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The power of typography | Mia Cinelli | TEDxUofM

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Choosing Fonts: Studying Rounded Typefaces for Body Copy Use

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witty typography puns that will put a smile on a designer’s face - designtaxi.com

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Witty Typography Puns That Will Put A Smile On A Designer's Face - DesignTAXI.com

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These typography jokes are meant to lift designers' spirits.

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Type design process: making Right Grotesk font in Glyphs

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How Making Fonts Changed My Life with Passive Income

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Wake up & smell the fonts | Sarah Hyndman | TEDxBedford

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To the King of the Moment | Skillshare Projects

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I'm a big fan of blackletter lettering, so I'm using my favorite line from the Count of Monte Cristo to build a typographic piece that reflects the saying. I'm. ..

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Typefaces: An Animated Infographic Guide

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Finding the perfect font pairings isn't easy. The ideal scenario is to identifying fonts that complement each other, without fighting for attention, and sit together in perfect harmony. But if you're stuck on which fonts to choose, remember the age-old rule: concord or contrast, but don't conflict.

If you need a bit of help choose the perfect font pairings, we're here to help, having trawled through the many typefaces available to bring you the best font duos right here. However, if you want to pick your own, below we've got some top tips for doing just that. If not, jump straight to our font pairing examples. And you can find top fonts for pairing in our comprehensive list of the best free fonts around.

Font pairings: Top tips to choose the perfect match
01: Use font superfamilies
The easiest way to find perfect font pairings is by using different fonts within the same overarching typeface family. Find a so-called 'super-family' and you'll have a ready-made range of weights, styles and classifications that are specifically designed to work together.

A good super-family will include serif and a sans serif version of the same typeface: famous examples include Lucida/Lucida Sans and Meta/Meta Sans.
02: Pair contrasting typefaces
Contrast, as the name implies, is about finding totally different - but still complementary - typefaces that are each fit for their intended application. Traditionally, this involves pairing a serif with a sans serif.

Typefaces will generally conflict if they are too similar: two ever-so-slightly different serifs or sans serifs rarely create nice font pairings.

As a designer, the important thing is to establish a clear hierarchy. This could be as simple as varying the size and weight of the same typeface - but where the typeface varies, careful font pairing is crucial. If you have a display face packed with unique personality, you'll need something more neutral to do the hard work.
03: Pair type sub-categories
Of course, 'serif' and 'sans serif' are themselves broad classifications - each split into several sub-categories. Generally speaking, Old Style serifs such as Bembo, Caslon and Garamond will combine well with Humanist sans serifs, such as Gill Sans and Lucida Grande.

Meanwhile, Transitional serifs have a stronger contrast between thick and thin strokes - examples include Bookman, Mrs. Eaves, Perpetua and Times. These pair with Geometric sans serifs such as Avant Garde, Avenir, Century Gothic, Eurostile, Futura and Univers.

Finally, Modern serifs have an often very dramatic contrast between thick and thin for a more pronounced, stylised effect, as well as a larger x-height. Included in this third sub-category are Bodoni, Didot, New Century Schoolbook and Walbaum. Again, Geometric sans serifs marry best with these.

If you need to brush up on your typography knowledge, take a look at our typography tutorials, and you can browse a huge collection of fonts that don't cost a thing with our free fonts roundup. Read on for our pick of the best font pairings...

Font pairings: 36 perfect examples

01. Calvert and Acumin

(Image credit: Robert Slimbach (Adobe Originals) / Monotype)

Calvert is a punchy slab serif from Monotype, named after its creator Margaret Calvert. It comes in six styles: Calvert Pro and Standard, each with Light, Regular and Bold variants. For an ideal font pairing, try sans-serif Acumin. This typeface comprises a massive 90 different fonts (still confused about the difference? See our explanation of font vs typeface). It has been designed by Robert Slimbach as part of the Adobe Originals initiative, and to access it you'll need a Creative Cloud subscription.

02. Montserrat and Courier New

Google Font Montserrat was designed specifically for use online, while Courier New is a classic typewriter font. On paper (metaphorically), you might not think they'd make the ideal font pairing, but you'd be wrong. Montserrat's light, modern sans-serif letterforms offset Courier New's heavier, retro vibe perfectly.

03. Skolar Latin and Proxima Nova

(Image credit: Rosetta Type Foundry / Mark Simonson)

Skolar's type foundry, Rosetta, describes it as "a typeface for complex typography". To back that up, it boasts a vast character set, and comes in Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Devangari and Gujarati scripts. The typface itself sports low contrast, a relatively large x-height and robust serifs, which means it remains legible even when used at small sizes. Our font pairing is popular web font Proxima Nova. This was designed, by Mark Simonson, to mix modern proportions with a geometric appearance.

04. Alegreya Sans SC and Source Sans Pro

Alegreya is a super-family that includes sans and serif sister families alongside this small caps version, designed by Juan Pablo del Peral for Huerta Tipográfica. The family has a slightly calligraphic edge, and is designed to be suitable for long blocks of text. However, the small caps variant is best suited to headers. We suggest pairing it with Source Sans Pro, Adobe's first open source typeface family, designed by Paul D. Hunt.

05. Pacifico and Quicksand

For a delightful font pairing with an unintentionally tropical theme, try Pacifico and Quicksand. The former is a pleasingly free and flamboyant brush font that's ideal for use in headings. The latter is a sans-serif with rounded terminals and some quirky touches - including that distinctive descender on the uppercase 'Q'. Quicksand was actually also designed as a display typeface, but it's clear enough to work well at small sizes, too.

