You’ve learned the history and basics of web typography. But what are the major web type trends you should be aware of when working in web design? Look for these 10 trends in web typography to take us through 2012 and beyond.
1. Typographic voice diversity
Look for websites where the typography is used to tell half the story. The web type on this portfolio site for a designer in Canada tells you a lot about his personality and style.
2. Larger font sizes
As screen resolutions increase, so should font sizes. Use 14px as a minimum for body copy. Jason Santa Maria’s website is a great example of this in action.
3. Slab serif fonts
Slab serifs are great for the screen, providing easy-to-read text and a strong voice. Try the SlabText jQuery plugin—it’s even responsive!
4. Letterpress and other text effects
CSS3 allows you to create text effects to add emphasis to text without bold or italics. Line25′s tutorial on creating a letterpress text effect with CSS3 is a classic.
5. Color contrast
Although controversial, varying contrast allows designers to further guide the viewer’s eye. AdWeek uses different colored headlines for various sections of its website, and doesn’t shy away from big type, drawing on web trend No. 2.
6. Mixing font weights
Web fonts can include multiple font weights, allowing designers to mix them together for typographic contrast. La Wine Agency does this really well.
7. More space
The “above the fold” myth is dead. People scroll, so give your designs some breathing room. Many web designers are embracing the infinite page with creative designs that tell stories as you scroll, like Jessica Hische’s wedding website.
8. Responsive typography
Typography can change to optimize for tablets and smartphones. The FitText jQuery plugin makes it easy.
9. Handwritten fonts
For maximum typographic voice, you can’t beat handwritten fonts. Google Webfonts has more than a hundred available for free to use on your own web projects.
10. Dingbats instead of images
Using dingbats allows you to change the color and size of icons with no loss of fidelity. There’s no shortage of free icon fonts available these days to use on your website.
A version of this article appeared in the July 2012 issue of HOW.
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