can be rather complex, meaning it’s usually best to often show restraint when needed.
In the end, all that matters is the final result rather than the process in which you’ve engaged in to select typefaces. When you choose to take risks and look for font pairings that you may not have expected to find, the end result will truly be visually appealing.
Another useful tip to consider following is to spend some time combining typefaces on your own as a form of practice. By doing this, you are ensuring nothing more than eventual success with your own projects.
You will definitely like these articles
Source: http://ift.tt/1g02hXW
No comments:
Post a Comment