06. Julius Sans One and Archive Narrow

If you're aiming for a professional look, this is a great font pairing to try. Julius Sans One works only comes in one weight and is an all-caps font, but it's a top choice for a display font, with its fine stroke and broader baseline. The more geometric Archivo Narrow is a perfect match. It has been designed to work equally well in print and digital.

07. Playfair Display and Raleway

Display font Playfair draws inspiration from the period in the 18th century when quills were being replaced by pointed steel pens. This, alongside printing developments, led to high-contrast letterforms with delicate hairlines becoming popular. Elegant sans serif Raleway makes a perfect font pairing.

08. Oswald and Lato

Oswald was launched in 2011 as a reworking of the 'Alternate Gothic' sans-serif type style. It makes a great pairing with Lato (which translates as 'summer' in Polish), a warm yet stable sans serif. Both are available in a range of different weights and variants, making this font pairing nice and versatile.

09. Super Grotesk and Minion Pro

The ever-popular serifed Minion Pro works perfectly as a headline font when coupled with the nimble sans-serif Super Grotesk for body copy. Together, these fonts create a modern sense of effortless elegance.

10. Libre Franklin and Libre Baskerville

These two libre typefaces make a great font pairing if you're after a traditional feel. Both Libre Baskerville and Libre Franklin have been optimised for use on screen. The former is nice and readable, so ideal for use as body text, while the latter is better suited to headlines. Nine different weight options make it nice and versatile.

11. Freight Sans and Freight Text

Working within superfamilies makes it easy to find harmonious font pairings. GarageFonts' Freight is a great example. It's available in a large range of weights and styles, including Sans, Text, Display and Micro versions - giving you a versatile typographic toolkit to work with.

12. Kaufmann and NeutraDemi

If you're after something more unexpected, how about this duo? The flowing stylings of Kaufmann add a touch of handwritten flair to this odd couple, and offset the straight and angular sans-serifed NeutraDemi perfectly. This font pairing might not be the most obvious match, but that doesn't stop them playing off one another beautifully.

13. Brandon Grotesque and Minion Pro

Due to its versatility, the reliable Minion Pro appears a few times in this list. This time it's playing second fiddle to the bold and attention-grabbing Brandon Grotesque. This is a classic serif and sans-serif font pairing, with both typefaces remaining crisp and easy to scan in any page layout.

14. Josefin Slab and Patrick Hand

When creating Josefin Slab, designer Santiago Orozco wanted something between Kabel and Memphis, but with modern details. The final typeface has distinctive, typewriter-style details, and is ideal for use in headlines. Combine it with body copy in Patrick Hand for a font pairing packed with character. The latter, based on the designer's own handwriting, has a neat, friendly vibe.

15. Helvetica Neue and Garamond

This is a famously harmonious duo, combining ubiquitous Neo-Grotesque sans serif Helvetica Neue for headlines with the classic Old Style serif Garamond for text. Mix up different weights and sizes between the two neutral families to establish hierarchy within your designs.

16. Caslon and Myriad

Another classic font pairing, this time between an 18th century Old Style serif and a late-20th century Humanist sans serif. Myriad is famously used in Apple's corporate communication, as well as in the Rolls Royce logo.

17. Nova Mono and Lato

Nova Mono is only available in one style, but that style is ideal for making a statement. Pair it with versatile sans serif Lato to stop things getting too crazy. Lato designer Łukasz Dziedzic wanted something that was nice and clear at small sizes (as we'd suggest using it within in this font pairing), but revealed some stylised effects when used larger.

18. Fontin and Fontin Sans

Time for another superfamily, this time from Dutch foundry exljbris. Fontin has been designed specifically for use at small sizes, and features loose spacing and a tall x-height. Fontin Sans makes an ideal partner for it.

19. Minion and Poppl-Laudatio

Two typefaces both have plenty of personality, but bond perfectly. An Old Style serif typeface, Minion was designed in 1990 but inspired by late Renaissance-era type. Although technically a sans-serif, Poppl-Laudatio's subtle flared details give it a quirky edge.

20. Liberation Serif and Liberation Sans

Superfamily Liberation was intended as an open-source substitute for many commonly used Windows fonts, such as Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New. The Serif and Sans versions make a smart font pairing, but there are also other variations to play around with, including Sans Narrow and Mono.

21. Trade Gothic Bold and Sabon

This pairing is particularly effective when Trade Gothic is used in its Bold weight for headlines, to set off Jan Tschichold's classic Old Style serif face for text. Both typefaces are highly readable, with a tall x-height, and combine well together to give a pleasing effect.
Next page: More perfect font pairings to explore
22. Gilroy and Jura

This pair of sans serifs pair nicely to create a trendy, industrial look. Gilroy's geometric style in ExtraBold weight is ideal for headers, while Jura Light has a wiry, structured shape that offsets it nicely. The combination is ideal for adding a strong, technical feel to your creative projects.

23. Orpheus Pro and Twentieth Century

In the 2020s, how about looking back at the 1920s with this typeface from designer Sol Hess for Monotype? The typeface has an eye-catching Art Deco vibe (it's subtle here, but the glamour really gets amped up in the Twentieth Century Std Poster MT variant). Our pick for a perfect type pairing is Orpheus Pro from Canada Type. This typeface was planned as a new version of Walter Tiemann's Orpheus and its italic companion font Euphorion, but ended up being much more elaborate - if you're using it for display purposes, there are plenty of extensions, alternates, swashes, and ligatures to explore.

