metalpig's blog

Twenty-Two Tips on Typography by Enric Jardi

Last night, while searching an art magazine that I’d bought a week ago, I found this small book by Enric Jardi. If you didn’t know the author, Jardi is a graphic designer and typographer from Barcelona Spain. He founded a group called Type-0-Tones along with some designers, which develop fonts that distributed by FontShop of Berlin.

And just recently(October 2009), the author received a design award(National Award) from Generalitat of Catalonia.

The said book had 2 sides and each side had a different title but related and linked to each other, a 2 in 1 book.The title of the first side (it’s up to you which side you want to be the first) is called, Twenty-two tips on typography (that some designers will never reveal) – A recipe book that will give you tips on what works in typography and what you should do in letters.

Below are the highlights of what’s inside the Twenty-two tips on typography;
1. Choose just a couple of typefaces.
2. Make sure that the typefaces does not communicate something you do not want to communicate.
3. Choose the typeface according to the size that will be used.
4. Use typefaces for your language.
5. When you combine two different typefaces, adjust the sizes.
6. Be sure that your typeface makes it to the end.
7. Do not touch default values.
8. If they let you, range left.
9. Start with the body of the text.
10. Always follow one particular system (or almost always).
11. Do not waste time with margins and page numbers.
12. Conveniently mark paragraphs.
13. Equal out lines (if you can).
14. Reduce the tracking in large bodies of text.
15. Work on titles, headings, and logos.
16. Pay attention to the characters you insert.
17. Reject fake bolds, italics, and small capitals.
18. Learn how H&Js work.
19. If it does not need to stand out, condense and expand the letters.
20. Reduce the leading in larger body sizes.
21. Be careful with numbers.
22. Know what you are talking about.

Moreover, the title on the other side is called – Twenty-two things you should never do with typefaces (that some typographers will never tell you). A list of some guidelines, tricks and quirks that most designers will never reveals to you.

I want also to write the highlights of the Twenty-two things you should never do with typefaces, however, I think it’s better if you will read it directly from the book itself, along with the images and tips from the author.

You can grab the book here: