Typography Basics
What is the main goal of good typography?
To communicate clearly and make text easy to read.
What happens when you stretch or squish text to fit a space?
It distorts proportions and hurts legibility.
What type of font is best for formal or traditional designs?
Serif fonts.
What’s one way to make text creative without hurting legibility?
Use color contrast or layout instead of warping the text.
You’re making a flyer for a kid’s birthday party. Which font choice fits best?
A playful display font — but still clear and easy to read (like Comic Neue or Bubblegum Sans).
What do we call the spacing between individual letters?
Kerning.
Why is using too many fonts in one design a bad idea?
It confuses the viewer and breaks consistency.
What’s a good rule for pairing fonts?
Contrast them — one serif and one sans serif usually works best.
What’s one creative use of text in a logo that stays readable?
Using negative space or letter substitution
You designed a cool title using brush lettering, but people say it’s hard to read. What’s one quick fix?
Add spacing or simplify some strokes to make letters more recognizable.
What is the spacing between lines of text called?
Leading
What’s wrong with writing in ALL CAPS for long text?
It’s harder to read because all letters are the same height.
What does “hierarchy” mean in typography?
Showing importance through size, weight, or color.
How can blending text with images look good?
Add shadows, outlines, or semi-transparent boxes behind text.
You put white text on a light yellow background, and it’s hard to see. What should you change?
Increase contrast — use a darker background or outline the text.
Which alignment is easiest to read for long paragraphs?
Left-aligned text.
What happens if you overlay text on a busy photo?
It becomes unreadable — the background competes with the words.
What’s a safe number of font families to use in one design?
Two or three at most.
What should always come first—creativity or readability?
Readability. Creativity should enhance it, not replace it.
You made a graffiti-style title that looks amazing but is almost unreadable. What’s the best way to fix it while keeping the vibe?
Keep the graffiti look but clean up letter spacing, reduce distortion, and simplify overlapping strokes.
What’s the difference between serif and sans serif fonts?
Serif fonts have little extra lines or strokes; sans serif fonts do not.
Why should designers avoid overly fancy fonts for body text?
They can look stylish but are hard to read in long passages.
What tool in Illustrator or Photoshop adjusts text spacing evenly?
Tracking.
How can you test if your creative yet legible typography still works?
Step back and see if someone can read it in about 3 seconds.
A client loves your logo idea, but the text fades into the background photo. How can you fix it without changing the font?
Increase contrast — use a darker background or outline the text.