Losaurdo Chapter 3 & 4 Response

Chapter 3 Syntax and Communication

The things that happen when letters come together and create words. 

With the combination of words sentences are formed.

The sentences are placed in lovely lines placed in columns. 

These columns are placed on pages with margins that create wholesome legible designs! 

There are many different aspects to typography. The space between lines and columns create alignments and form-to-void relationships that establish spatial order. On the page there is an arrangement of elements in a graduated series from most to least known as visual hierarchy. The elements that have similar characteristics have equal hierarchy. The elements have contrasting characteristics create dominate and subordinate positions. Size, weight, color, and spacial intervals all have a part in visual hierarchy. 

Each page is created on a grid. The grid system provides a framework with proportional relationships that help to achieve the desired visual effect for the content of the piece. The grid system defines the "active" space of the page. Withing in the page there is a pattern known as the ABA form. A's function as repetition while the B's serves as a contrasting element. 

When all these elements come together we get a visually appealing page layout. 

Chapter 4 Legibility

An extremely important, but often neglected part of typography. Allows the viewer to understand the typographic form with minimal difficulty.  The English alphabet is made up of 26 letters. No matter how they are manipulated, the basic structure remains the same. The upper half and the right side of a letter provides better visual cues. Letters with ascenders or descenders help to aid in word recognition. 

Lowercase words help to make reading easier and more legible. Capitol letters take up more space and because the letters are all the same height it makes legibility harder to comprehend. Spacing between letters and words helps with legibility. with to much or to little spacing between words also destroys legibility. Using the correct size helps the viewer to easily comprehend the message. To small of a font size creates difficulty in comprehension while to large fonts can break up the word. 

An appropriate line length allows a lovely rhythm for reading. To short or to long of lines tire the readers. When it comes to the weight of the font, to light or to heavy of a weight destroys legibility. Although weight, when properly used creates emphasis on the word. When you add colors to fonts you have to be careful of certain combinations. 

There are a few methods to creating paragraphs. A designer must choose if they want a justified or unjustified paragraph. A justified paragraph has smooth edges on both sides of the column. Although this causes awkward gaps known as "rivers" within the paragraphs and breaks up reading rhythm. Also one much choose how the paragraph should be broken up. A designer can use an indent, common in books, magazines and newspapers. Sometimes the designer doesn't indent the first column to maintain the square corner. Or the designer can just use a single space between paragraphs in place of an indent.