Legibility.

When a designer is creating typography, one of the most important factors is whether the typeface will be legible to the viewer. There are many elements to consider when designing text, such as: the layout of the page, if the text is all in one long paragraph it makes it hard to read, and therefore if the paragraph is broken up into smaller sections with headings, it allows the reader to focus on these smaller sections.

The text should also be aligned and the typeface should be clear and appropriate to subject matter and the target audience.

The size of font should also be adjusted accordingly, to allow the viewer to be able to clearer read it from a distance, for example if you were designing an advert for an A4 poster, and a billboard.

Photographs can also reinforce a piece of text, however if you place text over an image, the image can sometimes be too overpowering and the text becomes lost or illegible.

 Another element which is important for legibility is the use of colour either for the background or for the text can either enhance the typography or it can even make it almost illegible. For example yellow writing on a black background can give the strongest impact, whereas yellow writing on a white background is the worst combination, making the text almost illegible.

One example of where almost illegible typography can aid the sale of a product is Tom Sunderland’s packaging design for Sainsbury’s Milk. Tom researched that when people purchase milk, they tend to choose their milk on what colour the packaging is and not on what is written on it.  With this knowledge he experimented with the extent to how illegible he could make the type.