24. Playfair Display and Source Sans Pro

Dedicated display typeface Playfair Display sports high-contrast that exude old-fashioned charm. Source Sans Pro is a modern sans-serif designed specifically for use in user interfaces. Together, they make a perfect pairing of old and new, with the understated Source Sans Pro letting Playfair Display really shine.

25. Scala and Scala Sans

FontFont's superfamily Scala started with a serif version in 1990, followed in 92 by its sans serif companion. With small caps, various ligatures and old-style figures, this family is hugely versatile and widely used in publishing.

26. Bebas Neue and Montserrat Light

Its clean, condensed letterforms make Bebas Neue an excellent choice for headlines. It's free to download and open source - so you can edit it to your own particular needs through the GitHub repo, if you have the desire and skills to do so. Montserrat offers a nice contrast; especially the Light version.

27. Rockwell Bold and Bembo

One of the classic slab serifs, Rockwell was designed in the 1930s and has a huge amount of personality and attention-grabbing potential when used bold. The much more conservative serif Bembo is neutral but versatile, making for a perfectly contrasting font pairing.

28. Myriad Black and Minion

Myriad and Minion have already cropped up in different font pairings elsewhere in this list, but this combination is definitely worth a look. The shouty, ultra-bold Black version of the former and the text weight of the latter can help you create a clear hierarchy in your designs.

29. Souvenir and Futura Bold

Mixing two strong typographic personalities rarely works, as they end up fighting. However, this is an exception. Souvenir is softer and more playful than many of its Old Style serif counterparts, while Futura Bold is quirky without being too dominant.

30. Dax Bold and Caslon

One of the most versatile Old Style serifs, Caslon has also appeared elsewhere on this list. Its neutrality plays off against the informal, modern Dax Bold, enabling the latter to deliver its strong personality. Dax Bold is a great choice for a headline, and the understated Caslon won't compete for attention.

31. Roboto and Montserrat

These two simple sans-serif typefaces make for a clean and modern font pairing. Roboto combines geometric forms with friendly, open curves, and has been designed to offer a natural reading rhythm. Montserrat - named after designer Julieta Ulanovsky's neighbourhood in Buenos Aires - has various options in its family, giving you plenty of options to play around with.

32. Antique Olive Bold and Chaparral

Initially designed as an alternative to Helvetica and Univers, Antique Olive has a very tall x-height with short ascenders and descenders, which make it highly distinctive in display form. Chaparral has a modern feeling but is a much more neutral slab serif. The two together work in perfect harmony.

33. Aviano and Aviano Sans

Only available in all-caps varieties, Aviano has sharp, edgy serifs that give it a distinctive personality. Its sans-serif variant is smoother. Combine these two tilting typefaces together to create create hierarchy in your designs.

34. TheSerif and TheSans

The rather straightforward naming strategy within LucasFonts' Thesis typeface superfamily makes the foundry's intentions pretty clear. These two variants are totally complementary, and each comes with its own sub-varieties.

35. Renault Light and Apex-New

An ideal font pairing for formal or corporate use. Both Renault and Apex-New have a very similar ratio of x-height to body height for an effortless partnership between contemporary sans serif and authoritative serif.

36. Calluna and Calluna Sans

An exljbris creation, Calluna was born out of an experiment in adding slab serifs to Museo, giving designer Jos Buivenga the idea of 'serifs with direction'. The result is a highly distinctive text face that later spawned a sans-serif companion.
Read more:

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Finding the perfect font pairings isn't easy. The ideal scenario is to identifying fonts that complement each other, without fighting for attention, and sit together in perfect harmony. But if you're stuck on which fonts to choose, remember the age-old rule: concord or contrast, but don't conflict.

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Make fonts in minutes with Photoshop & Illustrator

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D&AD - Creative Advertising, Design and Digital

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The reason every meme uses that one font

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InDesign tutorial: The parts of a grid | lynda.com

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Typographic Terminology A to Z: Our list of typography terms that every designer should know.

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Every design project is unique and requires a typeface that matches the visual aesthetics and compliments the content. However, there are some typefaces that designers try to steer clear of, because they find them ugly, outdated or overused.

Today's post showcases a cool series of posters by Creative Market titled "Fonts designers love to hate". Bear in mind that some of these typefaces might be detested by one set of designers but adored by another. Check them out below.

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Have a font in mind that should be on (or off) this list? Share this post and your views in the comments below.

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Every design project is unique and requires a typeface that matches the visual aesthetics and compliments the content. However, there are some typefaces that designers try to steer clear of, because they find them ugly, outdated or overused. Today's post showcases a cool series of posters by Creative Market titled "Fonts designers love to hate".

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Layout and composition tutorial: Grid variations | lynda.com

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Since 2008, a reference platform for typographic and graphic posters.

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Typography / GRDE 201 Letterform Design Projects

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This project required students to select, research and analyze an existing typeface as a point of departure to create their own system of related letterforms. Students selected one of the following letterform groupings to explore their systems: model letters (n h m r u), bowls (b d g p q),obliques (k v w x y z ), cursives (a c e o s), and verticals (i f j l t).

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A Little Bit About Grids For Graphic Design and Typography

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Dozens of title treatment sketches by the renowned lettering artist and designer have found a home at the Archive.

Process material for Moana, 2011.

