OUGD404. Design Principles. Anatomy of type. Part 4. Legibility and readability.

4
legibility and readability are different things but are both based around the anatomy of type.

the main consideration to have or aspect to inspect is the negative space, and in particular the counters, of a letterform.

LEGIBILITY.
this refers to the individual glyphs in a typeface and whether they are recognisable/understandable. the ability to distinguish between individual glyphs based on the known anatomy of typeography.

READABILITY.
the ease to which text can be read/understood. this is influenced by the line length, weight, kerning, point size, primary/secondary leading, justification, tracking.

KERNING: the spacing of letters along the baseline to bring glyphs closer together.

TRACKING: the spacing of a font along the baseline to move glyphs further apart.

a design or publication or whatever should never really contain more that 3 fonts.


how readable are my chosen 5 typefaces?

• identify each font within my chosen 5 typefaces.
• view each font in its full alphabet at points 12, 32, 72
• consider the fonts line length, weight, kerning, point size, primary/secondary leading, justification and tracking to determine the most legible font.

1. century
2. century gothic
3. century schoolbook
4. prestige elite std
5. bauhaus 93
6. cambria
7. cambria math
8. times new roman

1

• weight-varied but generally thin, no confusion between letters or distinguishing indiviual letters
• kerning-spaced close enough together so can recognise each word
• point size-easier as size increases, quite hard at 12pt in both cases
• leading-good use of, spaced well so can see each line and words on that line
• tracking-spaced far enough apart so can recognise each letter

2

• weight-single weight, quite thin, makes reading easier
• kerning-letters quite close but overly so cant be read
• point size-12pt more legible than century
• leading-really good, helps a lot with recognition of line and word
• tracking-spaced quite close but i think helps readability

3

• weight-varied and slightly confusing, with serifs makes words slightly less readable
• kerning-letters pretty close so words look more squashed so more confusing
• point size-12pt really difficult to read
• leading-not much space between lines so lines less recongnisable
• tracking-could be futher apart really

4

• weight-standard and nice weight, works with font, words easily recognisable
• kerning-letters spaced close enough together so that words are readable
• leading-good space between each line makes each line more distinguishable
• tracking-could be a bit more spaced apart

5

• weight-thick and confusing, words still readable but thickness makes words look similar
• kerning-letters close but not overlapping so ok
• leading-good, allows a mple space between line to recognise each line
• tracking-letters could be futher apart

6

• weight-well varied so each letter is legible so each word is readable
• kerning-letters close enough to recognise whole words
• leading-really like the leading because its quite big and so one can really recognise the separation between each line
• tracking-letters could be futher apart.

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7

• weight-not much variation to excentuate line/stroke but this is better for this font because letters are more seeable
• kerning-pretty darn close.
• leading-reasonalbe leading but ould still be abit bigger
• tracking-i think the tracking is adequate for readability

8

• line length-lies and strokes are quite long so letters can be recognised so words more readable
• weight-think the weight, with the serifs, can be abit confusing because the same pattern of thick/thin weights is used on may letteres that are similar in shape and so could be confused for each other so the words are harder to read
• kerning-reasonably spaced on the uppercase but not lowercase. makes words harder to read
• point size-as the point gets bigger the words get more readable but at 12pt its really hard to read, letters look squashed and shapes are discernible.
• leading-is quite good because gives ample space below any descencder for the new line to start
• tracking-could be more so, letter quite squashed

MOST READABLE FONT OUT OF EACH TYPEFACE...

CENTURY>

century gothic

the simplicity of form allows for maximum legibility of letterforms-only uses straight lines and circular curves and bowls so each letter can be recognised, making each word readable.

a standard weight means there is less confusion between letterforms meaning words are recognisable

there arent ay serifs or unnecessary decorations to confusie the eye 

CAMBRIA>

cambria math
serifs are simple and excentuate the terminals instead of confusing the eye so its easier to see where each letter ends and is separate to the next/previous. the longer, thinner, slightly stretched so can really understand each letter to then read the word properly.


PRESTIGE>
prestige elite std bold
the typewriter feel is a really readable font bevause everyone recognises and is familiar with it. the slab seris and larger kerning really space the letters apart enough to see each letter but not too much so the word is lost.


BAUHAUS>
bauhaus 93
this is the only font in the bauhaus typeface and so is the most readable for that reason.

TIMES>
times new roman. both fonts are very similar but i thought the weights being slightly different along with the different serifs made times new roman a more legible font than times. because the letters are slightly more easily recognised the font is more readable and readability is increased by the very fine kerning which sounds strange but i think its true.