Typography questions

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?

50-60 characters and 12-15 words

Why is the baseline grid used in design?

Baseline grids serve to anchor all (or nearly all) layout elements to a common rhythm.

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

Justified text makes a clean shape on the page. Its efficient us of space makes it norm for newspapers and books. Unjustified type respects the organic flow of language and avoids the uneven spacing

What is a typographic river?

In typography, rivers, or rivers of white, are gaps in typesetting, which appear to run through a paragraph of text, due to a coincidental alignment of spaces.

What does clothesline, hang-line or flow line mean?

When body text can “hang” from a common line it is called a hang-line

What is type color/texture mean?

Type texture is when you mix something like a big type with a small skinny type to create a visual texture.

How does x-height effect type color?

 A large x-height increases the negative space within each letter, so colors will appear lighter in more white space.

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

Create a line of space between two paragraphs, you can also indent, however you never indent and also put a line of space between two paragraphs because you are signifying the same break twice.