typography

rules i strive to live
by.

always check your kerning.
start off with negative tracking.
at least negative ten. don’t write
vertical when communicating quickly.
(hotel and motel are the exception.)
nor with uneven or unbalanced words.

please don’t leave your typesetting
to a sign shop. they only own silly fonts
have no taste in typographic usage
and don’t design with a purpose.
they’re really quite useless.

location is key. place your type
carefully. simply. in a second.
always close-up double oh’s.
closer than your average kern.
look. moon. poop. food.
be sure the captial Tee and whY
is close to your lower case oh.
To. Yo.

and spread your double el’s.
million. brilliant. trillion. killer.
don’t ever use a font named after
a city. ever. and move comic sans.
to the trash can. on a mac. or recycle
bin. if you’re a user of i.b.m.

make a capital vee and a capital eay
comfortable. VAGINA. ENDEAVOR. tighten
the kern. the space between them.
simple rules. of typography. watch
and observe. it’s easy to learn.
use your keyboard with caution.
perhaps go back to a pen.

the life i’m ruled
by.

know your printer. eat breakfast
with them. drive in their car. always
shake their hand. photoshop is not
graphic design. neither is a computer.

idea is king.

it’s solving a problem. it’s a service.
translating a message from one to
another. from bow to target. the arrow.
straight. narrow. responsible for
the end result. the viewers perception.

there’s meaning. there’s reason.
visual plus verbal equals message.
graphic design is a verb. a+b=c.
providing closure. problem
solved.