There are designers who choose to master their craft for a specific industry. And then there are designers, like Michael Doret, who refuse to stay in one lane. Doret brings his lettering talent to a range of clients: designing logos for sports teams, fast food chains, titles for comic books, children's animations, drama movies, and typefaces. He sees each project as a unique design challenge: embracing the differences and running with them to come up with the most exciting solution possible. To put it simply, nothing is out of Doret's reach. In 2018, Doret donated half of his working archive to Letterform Archive and the other half to the Herb Lubalin Center in New York. We are honored that Doret's final proofs for early movies, as well as developmental sketches and inked comps for Disney and Pixar animated features, have found a home in our growing collection of process material.

Selections of early titles

Early on in his career, Doret dove into the world of movie promotion, designing titles for (1972), Zardoz (1973), Alien (1979), and Wolfen (1980). For Savages, the Merchant Ivory Productions' feature, Doret drew on Art Deco forms and designed an exclusive typeface, which was used in the movie's credits, on posters, and on title cards in the movie. A year later, Doret designed the title for Zardoz, directed by John Boorman. Doret described the logo, which features geometric letterforms with razor-sharp edges, as one of his best title treatments for ironically "one of the worst sci-fi films ever made." Fans of Academy Award-winning movie Alien might not recognize Doret's title, since it was not used much for promotion. Together with pop-surrealist artist Todd Schorr, Doret created a highly detailed title that captured the look and feel of the veiny, skeletal alien characters. For Wolfen, Doret approached the title as a "tongue-in-cheek take" on '40s and '50s horror movies - a style which can also be found in our collection of German movie programs from the period - with letters that looks like ripped flesh and dripping blood.

After Wolfen, it was more than 20 years before Doret worked on title treatments again. This time, he was commissioned by two of the best animation studios in the world: Disney and Pixar. Doret's first title treatment projects for Disney were in 2005 for the DVD of Lady and the Tramp and the re-release of The Little Mermaid. In 2012, Creative Director and Disney Executive Vice President of Creative Print, John Sabel, approached Doret to design the title treatment for Wreck-It Ralph. The logo stands out as a turning point in the Disney portfolio, with bitmap letters and a pixelated portrait of Ralph inspired by 1970s arcade games.

Title exploration for Wreck-It Ralph, 2011.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

"Up until that time, the title treatments for Disney movies were conservative and rather tame. We broke out of that mold with a title completely different from anything Disney had done before. We tried to shake up the status quo, and that success led to a long string of assignments," he recalled. From there, he went on to contribute designs for more animated features. His playful work for Oz the Great and Powerful, Maleficent, Inside Out, Tomorrowland, Moana, Coco, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and many more reimagines the ways lettering can represent a movie.

Title treatment sketch for Zootopia with illustrations by Laura Smith.

Zootopia (2016)

Everyone knows that Disney and Pixar movies take several years - and several hundred creative professionals - to produce, involving everyone from writers and concept artists to art directors and animators. Where does Doret fit into the timeline? It varies from project to project, but there is usually quite a bit of lead time. He began Wreck-It Ralph in the summer of 2011, and the movie was released in the fall of 2012. With Moana, he was brought in very early on, two years before the release date in 2016. Working with a huge team, there are many moving parts, with many stakeholders weighing in on almost every aspect of the design process. As a result, there are times when Doret's titles "just end up on the cutting room floor."

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Regardless of the outcome, Doret believes it's his responsibility as a designer to generate multiple ideas. "It has always been puzzling to me that many design studios provide large numbers of digital iterations of designs with only minute tweaks between the designs. I have always endeavored to provide as many real alternatives as I can when working on design projects - especially in the early stages when the client may not be sure of the direction in which they would like to go," he said. Looking at sketch after sketch, you begin to understand how much Doret honors and enjoys this process. He doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity - each sketch is a comprehensive exploration of a new idea.

Title treatment sketch for Moana, 2014.

The amount of information Doret receives about each movie, whether visual or narrative, also varies. He was provided many references for Moana, including indigenous patterns, tattoos from the character Maui, and 3D renderings of Moana's boat. However, for most movies, he received only bits of narrative info and was tasked to pursue his own research. "For Coco, the visual research I did centered on Day of the Dead, other types of Mexican graphics, and my memories of visiting the city of Oaxaca during el Día de los Muertos," he said. This shows up in his lettering treatments referencing decorative skulls, papel picado lace paper designs, and marigold flowers. Most of the time, however, Doret is on his own - following his intuition and "making it up as [he] goes along."

Title exploration for Coco, 2015.

With letters and words as his fundamental puzzle pieces, Doret begins to play - testing the limits of these forms and the ways they can relate to one another. He has clearly mastered a range of lettering styles - from serifs to scripts to styles of his own invention, like letterforms that reference the muscular character Ralph. Doret also adds depth to the lockups by considering how words and graphic elements can be framed. As seen in his work for Wreck-It Ralph and Zootopia, molding the stylized letters into shapes like triangles, circles, ovals, arcs, fisheyes, and crests adds another dimension of personality and dynamism to his compositions.

Another distinguishing element of what makes a Doret piece distinctively "Doret" is his color palette, seen in the vibrant renderings of Zootopia and Coco. Their palettes are inspired in large by his experiences growing up in Brooklyn near Coney Island and spending time in his father's office in Times Square, surrounded by bright lights, dazzling signage, and brilliant colors. From letterform and word, to shape and color - all of Doret's details thoughtfully relate to one another, and the sum of the parts merge together as one confident, unifying lockup.

