Top ten tips for web typography

Scan from Design Edge magazine

The latest issue of Design Edge Canada magazine – a publication for Canada’s graphic design industry – was a web typography special for which I contributed the following top ten tips for web typography:

  1. Use quote and dashes; not primes and hyphens
  2. Don’t rely on a browser’s default margins and indentations
  3. Design to a scale
  4. Limit your number of typefaces and font sizes
  5. Ensure line lengths are comfortable for reading on screen
  6. Be generous with leading
  7. Embrace web fonts such as Arial that are well designed for the job
  8. Ensure you design won’t break when users increase the text size
  9. Specify a print style sheet to ensure your website prints out well
  10. Prepare for print-resolution screens

Yes I did say embrace Arial. It is a good screen font. Rubbish in print, but good on screen q.v. Subtraction.

Also in the magazine is a very decent article on the current state of web typography, featuring contributions from me, Dave Shea, Joe Clark and even typographer Matthew Carter. If you’re based in Canada you can order the magazine for free (those outside of Canada will have to fork out $60). I’m hoping the articles will make their way online soon.