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Learn about integrating text effectively in multimedia content, choosing typefaces for readability, adjusting spacing, alignment, and enhancing text with graphics, in this comprehensive chapter.
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Multimedia--Print Type Chapter 8
Multimedia • The integration of interactive elements such as text, graphics, animation, audio, and video using computer technology. • Each element (component), of multimedia enhances the users experience.
Typeface Vs. Font Typeface Font • Refers to a set of letters, numbers, and other characters created by a designer. • Times New Roman is a typeface and all of the characters in the typeface share certain design characteristics. • Refers to a collection of characters with the same style within a typeface. • Term font relates to the computer files used to show text on a screen and to print text.
Readability • Main concern for designers working with text is usually readability, especially when working with blocks of text. • Readability • Means the reader can easily recognize the letters and words and follow the text along without “losing their place”. • The text visually sets the tone for the message.
Choosing a typeface • Picking a typeface that fits the tone of a project is important for helping express the text’s message. • Choosing the right size is even more important for readability. • Point size refers only to the height of the typeface rather than it width, so two typefaces with the same point size can be visually different sizes.
Adjusting Spacing to Improve Readability • Spacing in a block of text is just as important to readability as choosing the right typeface, size and style. • The space between the lines of text in a text block is called leading. • Leading is measured from the baseline of one line of text to the baseline of the next. • Double-space is an example of “leading”. • Readability suffers if leading too loose or too tight. • Graphic designers drastically alter leading for dramatic effect.
Tracking • Also called letter spacing • Refers to the amount of space between characters in a word or line of text. • See figure 8.6 on page 170 for an example. • Condensed or tight tracing can make text hard to read, especially if typeface is small.
Text • Text, which consists of written words, numbers, or symbols, is an element of multimedia. • Virtually all multimedia productions include text. Text might be in paragraphs or be a tagline on a display screen. • Text is enhanced when used with other multimedia elements such as: • Graphics, animation, audio or video. • Newsletters are considered multimedia.
Graphics • Multimedia projects nearly always include a graphic. • Graphic: a drawing, chart, diagram, painting, picture, or photo. • Graphics, also called images, can be used to provide visual interest, attract attention, or convey information.
Kerning • Tracking is often confused with kerning. • Tracking refers to adjusting all of the spaces between a group of characters equally. • Kerning refers to adjusting the space between just two characters to improve the look of a word.
Considering Paragraph Width and Alignment • The width and alignment of a paragraph can affect the readability of body text. • Lines that are too long or too short will slow down readers. • The length of a line of text is called the measure. • The best measure depends to a great extend on the type size. • Another element to consider when setting paragraphs is alignment.
Alignment • How a line of text or a paragraph is positioned in a column: • Flush • Left • Flush right • Centered • Justified.
Flush left • Each line of text aligns at the left edge of the column and the right side is ragged. • Is considered less formal and more inviting than justified text. • Produces fewer hyphenated words at the ends of lines and more even tracking, but can leave awkward gaps of white space.
Flush right • Each line of text aligns at the right edge of the column and the left side is ragged. • Most useful for tables, a column of numbers, short display text, or for languages that are read from right to left, such as Japanese.
Centered • Each line of text is centered across the entire column and both left and right side are ragged. • Reserved mainly for titles, stand-alone text such as an equation or a quotation, and sometimes for poetry.
Justified Alignment • Spaces between letters and words in each line of text are automatically adjusted so text aligns on both the left and right side of the column. • Looks cleaner and more formal than flush left text. • Fits more words in a given space, but can produce awkwardly loose tracking on some lines and visually distracting hyphenation at the ends of lines.
Display type face • A typeface used to attract attention to the design of the font as well as to the words. • Usually set at a larger point size than body text. • Draws attention and sends a message about the document content. • A display typeface is used for only a few words and not extended paragraphs, style is more important than readability.
Display Typeface • There are many standardized disply typefaces. • Often graphic designers create their own, even photographing everyday items arranged to form letters and words and adding them to a layout as headings. • Use same type of display typefaces. Too many different typefaces are distracting and muddle a design.
Common typographical Treatments • Drop caps • Pull quotes • color
Drop caps • The first letter of a paragraph that has been enhanced to give it emphasis. • The letter may be larger or more ornate to crate the effect. • Usually appear at the beginning of a chapter, article, or section. • Don’t overdo drop caps.
Checkpoint • Questions?
Pull Quotes • A selection of text pulled from the body text and set in a larger type size, pull quotes are useful for breaking up long stretches of text or for highlighting content to catch a reader’s attention.
Color • Usually black or other dark color is best for text, color applied to headlines, drop caps, or pull quotes is an effective way to draw attention to a layout and reinforce a design scheme. • Be careful when layering colored text on a colored background. • It’s all about readability!
Cleaning up typeset text • There are few rules about using typography in design: • Typography is more an art than a science. • Typography is subject to fads and fashion; what is cool now, may not be in the future. • Following a few conventions when typesetting text will make your publications appear more professional, whatever the style.
Widows and Orphans • After you set the body text in a document, tweaking a few text elements can make a big impact. • Widow • In typesetting is when the last line of a paragraph falls by itself as the first line of the next page or column. • Orphan • When the first line of a paragraph falls by itself at the bottom of a page or column or when a single word or part of a word falls by itself on the last line of a paragraph.
To Remove Widow or Orphan • Slightly adjust leading on the paragraph or bring a line or two forward or backward so that the offending line is not left alone at the top or bottom of a page or column. • To address the second type of orphan, you can tighten or loosen the tracking in the paragraph a tiny bit or force a line break before the hyphenated word that has the orphan.
Punctuation Marks • Addressing a few punctuation matters can also make your documents cleaner and more professional. • Fine-tuning hyphenation • When a word breaks at the end of a line, be sure at least two characters remain before the hyphen on the first line and at least 3 characters carry forward to the next line. • Try to avoid hyphenating web addresses and proper nouns. • Avoid more than three hyphenated lines in a row.
Hyphens, en dash, & em dash. • An en dash ( -- ) looks like a hyphen but is slightly longer (usually the width of the capital letter N) • En dashes are used most commonly to indicate a range of dates, numbers, or times and in compound adjectives.
Em dash • Is twice as long as an end dash (the width of the capital letter M) • Is frequently used to separate a parenthetical thought, much like parentheses. • As a graphic designer, you may not be responsible for the proper punctuation, but you should know the difference.
Curly Quotes • Also called ‘smart quotes’ • Rounded marks used for quotations and apostrophes. • Straight quotation marks should be used only to indicate measure in inches or feet. • Straight quotes used where curly quotes look amateurish or sloppy.
Web sites • Multimedia is frequently used on the Internet. • In addition to hosting other multimedia projects, a Web site can itself be a multimedia project. • A web site is a versatile multimedia tool. • A Web site can be designed as a tutorial application or as a video game. • Web sites can also include links to tutorials or simulations.
Storing huge projects: • CD • DVD • Blu-Ray • Cloud • Portable hard drive • Flash Drive
