Types of fonts: (Click the words"Types of fonts" to see the image we saw in class of the different types)
• Serif
• Sans-serif
• Traditional, Modern, and Slab (Serif)
• Humanist, Geometric, Grotesque (Sans-serif)
• Calligraphic Script, Cursive script, Cursive, Handwritten, Blackletter
• Decorative
and, in general, which fonts tell what kind of message
Kerning:
• What it is, understand what the joke "keming" refers to
• How to recognize when it's done incorrectly
• Be able to adjust a poorly kerned letter set so that it works
• Which colors tell what kind of message Color: (Color will not be on Wednesday's quiz)
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Kerning:
What is kerning?
Kerning is, basically, adjusting the spacing between letters to make them more readable and attractively spaced. Badly kerned type can lead to funny misinterpretations and major headaches. Google "bad kerning" for examples. On common example of bad kerning is when an "r" and an "n" are too close together and are mistaken for an "m". To make a joke of this common error, some typographers jokingly say "keming" instead of "kerning".
Wait, but don't computers already have set spaces between letters?
Computers do automatically kern text for you, but can sometimes cause odd shapes between letter pairs, such as creating too little space in one instance and too much space somewhere else within the same word or phrase. If this happens, it is necessary to manually adjust the letter spacing.
How can I kern letters in Photoshop?
The kerning icon is typically represented by an “A\V” symbol with arrows above and below the characters. The space widens as the number grows and the space becomes more narrow as the number decreases. NOTE: You cannot kern letters in an image, only letters that you manually type.
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Color:
Just as each type of font sends a different message, each color sends a message too.
Red - Passion, Intensity.
Often in restaurants, encourages appetite
Orange - Excitement, Enthusiasm, Warmth, Attention-getting.
Often used on traffic cones and in construction areas
Yellow - Cheerful, Warm.
Often seen as kitchen wall paint, gives you energy, more likely to cause eye strain
Green - Health, Tranquility, Money, Nature.
Used in "green" businesses, good color for bedroom walls
Blue - Calmness, Serenity, Productivity.
Often used in corporate businesses
Purple - Royalty, Wealth, Success, Wisdom.
Kings wore purple robes, lavender painted rooms seem more relaxing
Pink - Calming, Love, Romance.
Often used in nurseries for baby girls and in stores aimed at a female audience
White - Purity, Innocence, Empty, Spaciousness.
Creates an illusion of space or sterility
Brown - Reliability, Practicality, Earth.
Used in outdoor, health food items, and "green" products
Black - Luxury, Classiness.
Often used for luxury items, more "sophisticated"
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Fonts Assignment #3: Play the Kerning Game
Play The Kerning Game (Take a screenshot and send it on the Submit your Work page when you get a final score of 75 or more to get your points for this assignment) Due at the end of class on Tuesday, April 29.
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Fonts Assignment #4: Refining the Business Name
Choose 3 of the 10 business names we worked with on assignment #2, (Assignment #2 was the assignment in which you chose what font to use for each business name.)
Using your previous knowledge of fonts and Photoshop and your new knowledge of kerning and color, make each of the three business names you chose match the personality of the company. You can use any effects, beveling, gradients, shading, etc in Photoshop you want, and you can add in additional images and text. Make sure your additions and changes fit with the business's theme (ie. don't put images of computers in an image for a coffee company unless it's a cybercafé). For each business name, the viewer should be able to, at a glance, tell what the general feel of the business is.
Submit your work on the website as one .psd file with all three business images on one page. If your file is larger than 20MB, use filestofriends.com and send me a detailed note with your name and the link on the Contact Mrs. Garnet page.
Due at the end of class on Friday, May 2.