More selections from the Doret Collection

While some of Doret's titles did not make it to the big screen, his sketches offer a peek into his mind and creative process. In his own eyes, these projects were some of the most exciting work he has done in his career, and his joy is evident in the overflowing folders of pencil drawings, inkings, and comps. The Archive is humbled to preserve this part of his portfolio. Flipping through page by page, from conceptual rough sketches to refined variations, you can follow his journey wondering what he will come up with next. You might question when you will reach the end of the pile, and perhaps even ask yourself if he really found all of the possible ways of lettering a one- or three-word title. But this is exactly what is inspiring and admirable about Doret: just when you think he's done, he proves to be a never-ending well of ideas, powered by a wholehearted enthusiasm to bring them to life.

- Florence Fu, Editorial Associate

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This Just In: Michael Doret's Disney and Pixar Title Treatments

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There are designers who choose to master their craft for a specific industry. And then there are designers, like Michael Doret, who refuse to stay in one lane. Doret brings his lettering talent to a range of clients: designing logos for sports teams, fast food chains, titles for comic books, children's animations, drama movies, and typefaces.

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How can you quickly apply typographic rules to regain control of your layouts by following these 10 golden rules of typography? These rules are distilled down from the things that I learned by going to Art Center College of Design.

Generally speaking, there are two types of typography- expressive typography (type is visual, carries the meaning of the word and sometimes appears as physical shapes) and functional typography (type that is meant to be read). I will focus on the latter.

When starting out, it is best to learn the fundamentals of good design: hierarchy (primary, secondary and tierchiary reads), flow (how a person "reads" the layout by following the movement of their attention), legibility (in Western culture, type is read top to bottom, left to right so it's important to arrange type accordingly), grouping (organizing blocks of type in intelligent and logical groups) and interest, achieved through contrast (scale, texture, color, density, negative space).

Rule 01

When in doubt, always justify type left, sometimes right (appropriate for aligning currency figures), but never force justify (popular in newspaper columns but creates "rivers" of oddly spaced blocks of text). The reason why you should justify type left is because it is easier to read. The hard left edges make the beginning of paragraphs easier to find. For that reason, I also prefer not to indent the first line of a paragraph. Instead, I prefer adding an extra space after each paragraph.

Rule 02

Use one font. Until you have mastered the principles of typography, I would recommend not using more than one font. Reduce the number of options and it will allow you to focus on making a great layout.

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How can you quickly apply typographic rules to regain control of your layouts by following these 10 golden rules of typography? These rules are distilled down from the things that I learned by going to Art Center College of Design.

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How one typeface took over movie posters

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4 Essential Tips for Kerning Type & Lettering

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How to Kern Logos | Illustrator Tutorial

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Improve your Graphic Design - How to Fix Broken Layouts

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How to Use Negative Space to Improve Your Design Layouts – Typography Tips

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10 Rules of Typography (and Life) with James Victore (EDITED).mp4

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Graphic Design Tutorial: Basic typesetting

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How To Kern Professionally. (Not many know this!) 🤯

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COLOR THEORY BASICS: Use the Color Wheel & Color Harmonies to Choose Colors that Work Well Together

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How to Not Suck at Color - 5 color theory tips every designer should know

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Welcome to our Design in 60 Seconds series, in which you can learn a new design skill or technique in just a minute!

Design in 60 Seconds: RGB & CMYK Explained

This time around we're looking at the RGB and CMYK Color Modes. If these have ever seemed confusing to you, we've got a quick 60-second video to help out. Then you can move ahead with confidence knowing when to use RGB images like the colorful Lab Stock Photo from PhotoDune, or a print template in CMYK.

How to Use RGB & CMYK Color Modes

The standard Color Mode for Photoshop is RGB for Red, Green, and Blue.

The RGB model creates color by lighting up pixels on a screen, using 256 levels of each primary color to create millions of colors on a digital display.

The CMYK Color Mode, used primarily for printing, uses Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow, and then adds in Black.

This mode also produces fewer colors than the RGB Mode, leading to the occasional color shift when converting from RGB to CMYK.

Want to see this idea in action? Check out the video above to see this lesson at work!

A Bit More Detail

Want to learn more about Adobe Photoshop's vast tools and settings? Check out these tutorials below:

60 Seconds?!

This is part of a new series of quick video tutorials on Envato Tuts+. We're aiming to introduce a range of subjects, all in 60 seconds-just enough to whet your appetite. Let us know in the comments what you thought of this video and what else you'd like to see explained in 60 seconds!

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Design in 60 Seconds: RGB and CMYK Color Modes Explained

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Welcome to our Design in 60 Seconds series, in which you can learn a new design skill or technique in just a minute! This time around we're looking at the RGB and CMYK Color Modes. If these have ever seemed confusing to you, we've got a quick 60-second video to help out.

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Graphic Design for Beginners - Color Theory

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What do colors mean in logo design? - Pluralsight Graphic Design Tips

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The Effect of Color | Off Book | PBS Digital Studios

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Did you know that the color red encourages appetite, which is why it is frequently used in the fast-food sector? Blue is the color of strength, wisdom and trust, which is why it is used so widely. We have a strong primitive relationship with green as it represents life, which is why it is commonly used for organic food and pharmaceuticals. Yellow represents youth, happiness and sunshine.

The choice of color in branding has a big impact on how your brand is perceived. So how do you know which color is right for your brand? Sydney-based branding agency Iconic Fox has come up with a comprehensive infographic on color psychology, perception, gender color preferences, and more relevant data. Check it out below.

