Type Setting Question
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- craigatkinson
I'm setting the cover of a book. I've been using Helvetica and out of curiosity I'm trying Helvetica Neue, both bold.
Forgive my lack of technical speak, I'm not trained in type. The first image show the alignment using Helv, the tops of the text box aligned with the page margin
Next is Neue aligned the same way, top of text box to margin
There is a larger space above the title, so the text is no longer aligned
Next is Neue bottom aligned to the baseline grid which seems better to me, but originally it was the tops I wanted aligned like the Helv image.
Are there any dos and donts with regards to this? Which is the most 'academic' way?
- hansglib0
The rule of thumb is to align the top of the x-heights. If you align the cap heights, it'll look wrong. Best thing is to start with the x-height alignment and then do it visually
- i_monk0
Ignore the padding around the type that the text box generates.
- craigatkinson0
so by aligning x-heights, the small text would sit in the 'middle' of the larger horizontally?
- hansglib0
top: baseline aligned
mid: x height aligned
bottom: cap height aligned
- craigatkinson0
I see thanks. I need to read up on things a bit more. Using a modernist type grid for this one so maybe that will put things out again?
- not if you disable "snap to grid" and align the x-heights using the grid. If you set up the master page properly you'll only have to do this once.hansglib
- have to do it oncehansglib
- ok nice, thanks for helpcraigatkinson