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Hierarchy of Typography: How to Make Fonts Speak

Hierarchy of Typography How to Make Fonts Speak

The hierarchy of typography is a graphic design visual principle and a fundamental concept that all types of designers should know about. It’s essentially a strategy of font arrangement, ensuring convenience of the information transfer process. Without a hierarchy, you create the “text wall” effect that makes reading so difficult.

Key Takeaways:

  • Typographic hierarchy ensures that the text is both visually appealing and legible.
  • Each typographic element is continuous to make each section stand out from the others.
  • By highlighting important information, typography creates a unique and distinct text-based project.

What Is Hierarchy in Typography?

Typography hierarchy refers to text-based mediums with visual cues that establish an order of importance within the data. From websites and mobile apps to newspapers and corporate reports, typography hierarchy involves different sections to enhance both the usability and aesthetics of the design simultaneously.

Why is the Hierarchy of Typography Important?

Here’s why the typography hierarchy is special:

  • Improve Readability: Typographic hierarchy boosts readability and understanding by guiding viewers’ attention through the layout in a logical order.
  • Enhance User Experience: Typographic hierarchy plays a crucial role in user guidance through a seamless experience. Simply put, it shows the reader which points to focus on and which just support the main pieces of information at a glance.
  • Build Visual Interest: Beyond functionality, the typographic hierarchy elevates the visual appeal and impact of the entire design.

Also Read: 10 Best Books to Learn Typography and Elevate Your Design Skills

Hierarchy of Typography Levels

Every design should include the basic classification of typography hierarchy, as follows.

1. Heading

A heading is a short statement that describes the next section of your content. Ideally, this element is visually appealing with the large and bold font specification.

2. Subheading

It’s the heading’s mini-headline. Subheadings should be more concise than the heading and quite bigger than the body text.

3. Body Text

A body text is the last level of the typographic hierarchy. It covers the main text of the whole context. Here, the use of a clean and easy-to-read typeface is a must to improve user experience.

Also Read: Impact of Typography in Advertising​: 5 Secrets to Eye-Catching Ads

Hierarchy of Typography Elements

Letters in typography
Letters in typography (Source: Freepik – Memet Saputra)

Typographic hierarchy is not only about displaying fonts; it also involves manipulating various typographic elements to create importance levels. These include:

1. Style

Pick typefaces that best fit your design mood and legibility. Use font styles strategically within a typography hierarchy, such as bold for emphasis or italics for subtle distinction, to enhance clarity without overwhelming the design.

2. Size

Font size matters; it contributes to directing the reader’s eyes. Choose the bigger font size for headlines and take the smaller one for body copy or meta-information purposes.

3. Capitalization

Leveraging all-caps for a header or subheader is the easiest way to differentiate each section.

4. Position and Alignment

This hierarchy of typography elements is essential to embody a visually balanced and cohesive layout. For instance, using centered headlines while keeping consistent margins creates a clear focal point and structured layout.

5. Weight

Weight in typographic hierarchy describes how a font’s lightness or heaviness affects readability. Heavier weights make text stand out, while lighter ones make it recede.

6. Color

Text color selection is a must to trigger the readers’ emotional responses. Using contrasting colors to create a more distinct hierarchy is a fantastic option.

7. Spacing

Adjusting the proper typography spacing between each line or letter indicates clarity, ensuring the content is more accessible to readers. More white space highlights the important notes, while the tighter line spacing makes text denser.

Also Read: Discover the Integrity of 6 Font Classifications in Typography

Hierarchy Typography Examples

To get a better understanding of hierarchy typography, here are two examples to follow.

1. Contrasting Color and Size

The Illustration of Contrast Typography Hierarchy
The Illustration of Contrast Typography Hierarchy (Source: Pinterest – Creative Market)

As you can see, this illustration embodies the contrast element between color and size, creating a dynamic visual hierarchy.

2. Heading Between Body Text and Subheading

The Illustration of Heading + Body Text Only
The Illustration of Heading + Body Text Only (Source: Pinterest – Behance)

Why not put down the heading between the subheading and body text only for your design? You may think it’s quirky, but it’s best for presenting a high readability of key points.

Also Read: How to Create a Font from Your Handwriting in 7 Easy Steps

Let’s Use the Hierarchy of Typography for Your Design!

Displaying typographic hierarchy is not merely about legibility and visibility; it’s about content structurization to create the user experience at once. For your convenience, using a high-quality font selection from Lettersiro is a smart choice.

Interestingly, you can pull a premium font with a complete license, allowing you to use it for personal and corporate purposes at affordable rates. Grab your perfect font and unlock your creativity with Lettersiro!

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