When setting up a document for screen first of all you should be working in RGB, the stands for red, green and blue, the 3 primary colours. The reason we need to use RGB is because the it's computer's native colour space and the system for capturing and displaying colour images electronically. All TV, computer and electronic display screens create colour by generating red, green and blue (RGB) lights. This is because our eyes are sensitive to red, green and blue, and our brain mixes the colouurs together. This is called additive colour.
Secondly the document should be set to 72 ppi (pixels per inch). The reason is because the 72 ppi for screen resolution was an early attempt on Macs to get a one to one correspondence between screen resolution and “old fashioned” print measuresments. 12 pixels on a mac screen should be the same as a 12pt font printed out. 72 pixels printed from a mac should be one inch. PCs have always been 96 ppi, but by keeping to 72 ppi it means across different platforms the image can be viewed and will look the same. 72 ppi is also seen as the lowest amount of dots the human eye can 'blend' together on screen without noticing the pixels.
2. Setting up a document for print
You should always set up a document for print in CMYK. CMYK is subtractive, Subtractive colour systems start with light, presumably white light (stock). Colored inks, paints, or filters between the viewer and the light source or reflective surface subtract wavelengths from the light, giving it colour. Printer use CMYK screen uses RGB.
Secondly the document should be set to 300 DPI. DPI is dots per inch and is just how many dots are printed per inch. If you look at a printed image through a linen counter you are able to see the CMYK dots laid on top of each other mixing together to create colour where as with RGB on screen the eye mixes the colour.
In illustrator the dpi or pip does not need to be set because it uses vector based images as opposed to pixels.
3. The anatomy of type;
Ascenders
Any part in a lowercase letter that extends above the x-height, found for example in b, d, f, h, k, etc. Some types of ascenders have specific names.
Baseline
The imaginary line upon which the letters in a font appear to rest.
Bowl
The curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts (counter) of some letters such as ‘d’, ‘b’, ‘o’, ‘D’, and ‘B’ is the bowl.
Bracket
The bracket is a curved or wedge-like connection between the stem and serif of some fonts. Not all serifs are bracketed serifs.
Cap height
The height from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters
Counter
The enclosed or partially enclosed circular or curved negative space (white space) of some letters such as d, o, and s is the counter.
Crossbar
The (usually) horizontal stroke across the middle of uppercase ‘A’ and ‘H’ is a crossbar.
Descender
Any part in a lowercase letter that extends below the baseline, found for example in g, j, p, q, y, etc. Some types of descenders have specific names.
Ear
Typically found on the lower case ‘g’, an ear is a decorative flourish usually on the upper right side of the bowl.
Eye
Much like a counter, the eye refers specifically to the enclosed space in a lowercase ‘e’.
Loop
In a double-storey ‘g’, the loop is the enclosed or partially enclosed counter below the baseline that is connected to the bowl by a link. The enclosed or partially enclosed extenders on cursive ‘p’, ‘b’, ‘l’, and similiar letters are also called loops.
Serif
Small, finishing strokes on the arms, stems, and tails of characters. Serif typefaces are usually used for text since the serifs form a link between letters that leads the eye across a line of type.
Stem
The upright element of a letter or character.
Tail
In typography, the descending, often decorative stroke on the letter ‘Q’ or the descending, often curved diagonal stroke on ‘K’ or ‘R’ is the tail.
Terminal
The end (straight or curved) of any stroke that doesn't include a serif.
X-height
The height of the lowercase letters, disregarding ascenders or descenders, typically exemplified by the letter x. The relationship of the x-height to the body defines the perceived type size. A typeface with a large x-height looks much bigger than a typeface with a small x-height at the same size.
4. The difference between a typeface and a font
Typeface- A collection of characters, letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation etc that have the same distinct design. A group of fonts based around the same font such as Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Light etc... Individual fonts but collectively a typeface
Font- The physical means used to create a typeface, be it computer code, lithographic film, metal or woodcut
5. The difference between a font family and a type family
Font family is the same font just different weights
Type family is broader, it includes italics etc...
6. The measuring system within type
Type is measured in points, each point is 0.138 inches meaning there are approximately 72 points in an inch. Another measurement is Pica, there are 12 points per pica
7. Typography vocabulary
- Font
- Typeface
- Font family
- Weight
- Stroke
- Upper/Lowercase
- Tracking
- Kerning
- Serif
- Sans Serif
- Script
- Blackletter
- Display
- Monotype
- Symbol
8. Within a typeface you there are 4 categories
Gothic- stripped down simple sans serif font
Roman- serif fonts
Block- largely used for headlines and short sentences
Script- sweep of a brush, stroke of a quill
However the problem is you can have block roman, block gothic or block script. Block is a sub category because it relates to the weight and usage, not the style.
9. The difference between legibility and readability.
Legibility is the degree to which glyphs (individual characters) in text are understandable or recognisable based on appearance.
Readability is the ease in which text can be read and understood. It is influenced by line length, primary, secondary leading, justification, typestyle, kerning, tracking and pt size.
10. Should at least vaguely understand Ittens 7 contrasts of colour
- Contrast of tone
- Contrast of hue
- Contrast of saturation
- Contrast of temperature
- Contrast of extension
- Simultaneous contrast
- Complimentary contrast