What factors do you keep in mind when deciding on a color for branding? Have something to add to this infographic? Voice your views in the comments below and share this post with a designer friend.

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This Handy Infographic Helps You Choose The Right Colors For Your Brand

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Did you know that the color red encourages appetite, which is why it is frequently used in the fast-food sector? Blue is the color of strength, wisdom and trust, which is why it is used so widely. We have a strong primitive relationship with green as it represents life, which is why it is commonly [...]

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How to Choose Colors (Easy 3-Step Process)

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Beginning Graphic Design: Layout & Composition

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Graphic Design Tutorial: Designing to a grid.

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Graphic Design Tutorial: Leading the viewer's eye

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Layout and composition tutorial: The golden section | lynda.com

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Visual hierarchy is the arrangement and presentation of design elements in order of their importance. It influences the order in which the human eye perceives the information that is being displayed. A simple example would be a business card - the name of the organisation is usually the most prominent element, followed by the name of the card holder, job title, and contact details.

In a world where the average human attention span is 8 seconds, proper visual hierarchy is crucial for the success of any design. The team at Visme, an online tool for creating infographics and presentations, has come up with a handy infographic that lists 12 golden rules to help you create aesthetically pleasing designs with effective visual hierarchy. Check it out below.

Share this post with a designer friend and voice your views in the comments below.

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12 Visual Hierarchy Principles Every Designer Should Know

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Visual hierarchy is the arrangement and presentation of design elements in order of their importance. It influences the order in which the human eye perceives the information that is being displayed. A simple example would be a business card - the name of the organisation is usually the most prominent element, followed by the name of the card holder, job title, and contact details.

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Visuals are everywhere and the commandments of visual communication serve as the complete guide to the art of designing. Visual hierarchy on the other hand, adds beauty and order to your design. It offers to your eyes visual assistance, suggesting to them, what information to linger on to, as your vision glides through it. It lays down a path for the data to flow in, to get absorbed into the brain smoothly. It guides the human eye from one element of the data to the next, like an invisible pointer moving through the data, to keep the reader free of any visual fatigue. Adding hierarchy to your design will not let your readers get intimidated by all the noise and clutter of the data.

Below, we have outlined, the "15 Golden Principles of Visual Hierarchy" in order to dish out for you the various ways in which one can implement visual hierarchy in one's data and reduce the noise. These are equally applicable to graphic design as well as in the construction of a web design, while some principles like the Golden Ratio and Visual Triangle, offer immense help when learning how to create a memorable logo design.

Focal Point: Need to lay maximum strength on a particular aspect? Go focal.

Movement: With this one, make your audience move with the flow.

Golden Ratio: Need to add beauty to your work? Go Golden.

Balance: Play safe with balance. A little balance never made anyone cringe.

Repetition: With repetition, make sure no one misses your callouts ever again

Whitespace: Add sophistication with whitespace where less is more.

Visual Triangle: Works best for limited data. Makes sure no one misses a point.

Texture: Add texture to refract negative space.

Types: Say it loud and clear with a typeface. Leave no one in doubt.

Random: At times, an absolute lack of symmetry makes an impact.

Rules: Deal with the clutter, stick to some rules.

Alignment: Alignment clears up the mess. Never makes anything appear cluttered.

Lines: Go linear when you need to make a point straight! Savvy?

Contrast: Contrast shouts for attention. Use it wisely!

Rule of Thirds: Need to lay equal stress on each element? Go with the rule of thirds.

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15 Principles of Visual Hierarchy | DesignMantic: The Design Shop

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Visuals are everywhere and the commandments of visual communication serve as the complete guide to the art of designing. Visual hierarchy on the other hand, adds beauty and order to your design. It offers to your eyes visual assistance, suggesting to them, what information to linger on to, as your vision glides through it.

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Visuals are everywhere. Since the last decade, the art of visual communication has boomed by leaps and bounds and is, to the date, on a marked rise. Today, one cannot imagine the internet without all the GIFs, infographics, and memes floating it.

With visual data on the rise and most of us being immensely fond of it, everyone now seems to be creating their own versions of it. Turns out, it has brought out the designer in all of us! So, in case you, too, are a part-time designer with little know how of the golden principles of visual hierarchy, below is an infographic that would work as a layperson's handbook of visual communication.

1. Colors - Play Them Cool!

Get familiar with the color wheel. Understand analogous, complementary and contrasting color schemes to practice them in communication design.

2. Typography - Know What's Your Type!

Do you know GHOTMS? Don't mix different font moods. Get familiar with Typography terms and font families. And ideally, use no more than two fonts.

3. Shapes - They Shape Your Design, Get It?

Different shapes convey different moods such as circle strikes positivity and emotions, square depicts stability and balance and triangle gives a sense of direction.

4. Hierarchy - Every Element Has A Place!

Hierarchy is the key to great design. Grasp visual triangle, golden ratio, movement, focal point and rules/random alignments to make your communication clearer.

5. Lines - Lines Can Speak Your Moods...

Lines set the mood. There are horizontal/vertical lines, diagonal lines, crimped lines, rhythmic lines, divergent lines, transitional lines and more.

6. Iconography - What Works Best Where?

There are all sorts of icons from vector to raster, animated and illustrations. Learn to use icons to complement the visual communication and add spark to the message.

7. Contrast - Leave No Grey Areas!

Contrast comes in various forms. For example: Contrast of size, the contrast of weight, the contrast of direction, the contrast of form, the contrast of structure and contrast of texture, etc.

