Rhythm & Proportion in Typography

A talk about Rhythm & Proportion: typography, baseline grid and so forth. I am comparing units in pixels, because it is easier to make a point. Ideally, you want to set your body font-size in % and use (r)ems from there on.

These slides are from the Fronteers meet-up at Wijs in Ghent. Speaker notes might be added later. Hit me up on twitter @xavez if you’re interested or have *any* feedback!

Transcript

1. Rhythm & Proportion: think more, do less xavier bertels · @xavez fronteers ghent (wijs) · juli 2012
2. 1. Getting the basics right
3. s s
4. s s sans-serif serif
5. s s sans-serif serif
6. s s sans-serif serif
7. Makes no sense.
8. W3C: Serif Sans-serif
9. W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
10. Times New Helvetica Brush Script Papyrus Courier W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
11. Didot W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
12. Didot Optima W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
13. Didot Optima I am sorry W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
14. Didot Optima I am sorry Fraktur W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
15. Didot Optima I am sorry Fraktur Anonymous W3C: Serif Sans-serif Cursive Fantasy Monospace
16. http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css3-fonts/#generic-font-families
17. What a mess.
18. “16px is a good minimum size for body copy”
19. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and vi- ruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the ex- act same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends.
20. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and vi- ruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the ex- act same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may
21. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo-
22. Ha Ha 144pt Times 144pt Bernhard
23. Ha Ha 144pt Times 144pt Bernhard
24. 144pt Times 144pt Bernhard Ha Ha
25. Why does it matter?
26. 95% of what we do revolves around text . . . – Oliver Reichenstein
27. . . . and it puts focus on the wrong properties. – Me
28. Forget about serif and sans-serif. What should we look at?
29. 2. x-height & modulation
30. x-height: defines vertical rhythm
31. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo-
32. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo-
35. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo-
36. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differ- ently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo- site ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells re- act to bacteria and viruses dif- ferently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However un- real it may seem, we are con- nected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on oppo-
37. Let the x-height control your vertical axis
38. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and virus- es differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacte- ria and viruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connect-
39. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and virus- es differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacte- ria and viruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connect-
40. It all perfectly aligns!
41. But your whitespace looks like shit.
42. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and virus- es differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacte- ria and viruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connect-
43. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacteria and virus- es differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends. Your bones don’t break, mine do. That’s clear. Your cells react to bacte- ria and viruses differently than mine. You don’t get sick, I do. That’s also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connect-
44. It’s not about line-height, it’s about the rhythm
45. 1. Set a good, legible body font-size (15) 2. Find what line-height works best (24) 3. Divide that by 3 or 4 (24/3) 4. That’s your magic number! (8)
46. All you have to do is make sure that: margin-top + margin-bottom + padding-top + padding-bottom + border-top + border-bottom + line-height = n × magic number
47. modulation: proportion starts here
48. Word Word Word
49. Word Word Word
50. Word Word Word
51. 3. So what do I do?
52. 1. Set body font-size in % 2. Set all other metrics in (r)ems 3.
53. 1. Use font-size-adjust (<3 Mozilla) 2. Spam all other browser makers
54. gridsetapp.com gridlover.net modularscale.com trentwalton.com/2011/05/10/fit-to-scale webtypography.net/Rhythm_and_Proportion alistapart.com/articles/more-meaningful-typography 24ways.org/2011/theres-no-formula-for-great-designs Further reading