Typography Corner
Typography is sometimes a subject that gets little attention because in general we may not always know what font is used on a page because
September 28, 2021
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Tag: setting
Typography is sometimes a subject that gets little attention because in general we may not always know what font is used on a page because our eyes just translate writing as letters regardless of what font it is. The only time it matters when it comes to fonts is dyslexia because this causes the reader to have greater difficulty if the font is not readable to people who are dyslexic. Font creators have begun to create more readable fonts for those that suffer from dyslexia to assist them in reading. When we publish, there are a few things we have to consider when it comes to picking fonts. We do look at the ‘style’ of the book, in that we examine what theme the book was written in. Certain genres may be more suited for aggressive font forms than others. Its important to pick fonts that stand out on the cover but are more easy on the eyes in the interior.
Although traditionally Times New Roman was the standard in fonts, the new wave of writers prefers Georgia as the new standard. The other modern list of readable fonts is: Arial, Merriweather, Helvetica, Montserrat, to name a few. I personally love both Georgia and Merriweather as these are very easy on the eyes.
Georgia makes a great inside font as it fits nicely into any manuscript and is the most universal in terms of support via various devices. For ebook, Georgia makes the font easy to read against the strong white background.
Merriweather does a decent job in this field to, however some devices do not support it and renders it slightly more round than it really is. For more universal applications going with a Georgia is going to maximize the number of supportive applications and also be the easiest to print.
As we examine our covers in Cover Explorer, lets go one step further in thinking about covers in terms of pallets and font styles. We start to assemble some basics here that help us establish a reader/feeling connection that we want to create in order to sell the book.
The art chosen on each cover and the colors that are used create a visual and emotional connection that readers will gravitate them toward the book and evoke what possible content is inside.
Many authors make a mistake in assuming the cover has to have images that reflect what’s inside but this is not always the case. Readers often are drawn because of the font or colors that are used to create the overall look.
In this sample we see the bold use of colors that invoke feelings of darkness, suspense and strong emotions. The fonts used on the cover were a mix of premium fonts that are based on Serif Family fonts like Georgia. The slopped swishing letter forms make you feel strong emotions.
In our kids books we use more quirky fonts to invoke feelings of fun, lightheartedness and non threatening content. The fonts are more round, swirly and bubbly in nature. The colors are more neutral, calming and comforting.
In Blade we went a little more edgy. Creating a more grungy metallic feel to match the contents of the bronze/iron age story inside. The pallet is cool and calm but also a slight bit mysterious.
With these covers the artist went a bit more traditional in colors to give a touch of elegance and class. Many books benefit from simplistic covers like these as they have such weighty content inside that a simple color pallet draws in readers.
Here we have a mixed case of non fiction and fiction that is presented in a pallet of more elegant colors that are grounded and routed. While Wotan and Earth don’t share the same style in font as Seed and Barn Cat the forms speak to the content within.
In Blade we went a little more edgy. Creating a more grungy metallic feel to match the contents of the bronze/iron age story inside. The pallet is cool and calm but also a slight bit mysterious.
Again here we see the use of more natural tones and fonts that frame the stories within. Rainbow and Maeve share the same strong grounded tones and slight variation in font shape. Teutonic is bold, aggressive and neutral in its pallet invoking meaning in its cover. Cap K and Arbux showcase a delightful almost playful quality to them with muted colors.
Sometimes the use of monochrome colors or color blocking helps us frame the cover. Picking a color from the background or a single point of color to draw the eye and push the image to the foreground.
In this example we see a semi elegant finish with a strong traditional pallet. Although Amulets is non fiction and Pagan Child is fiction the colors are bold, dark, and frame the image with a mix of tones that match.
In this example, the cool blues and purples frame the books cover. The fonts are more popping and vibrant brining the eye in and focusing on the cover image. The Rock Star cover highlights the author while The Falcon Trilogy enshrines the iconography in its subtle glorious mix of cool blues.
It’s important when picking fonts and colors that you think about what you’re trying to evoke in terms of emotions. Are you looking to create something bold and enticing? Something more calm and serene? Its good to think about colors and images that our brain translates into feelings and emotions.