Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Final Setting
Another slight decrease in the paragraph width, an added point of leading, and de-
cisive re-breaking of the lines yields a paragraph with a comfortable texture, an optimal line count,
minimal hyphenation, and a beautiful rag. From this ultimate paragraph, the typographer is ready
to consider how to structure columns and supporting treatments for elements such as captions, sub-
heads, and so on.
In this study of a paragraph, the variables of type size, spacing, leading, and paragraph width are
tested to arrive at a text setting that results in the most comfortable spacing, the least hyphenation,
and a decisive rag.
Text excerpted from
The Elements of Typographic Style
by Robert Bringhurst
THREE STYLES OF TEXT
set on different widths are also set in three different sizes to achieve as
near to optimal relationship between type size and column width as possible—approximately 30
characters per line for short bursts of reading, 50 to 70 characters for extended reading. The wide,
primary text column is likely too wide to be optimal, but the designer has increased the leading,
relative to the point size, to make it more comfortable.
EarSay
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Paragraph Separation
A World of Options
