November 17th

What are the advantages of a multiple column grid? 

multicolumn grids provide flexible formats for publications that have a complex hierarchy or that integrate text and illustrations. The more columns you create, the more flexible your grid becomes

How many characters is optimal for a line length? words per line?

You should have no more than fifty to sixty characters, about 12 words per line. 

Why is the baseline grid used in design?

 It is serves to anchor all (or nearly all) layout elements to a common rhythm. 

What are reasons to set type justified? ragged (unjustified)?

Justified makes a clean shape on the page. Newspapers and books often use justification. For it to be unjustified, it will be centered, ragged right, or ragged left. Centered invites a designer to let their reader take a break from the normal text. Ragged right (flush left) is much easier to read, avoiding uneven spacing. Ragged left (flush right) may be used for captions, side bars and other marginalia being a nice break from the norm as well.

What is a typographic river?

A river occurs when there are evident spaces and gaps between words, creating a flow of unwanted white space between text. This typically happens when using justified type. 

What does clothesline, hangline or flow line mean?

An area across the top that can be reserved for images and captions, and body text that can “hang” from a common line.

What is type color/texture mean?

Type color/texture occurs when using multiple shades or typefaces at once, for different elements of the project or page. 

How does x-height effect type color?

The x height is not the same for every font, and therefore, may like paired fonts look awkward together, and or a perfect match, simply because their heights compliment one another. 

What are some ways to indicate a new paragraph. Are there any rules?

You can use an indent and line break, line break and 1/2 line space, outdent and line break, extra space inside line, without line break and even a symbol, without indent or line break. Remember that using paragraph spacing and indents together squanders space and gives the text block a flabby, indefinite shape.