From the course: Learning Graphic Design: Techniques

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Big type, small type

Big type, small type

From the course: Learning Graphic Design: Techniques

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Big type, small type

Here's a tip for when you've set your type at one size but you're going to use it at at a larger or smaller size. You need to make some spacing adjustments. Have a look at this, I have the first paragraph of our Declaration of Independence set in Adobe Caslon. And by the way, Caslon was in use at the time of the declaration and is reported to have been Ben Franklin's favorite typeface. This is set in its default settings, which look great at normal size. But as we reduce it, it begins to get somewhat congested. The solution to this is to add letter and word spacing, in this case about 40%, and then add line spacing, or line letting. And what we're doing is putting white space back into the paragraph by separating all the characters, airing it out, relaxing it a bit. And it just makes it more readable at small sizes. To see this really small, look again at the original setting reduced to 50% and set next to it, the more relaxed version. Setting it this way takes slightly more space…

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