“Rather than being eclipsed by new technologies, modern typography has become a powerful medium for visual experimentation and personal expression.  Creativity alone, however, is not enough to ensure the success of typographic communication. To transform even the simplest piece of information, the graphic designer must grasp theories and aesthetic principles that have informed visual communication for centuries.”  (Kunz, intro)

To illustrate what I am talking about, I have created some examples of how different typographic variations affect the visual quality of typography.  You can see how even the smallest adjustments will affect rhythm, legibility and the overall visual quality of the message you are trying to communicate.

Here’s a list of more variations that will affect visual quality:

Background (shape, color, surface)

Letter (Case, Face, Slant, Weight, Width, Size)

Word (Letter space,  Kerning, Baseline)

Line (Word space, Length, Direction)

Paragraph (Alignment, Interline space, First line)

Column (Number, Width, Placement, Interline space, Length)

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Seven Principles of Effective Typography

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