Typography for the web
Text and typography have their roots in printed media. Book after book have been written about how to create attractive pieces of printed media . But when these rules are applied for the creation of online media, they are definately lacking.
Today, it’s a fact that more information is read on screens than from printed media.
So, when you finally decide which font to use for your webdesign, you come across a whole bunch of other issues.
The first one being the font itself. Is it a font created for the web or is it a conversion from a print design font?
Second, you have to pay attention to monitor design. You have no idea what monitor resolution you visitors will be using. Creating a splash page often goes ignored.
Third, there is the fact that browsers can display a page differently.
Because there are so many fonts to choose from, it can be tempting to go wild. Remember, less is more!
The importance of typography on the web can’t be stressed out enough. It is the key to getting those visitors to stay and come back. Text is still king online and it should be the centre of your design.
Some cool online recources:
- Our Type (http://www.ourtype.com) Try before you buy, see typo in action
- Typetester (http://typetester.maratz.com) Specify type for your website
- Free fonts (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/category/fonts) Get them while they’re hot