Typography Flashcards
Text on maps purpose
Acts as a functional symbol
Establishes hierarchy
Labels
Explains
Directs
Titles on a map, purpose
Reflects the subject of the map
Text material on a map (what items)
Legend
Title
Source
Explanatory material
Typeface
A set of letters, numbers, and special characters with a unique design
What we know often think of as font
Font
Subset of a typeface
Factors that vary in Fonts
size
weight (Bold)
width (condensed/extended)
style (italic)
Common form for hydrology
Italics
Follow the line of the river
Cover the are of the lake
Repeat rather than stretch
Simple curves
What should legends do
Clearly explain map symbols
Avoid “Legend”
Weight in text
Bold-face vs light-face
Implies ordered differences - Hierarchy
Serifs
Finishing strokes added to the main stroke
increased readability
Good for body text (like books)
Sans-Serifs
No finishing strokes
Usually good for titles, headings, distance
X-height
The size of the main body of lower case text
Greater x height usually = easier to read
Varies across fonts of the same size
Type size
Refers to the height of the block in traditional printing
Font Size
Point Size
The height from top of tallest ascender to bottom of lowest descender
Minimum font size for average paper
6 (still very hard to read)
10 for computer screens
Minimum noticeable font size difference
2 points in normal/small
6 points in larger fonts
Black Letter
Type classification
OG - 15th century
Gutenberg bible
NYT logo
Hella serifs
Old Style
Type classification
15-17th century
serifs
diagonal stress (think “o”)
Google logo
classic/simple
Transitional
Type Classification
18th century
Vertical stress
Times New Roman
Greater contrast between thin and thick stroke
Modern (type)
Type Classification
Late 18th century
Extreme contrast between thick and thin
Horizontal + Thin Serifs
Vertical stress
Sans-Serif (classification)
Type Classification
19th to 20th century
No stress in rounded strokes
Little to no variation in thickness
Script-cursive
Type Classification
19th century
Resembles handwriting
How many typefaces work well together
Two at a time, if they have one thing in common (similar or same families)
Two major concerns for map designers (for type)
Typography - picking a typeface
Positioning - placement of lettering
Kerning
spacing between specific pairs of letters (“AV”)
Tracking
Spacing between all letters
Leading
Spacing between lines of text
Baseline to baseline
Two font file types
True type .ttf
Open type .otf
Names of ports/harbors when labeling points…
Should face seaward
