Typesetting

Introduction to typesetting:

-Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical types or the digital equivalents, also how symbols are read.

-Reading process: Only 3–4 letters of each word are focused on sharply when reading something (because we read so fast...0.2-0.4 seconds) -if it is not clear, the eye jumps back to re-check what you already read.

The three main elements of typography:

• The word: how the glyphs fit together
• The letter: the design of the original characters/glyphs and anatomy
• The line: the arrangement of words 

-InDesign is best to use when thoroughly considering typesetting:

-Typography is not an art form, or an exact science, but rather a craft.

Typesetting principles:

Hierarchy:

• Some messages are more vital than others
• Type size, style, weight, colour and treatment all add emphasis
• Hierarchy of all these details can be used to decide/change the of importance of each individual line

Alignment:

• Left aligned: ranged left with ragged right edges; common arrangement of text- allowing easy reading and typesetting
• Justified text: can look clean and classic when carelessly set. Justified type can make your text hard to read
• Centred and right aligned text is hard to read

Paragraphs:

• Type alignment and paragraph breaks affect the overall look of your text
•  First paragraph has no indentation
• Full line break
• Paragraph style affects the way the whole page will look

-Leading is the spacing between lines

-Tracking refers to the amount of space between a group of letters; affects density in a line or block of copy...As a rule, below -40 and above +40 tracking are not advised.

-Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between individual characters/letter forms:

-Invisible characters such as returns, spaces, tabs, etc, will only appear when you have

“Show Hidden Characters” turned on:

Widows and orphans:

• Windows and orphans are lines or words left hanging/separated from a complete block of text
• Avoid where possible
• Words left at the end of a paragraph
• Use tracking and line spacing to remove any widows and orphans

Dashes and spaces:

• Never use a hyphen (-) in place of an en dash (–) or an em dash (—)
• Hyphens are also used for word division
• The en dash (–) is used to indicate range, distance or time
• em (—) dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—

Rivers:

•  Rivers of white, are gaps in typesetting
• Appear to run through a paragraph of text, due to a coincidental alignment of spaces
•  Most noticeable with wide interword spaces