DESI182 Week 8 Review

True or false: Two typefaces that are very similar but not exactly the same will pair well together.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Pairing two very similar typefaces can make your design look flat and confuse readers, because their small differences are hard to spot. This clash can distract from your message. For strong design, mix distinct fonts, like a serif with a sans-serif, to add depth and make your text easy to read. Experiment with different combos, but always aim for clear contrast and a unified look.

In Adobe InDesign, where can you find the option to apply standard ligatures to your text?

• In the “character” panel

• In the “paragraph” panel

• In the “story” panel

• In the “paragraph styles” panel

Answer explanation

You can turn standard ligatures on and off in the “character” panel by clicking on the hamburger menu on the top right side of the menu.

Discretionary ligatures can be found in the “glyphs” panel

Is it a good idea to increase the tracking significantly for words with lowercase letters in professional typesetting?

• Yes

• No

Answer explanation

Increasing the tracking can make lowercase text hard to read. This can slow a reader down and make the text less clear.

Generally, it is not recommended to track lowercase text too wide or too narrow.

The ideal tracking value for lowercase letters is normally 0.

How many hyphens should I have in a row in a paragraph?

• One

• Three

• Two

Answer explanation

By setting the hyphenation limit to “1” we can limit the amount of hyphens in a row.

Some designers choose to turn hyphenation off entirely, opting to manually adjust their rag. This can take more time but improves the readability of the paragraph. (I do this!)

What is wrong with this paragraph?

• The rag has not been adjusted properly.

• The line length is too short.

• The leading is too tight.

• The typeface they chose is ugly.

Answer explanation

By fine-tuning our rag, we can enhance readability and achieve a cleaner, more attractive design layout.

What’s wrong with this typeset?

• The designer should have used a multiplication sign instead of an x

• The x should be smaller

• The numbers should use an oldstyle alignment

• The designer should have used an uppercase X

Answer explanation

When discussing numbers, you should always use a multiplication sign instead of an “x” character.

For example, “our company has increased its profits 2× this year.”

You can find this symbol in the glyphs panel.

What’s wrong with this typeset?

• The designer should have used a fractional character

• The numbers should not have been old style

• The numbers should have used a superscript

• It’s best to set numbers in a sans-serif

Answer explanation

Remember that fractions need to use a fractional character!

You can find these in the glyphs panel.

Which punctuation mark should be used to indicate a range of numbers?

• Hyphen (-)

• En dash (–)

• Em dash (—)

• Colon (:)

Answer explanation

What’s this called?

• An orphan

• a widow

• A glyph

• A fractional word

Answer explanation

Orphans make a page look messy and can make reading awkward by leaving just one word or a short line all alone at the top or bottom of a page or sentence.