Some great typesetting rules here. Most of them don’t really apply to the web (that is to say, they should, but we simply don’t have the control to allow for them), but there are a few that do. I was particularly excited by the rules for emoticons, which I’ve always wondered about. I’d created this rule for myself; I’m glad to see someone else agrees:
A smiley may coincide with a closing bracket (given that it is preceded by an opening one :-).
(Note to Sara Flemming: your ass-backwards open-paren-colon smileys destroy all meaning these rules may have had (:). See!?
Via Dan Mall. Visit site »
The difference between “typeface” and “font” is one of those things where you know it doesn’t really matter when people use them interchangeably, but when you know the difference, it still grates on your nerves to hear them used incorrectly. By the way, if I haven’t said it before: Jon Tan’s site has some of the best web typography around. Check it out. Visit site »
An absolutely gorgeous design by Bryan here. Great typography, great simplicity in the colors. I love it all. Also, how about that product name? Addicitionary, for a social dictionary? Perfect. I read it three different ways: “A dictionary,” “Add dictionary,” and “Addicition-ary” (which I assume is the way it’s pronounced). Clever.
Also, see Bryan’s retrospective on the design. Visit site »
Probably nothing you don’t already know here, but they’re good reminders, nonetheless. Visit site »
Looks interesting at a glance. I haven’t checked out the code, so I’m not sure. If you’re needing non-web fonts in sucky browsers, it may be worth looking into. Visit site »
Richard puts out a call to font foundries to stop fretting about web font embedding and find a way to make it work in their favor. Noting that by the end of the year, around 30% of web users will be able to view embedded typefaces, Richard says:
Font foundries could license their fonts for embedding and serve those fonts only to registered websites, using their own hosted system or via a trusted third party.
Word. Visit site »
Firefox 3 gets big kudos for its incorporation of kerning and basic ligatures in the new version of the browser. However, these improvements are negated by the fact that it also enables discretionary ligatures by default, which is likely to destroy the look of pages rendered in certain typefaces. Visit site »
Chad’s got a nice post showcasing several great examples of web typography. His selections are definitely good, but it’s worth pointing out that they’re almost exclusively examples of great display type on the web. Very little body type is showcased here. Visit site »
Jon has a nice piece on the paragraph and how to appropriately use it on the web. It’s an important topic and one I spend a decent amount of time on in my usual typography talk when I speak at events. Far too often, people think typography is all about picking typefaces; Jon effectively explains some of the more nuanced details in this article. Visit site »
A nice overview on how to choose typefaces and set type in ways that are appropriate for children. Visit site »
For anyone who still thinks it’s not possible to create beautiful typesettings using HTML and CSS. Well done, Coudal! Visit site »
A few great short clips from an interview with the always-insightful Michael Bierut. Good stuff. Visit site »
August 1st, 2007–August 5th, 2007 in Seattle, WA
A wonderful eight-minute video with Michael Bierut on the topic of typography. Man, I love this guy. I got his 79 Essays book for Christmas, but haven’t gotten into it yet. Can’t wait. Visit site »
I look forward to Nicholas Felton’s personal annual reports every year. Sooo well-done. Visit site »
In which I offer up links to the audio for Webmaster Jam Session 2007, including my talk on web typography.
These are awesome. I really wish there was a Seattle one. I’d hang it in my home office in a heartbeat. Visit site »