8. Order - Keep Things Aligned!

Keeping things in order is utmost important in design. Without order, the design is chaos. Use grids to keep elements aligned. Get to know different types of the grid to design better.

9. Weight - Size Gets You Attention!

From ultra-thin to black bold, weight can be used to put emphasis to a part of the message. Scaling weights to meet the need of design helps make the content more legible and simple-to-read.

10. Space - Where Less Is More!

Always, less is more about space. Use space generously to ensure clearer communication and give your visuals a room to breathe.

It outlines the various aspects of visual communication and sums them all up to perform as a complete guide to the art of designing, be it generating a creative logo design or developing a user-friendly website interface. he layout of the infographic lists typography, color, shapes, hierarchy, lines, iconography, contrast, order, weight, and space as the 10 commandments, and gives out the different applications of these w.r.t. design and visual presentation.

Let us know how you like it!

PS: Also snoop into our prequels to this infographic, "The 10 Commandments of Typography", "The 10 Commandments of Color Theory" and "The 10 Commandments of Logo Design".

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Commandments of Visual Communication | DesignMantic: The Design Shop

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Visuals are everywhere. Since the last decade, the art of visual communication has boomed by leaps and bounds and is, to the date, on a marked rise. Today, one cannot imagine the internet without all the GIFs, infographics, and memes floating it.

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3 Principles to Improve Your Logo Design Process - Legibility, Hierarchy, and Contrast

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Have you even looked at a seemingly simple design and thought: I could totally do that.

But later, when you sit down to actually give it a whirl, you don't know why your attempt doesn't measure up to the professional version. What gives?

It turns out professional graphic designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make their work look, well, professional. Even with all the amazing free tools available for wannabe graphic designers these days, amateurs usually don't have the foundational know-how necessary to create consistently polished-looking designs.

To help you out, we've put together a list of seven basic graphic design elements. It's not a graphic design degree by any means, but having a foundational understanding of these seven basic elements can boost your content creation skills and improve your ability to communicate your design preferences if you ever decide to hire a professional.

We deep-dive into the seven elements below, covering what they are, why you should care, and how to use them to create more professional looking designs -- even if you're operating on a zero-dollar budget.

7 Basic Elements of Graphic Design

1) Color

Sir Isaac Newton is As the widely credited with creating the very first color wheel back in 1706. story goes, Newton took the spectrum of colors produced when light passes through a prism (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) and arranged them in a segmented circle. When the circle was spun rapidly on a rotating disk, the colors blurred together, appearing completely white to the human eye.

Below, you can get an idea of how Newton's color wheel likely appeared. This 1708 version was illustrated by the French painter, Claude Boutet, and makes reference to Newton's color theory research.

Newton's visual categorization system for color was adopted and expanded upon by scientists, artists, and philosophers over the years, eventually resulting in the modern color wheel we all know today.

The modern color wheel consists of three primary colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- which can theoretically be mixed in varying ratios to produce secondary and intermediate colors. Although modern research tells us that color theory is actually a little more complicated than that, the color wheel is still a valuable tool for graphic designers looking for aesthetically pleasing color combinations.

When selecting hues for a project, consider colors that appear directly opposite or beside each other on the color wheel -- these tend to produce the most consistently pleasing combinations. You could also consider using a free online color scheming tool, like ColorSchemer, to do the work for you.

Color in Action:

This example from ∆ Studio-JQ ∆ is a great example of complimentary colors in action. Violet and yellow, which appear directly opposite on the modern color wheel, produce a bold, visually appealing effect when paired together.

2) Line

Lines are more than just dividers -- the right lines can convey movement and emotion, tying together your composition and making it looked polished and professional.

Rikard Rodin, a graphic designer and blogger with over 15 years of design experience, explains that lines can form the underlying architecture of your project. Defining the line of movement in your composition before you get started can help you construct a design that achieves the desired mood.

"You can use mood lines in virtually every element of your design," Rodin writes on his blog. "Or you can contrast different mood lines in different parts of your design to create a more layered design. Take, for example, the 'STABLE' mood line. You can use this in creating your layout. You can use it in your photography. And you can use it in your font selection."

Mood lines don't have to be visible in your final composition -- they can simply act as a guide to provide structure and direction as you work. Of course, line can also be visibly incorporated into your final design as well.

Line in Action:

Designer Alexander Koltsov and the folks at Shuka Design created this stunning visual identity for the 2016 World Chess Championship in New York. The team used purposeful but asymmetrical swirls of overlapping lines to represent "the thought process of a chess player."

3) Scale

The scale of different elements in a design will have a big impact on how your audience views and makes sense of your composition. Playing with the relative size of different components in your design allows you to set a focal point, highlight areas of importance, and ultimately guide viewers' eyes through the piece.

Scale isn't quite the same thing as size (though many people tend to incorrectly use them interchangeably when discussing design, i.e., "Make the logo bigger!"). Size refers to an absolute measurement (e.g., the sheet of paper 8'' by 11'') while scale refers to the direct relationship between elements in a design (e.g., the circle is twice as big as the square).

You can use scale to create a visual hierarchy for your design. When an element is displayed at a relatively larger scale than the other elements in a composition, our eyes are naturally drawn to it.

Scale in Action:

To create a sense of drama and importance, New York-based graphic designer Aurelio Sánchez Escudero uses a high-contrast scale between elements in these promotional materials for San Francisco's Social Innovation Week.

