Typography in the CSS3 era

Typographical rhythm & blues

All lengths on on this page are set using the rem unit. This makes setting vertical rhythm much easier. The html element’s font-size is set to 62.5% (10px). As the rem unit is set to the size of the root element, you can map from rems to pixels by multiplying by ten. The rest of the text that follows in this example is taken from the Wikipedia article on typography. Read at your leisure. The photograph that accompanies this article is Untitled by Joost J. Bakker, some rights reserved.

What is typography?

Typography (from the Greek words τύπος (typos) = form and γραφή (graphe) = writing) is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups of letters (tracking) and adjusting the space between pairs of letters (kerning). Type design is a closely related craft, which some consider distinct and others a part of typography; most typographers do not design typefaces, and some type designers do not consider themselves typographers. In modern times, typography has been put into motion — in film, television and online broadcasts — to add emotion to mass communication.

Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists, graffiti artists, clerical workers, and anyone else who arranges type for a product. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users, and it has been said that “typography is now something everybody does.”