

For instance, compare their letterforms such as the counter, loop, shoulder, and serif. This will help you to find potential similarities when you compare the anchor with a typeface to pair with. Once you have defined the base typeface, analyze carefully its structure and characteristics. Here is a method for you to follow in order to realize a successful type pairing. Once you have set the anchor type, you are now ready to combine it with an additional typeface. Anchoring your choices to a single typeface can lead you toward good combinations. Usually, body text typeface makes the best anchor as it represents the majority of the text people will read on a website. This will be your reference point to work out the size, spacing, contrast and to find good matches. Once you have an idea of the typefaces you want to use start by defining the anchor typeface. In addition to that, I like to read about the history of the typefaces to understand their connotation and qualities in detail.Įxample of a list of word association Define the anchor typeface When I work on a project, my favorite approach to find the typefaces is to use word association as a way of articulating the atmosphere and emotions I need to convey. Moreover, understanding the writing goals and feelings of the content you typeset will help you to choose and combine typefaces correctly. In fact, on the 7 rules for great typography ( Design Rules course available on Udemy), Joe Natoli recommends limiting the choice to two font families maximum to keep the design of a User Interface simple and consistent. Generally, as typefaces have personalities and therefore different voices, it can be challenging to choose and combine them successfully to get the best combination of tone, texture and timbre. Good pairing starts by knowing the kind of fonts you are looking for, and by defining the anchor typeface to find the best combination. Here is a brief guide with tips to remember when it comes to pairing typefaces.įor any project you work on, you should always select your types wisely. The purpose of this article is to help designers including anyone interested in typography to understand some techniques to use in order to combine different typefaces accurately and avoid any visual “cacophony” on their design.
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Learning how to pair typefaces is the best way to add personality and create a design which feels right for the user on a website, app or system. In fact, when combined properly, typefaces help to communicate a clear hierarchy as well as improving the reading experience of the user. In the present article, I will show you how to pair typefaces successfully in order to create a feel and add personality to your designs. In addition to that, my other article “ How art direction will help you create masterful web interfaces” shed some light on how the choice of typefaces can influence the art-direction and the personality of a website and, therefore it’s brand. In my first article “ Great interfaces are made of good typography”, I explained some principles to master in order to create digital interfaces which communicate effectively with good working typography.