4) Shape

Shapes: they're not just for preschoolers! A shape can be loosely explained as anything defined by boundaries. There are two categories of shapes to consider:

Geometric shapes, which are defined by perfect, uniform proportions (such as a circle, square, triangle), and organic shapes, which have less well-defined edges, free-flowing proportions, and essentially no rules (such as wiggly, blob-like things that don't fit into any real category).

Imgae via: Creative Market
When working on a design, consider both the shapes you're deliberately incorporating (the positive shapes), and the shapes naturally formed around those shapes (the negative shapes).

Image credit: The International Business Times

Perhaps the most famous example illustrating the distinction of positive and negative shapes is Rubin's vase. Developed in 1915 Danishpsychologist Edgar Rubin, this now-ubiquitous optical illusion shows two completely different images when the negative shapes are viewed vs. when the positive shapes are viewed.

Learn more about how our brains view shapes and make sense of design in the video below:

Shape in Action:

The humble circle has always been a popular, trusty way to display information in a clean, unified composition. Sydney-based Made Somewhere developed this simple, modern logo for Hidden Gems of Sydney, a blog focused on highlighting local attractions in the area.

5) Alignment

Think of alignment like an invisible axis that runs between elements, connecting them visually either by their edges or centers (see the image below).

Alignment most frequently comes up in design discussions about text and typography, but it's equally important to consider the alignment of non-text elements when building a balanced, orderly composition.

The example above illustrates uniform edge and center alignment -- but that doesn't mean all the elements in your composition always have to follow a single pattern of alignment. In the image below, you can see the elements are aligned by their edges, but not united by a single axis.

Alignment in Action:

Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers designed this minimal book cover for Chasing the Sky, a book that honors the careers of influential female architects. The title typography is aligned around a geometric shape.

6) Contrast

Contrast refers to the juxtaposition of elements that strongly differ (big vs. small, light vs. dark, etc.) to create visual interest or draw attention to particular elements.

Without contrast, our designs aren't just lackluster and boring to look at, they're also difficult to understand. A lack of contrast is often what separates mediocre design work from designs that look professional, polished, and clear.

Take the images below for example -- in the picture on the left, there isn't adequate contrast between the background photo of the man working at a desk and the white text. It's not so easy on the eyes, and the message is difficult to comprehend. In the image on the right, the background has been darkened to create more contrast, making the text way easier to read.

Contrast in Action:

The team at Barcelona-based toormix expertly plays with varying contrasts in this poster design for Barcelona Design Week 2016.

7) Space

Space is exactly what it sounds like: the empty areas between elements in your design. When it comes to creating professional-looking designs on your own, sometimes what you don't include is just as important as what you do.

When working on a design, consider not only the elements you're including (such as images and text) but how they're arranged and grouped in the composition. It can be tempting to fill every inch of your digital canvas with something, but try to give your elements some room to breathe.

In the example below, you can see how changing the space and grouping of the elements creates a completely different feeling in the composition. On the left, the uniform space between the elements creates a sense of order and security. On the right, the varying spaces between the elements conveys a sense of disorder and confusion.

Space in Action:

In this poster from designer Jonathan Lawrence, the text "March Madness" is displayed with unconventional spacing, adding some unexpected visual interest to an otherwise minimal design.
How do you make your designs look professional on a limited budget? Let us know in the comments.

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The 7 Elements of Graphic Design, and How to Apply Them This Year

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Have you even looked at a seemingly simple design and thought: I could totally do that. But later, when you sit down to actually give it a whirl, you don't know why your attempt doesn't measure up to the professional version. What gives?

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DPI and Resolution | Graphic Design Tips from PrintPlace.com

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After a few years in the graphic design business, you realize how important it is to get the basics right. Like using proper font and color combinations, implementing visual hierarchy, using grids, alignment, white space, and so on.

The team at Visme, an online tool for creating infographics and presentations, has come up with an excellent visual list of 19 graphic design rules that differentiate the pros from the amateurs. Check them out below.

1. Using words instead of visuals

2. Poor readability

3. Too many fonts

4. Bad kerning

5. Poor color combinations

6. Lack of white space

7. Placing elements arbitrarily

8. Lack of contrast

9. Improper scaling

10. Ignoring visual hierarchy rules

11. Illegible text

12. Improper font combinations

13. Inadequate space between lines

14. Using low-res images

15. Striving for complete symmetry

16. Lack of effective communication

17. Using cliches

18. Ignoring the medium

19. Inconsistency

Watch the video version

Share this post with a designer friend and voice your views in the comments below. All images © Visme.

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19 Graphic Design Mistakes That Novice Designers Make

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After a few years in the graphic design business, you realize how important it is to get the basics right. Like using proper font and color combinations, implementing visual hierarchy, using grids, alignment, white space, and so on.

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‘Line’ Visual element of Graphic Design / Design theory Ep2/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Shape’ Visual element of Graphic Design / Design theory Ep4/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Texture’ Visual element of Graphic Design Ep5/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Form’ Visual element of Graphic Design / Design theory Ep7/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Balance’ Design principle of Graphic Design Ep12/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Alignment’ Design principle of Graphic Design Ep11/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Hierarchy’ Design principle of Graphic Design Ep10/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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‘Contrast’ Design principle of Graphic Design Ep9/45 [Beginners guide to Graphic Design]

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Steal Like An Artist: Austin Kleon at TEDxKC

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How to Come up With Ideas Using References – Design Tips

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TipTrace: Richard Perez - Emblem Design | Analysis & Deconstruction