User:Andrew/Typography

Purpose

The guideline helps ensure that typography is used in such a way it is always in harmony with the overall visual design.

Guidelines

Typeface Styles

The typeface styles are allocated throughout the user interface as follows. Set system defaults and conduct design activities using the design typeface. Implement the design using the corresponding system typeface to respect user typeface choices that are different from the default.

• A monospace version of the Content Body 1 typeface should be used for code content.
• Typography is treated like any other graphic element when considering spacing and alignment.
• The number of typeface variations should be minimized (~ three) in any single design.
• Typeface point sizes correspond to actual typeface sizes at the default xorg 96 dpi setting, where 1 pt = 1/72 inch (0.35mm).
• Multi-line blocks of text are either left or right aligned; center alignment for multi-line blocks of text is avoided.

Typographic Category Examples

Window Title - Window Title

Menus - Menu bar, Popup menus

Content - Selection panel, Content Panel, Information Panel

Content Title - Category title, Panel popups title

Content Header - Section headers

Content Body 1 - Text content, Icon grid items, List items

Content Body 2 - Captions , tooltips

Properties and Tools - Property panel, Toolbar, Status bar

Color and Contrast

The text color and background color can be varied to provide additional hierarchical hints (e.g. selected text). However, the contrast between the text and background color must be sufficient to preserve legibility of the text.

Words per line

Limit line length to between eight to ten words per line. For typographic categories that use an all caps typeface, limit to between three and four words per line.

Exceptions

When the visual design calls for an area of exceptional focus, a larger typeface size may be used. For a significantly larger typeface use a Light typeface weight to keep the stroke width similar to other typeface styles throughout the interface . All other typeface characteristics for the typographic category should be maintained. For such typeface exceptions to be effective, they must be rare.