Typography: Just for Paper?
The presentation of text to a reader has several names, but the most common is typography. In a Web context, typography is only beginning to gain attention. Until Flash and Cascading Style Sheets came into popular use, Web designers had no effective control over the appearance of text on their pages (Van Doren, 2001). Now that designers have control, do they have interest?
Consider these three remarks on the competitive nature of textual materials:
“[O]ur eyes practice an unconscious censorship on the mass of material which bombards us” (Bain, p.13).
“Only the publications and individuals offering the best in content and form can win out in such a competitive struggle” (Turnbull & Baird, p.6).
“[R]eaders will often resort to scanning the text because sustained reading is difficult when motivation is lacking….So how do readers become interested in a subject? Good design can awaken interest and sustain it” (Whitbread, p.14).
Designers are keenly aware that their Web pages vie by the minute with millions of other pages for both new and sustained audiences. The remarks above could have easily been made about the cutthroat nature of Web site competition. In fact, all three quotes come from works primarily concerned with print typography, and are presented in chronological order: Bain from 1970, Turnbull & Baird from 1975, and Whitbread from 2002.
It is in Web designers’ interests to look into the textual appearance, or typography, of their pages and sites. Those who do so can seize a small advantage in the constant struggle for audience and market-share. In practice, Web typography differs in execution from print typography. In principle, however, the two are very similar, since both account for their native environments and the needs of readers and users.
Let us briefly examine some of the available literature on why both designers
and users might benefit from attention to the details of Web typography. We
will follow this review with a detailed examination of practical Web typography
as it compares to traditional print typography. Finally, we will discuss these
practices’ implications for Web page users.
