Typography (performed by a typographer) is the art of arranging letters on a page to be printed, usually for a combination of aesthetic and functional goals.

While the term orthography usually refers to correct writing in general, typography includes:

  • thoughtful selection and use of typefaces (fonts);
  • correct use of emphasis;
  • optional decoration such as initials;
  • adhering to rules of typographical syntax, such as when to use a hyphen vs. a dash, or what glyphs to use for quotation marks, which varies greatly among different languages.

The term typography has broadened to include arranging text on the computer screen. When an overall layout specification has to handle a range of actual content – whether on screen or not – the term more often used is information design.

Note that type design is generally considered a separate activity from typography, although it can be considered a branch thereof.

Table of contents
1 Quotations
2 Important typographers and type designers
3 Related articles
4 Resources
5 Web-Links

Quotations

Typography is directing a message.
Günter Gerhard Lange, found on typolis.de

Only who knows the rules can break them when necessary.
found on typolis.de

Anyone meaning to be an expert at types, because he could read it, is quite fine mistaken.
Jan Tschichold, found on typolis.de

The whole is more than the addition of its parts.
Laotse, found on typolis.de

For design, the unprinted area is more important than the printed.
Joachim Opfer, found on typolis.de

Good typography explains the content, not the designer.
Kurt Weidemann, found on typolis.de

In all arts the believe in counting and measuring leeds to the greatest mistakes.
Paul Renner, found on typolis.de

Also the printed looks either good or bad, anyhow it always looks like somehow; and just this look marks its aesthetic value.
Paul Renner, found on typolis.de

Important typographers and type designers

Related articles

Resources

Web-Links