ABSTRACT
AN INTRODUCTION TO TYPOGRAPHY The element of text is one of the most important components of a multimedia experience. Text is the visual representation of intellectual thought as expressed through a human language system. Whether it’s in the form of texting, hypertext, tweeting, email, snail mail, or notes on a napkin at lunch, text plays a big role in our lives. The Age of Enlightenment was predicated on humankind’s ability to share ideas and information through formally agreed upon conventions of writing. Even in a multimedia age, we continue to rely on text as the primary means of recording, receiving, and transferring human knowledge and ideas. So what is typography? How do you make informed choices about fonts, spacing, and other typesetting and layout options? What makes Times New Roman recognizable and look different from Arial? Let’s start at the beginning and get a few terms and ideas straight.
