TYPOGRAPHY: TASK 1 Exercise 2 Text Formatting

TYPOGRAPHY - Task 1: Exercise 2 Text Formatting

LECTURES DURATION: Week 4 - Week 5

NAME: SITI NUR HASYIMAH ISMAIL

STUDENT ID: 0348369

PROGRAM: BACHELOR IN FASHION DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 

1. Lectures & Lecture Summary

2. Instructions

3. Task

4. Feedback

5. Reflection

6. Further Readings

LECTURES

Week 4: 

• Typo 2_Basic

LECTURE SUMMARY

Week 4: Basic of letterforms

Understanding Type Anatomy – The Building Blocks of Letterforms

In this lecture, we explored the fundamental anatomy of typography – the precise names and functions of every part that makes up a letter. Knowing these elements allows designers to analyze typefaces critically, choose the right fonts for specific to a project, and even create or modify type with intention.

Key takeaways:

• Every stroke, curve, and terminal has a name and purpose (stem, bowl, counter, serif, ascender, etc.).
• Small details like apex/vertex, arm, ear, barb, bracket, and stress dramatically affect the personality and readability of a typeface.
• Lowercase ascenders (b, d, h, k, l, etc.) are intentionally drawn slightly taller than the cap height so they visually align with capital letters, which are optically wider.
• Features like ligatures and swashes add refinement and historical flair, while understanding them helps us use (or avoid) them appropriately.

Mastering type anatomy is the foundation for better font selection, tighter typographic hierarchy, and more professional-looking design work.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Watch Task 1, Exercise 2-Text Formatting video tutorials

• 1/4
  
• 2/4
  
• 3/4
  
• 4/4
  
• 4/4 A
  

2. Complete and Submit your final T1, Ex.2 Text Formatting before the next class. Watch this video.

    - JPEG 300ppi, grayscale (with grid visible and without)
    - PDF (with grid visible and without)
    - Provide formatting details (see comment section)
    - View student eportfolio samples for best practice

3. Upon completion of Ex.2 provide the following information:

 HEAD
- Font/s: Univers LT Std (Bold)
- Type Size/s: 17
- Leading: 22 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 0 mm

BODY
- Font/s: Univers LT Std (Roman)
- Type Size/s: 9 pt
- Leading: 11 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 1 mm (space before) / 2.822 mm (space after)
- Characters per-line: 58 (first line)
- Alignment: Top

 Page Margins
- top + left + right + bottom
- Columns: 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 100mm
- Gutter: 5mm

4. Update your eportfolio:
    - write your lecture summaries for "Typo_2_Basic" in your Task 1 Eportfolio
    - update your progress Task 1 Ex. 2: Text Formatting. 
    - update your feedback, reflection and further reading for week 4

Note:

Things to look out for when completing Task 1, Exercise 2 Text Formatting:
• Font size (8–12)
• Line Length (55–65/50–60 characters)
• Text Leading (2, 2.5, 3 points larger than font size)
• Paragraph spacing (follows the leading)
• Ragging (left alignment) / Rivers (Left Justification)
• Cross Alignment 
• No Widows / Orphans

TASK

1. Kerning & Tracking

2. Text Formatting

-First Draft-

 HEAD
- Font/s: Univers LT Std (Bold)
- Type Size/s: 17
- Leading: 22 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 0 mm

BODY
- Font/s: Univers LT Std (Roman)
- Type Size/s: 9 pt
- Leading: 11 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 1 mm (space before) / 2.822 mm (space after)
- Characters per-line: 58 (first line)
- Alignment: Top

 Page Margins
- top + left + right + bottom
- Columns: 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 100mm
- Gutter: 5mm

-Final Outcome-

HEAD
- Font/s: Bodoni Std (Bold)
- Type Size/s: 41pt
- Leading: 
- Paragraph spacing: 0 mm

BODY
- Font/s: Univers LT Std (55 Roman)
- Type Size/s: 9 pt
- Leading: 11 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 0 mm (space before) / 3.88 mm (space after)
- Characters per-line: 61 (first line)
- Alignment: Justify with last line aligned last

 Page Margins
- top + left + right + bottom
- Columns: 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 13mm
- Gutter: 5mm

After consulting with Miss Vitiya, she advised to create my own layout. This is the final result I achieved during class.

-PDF File-

FEEDBACK

Week 7

General Feedback: I was advised to do some research on Cross Alignment.

Specific Feedback: Since I didn't come up with my own layout design, I was suggested to create my own composition. Layout must match the content of the article and chosen image. Miss Vitiya also assisted me with the cross alignment of my paragraphs.

REFLECTION

Experience

This was my first time opening Adobe InDesign, and the exercise immediately threw me into hands-on application of the typography principles we had studied. Adjusting kerning letter by letter, experimenting with tracking, and testing different text alignments felt completely different from just watching lectures. The learning curve was steep at first—figuring out panels, shortcuts, and paragraph styles took time—but once things started clicking, the process became exciting and almost meditative.

Observation

I noticed how tiny adjustments make an outsized impact: tightening kerning by just a few units can turn awkward word shapes into elegant, evenly textured lines, while poor alignment can make even beautiful typefaces look amateur. I also observed that InDesign forces you to think intentionally; every choice (leading, alignment, hyphenation) is deliberate and instantly visible, which made the connection between theory and real-world results much clearer than passive learning.

Findings

The biggest takeaway is that thoughtful typography is not decorative—it’s functional communication. When done well, it becomes invisible and simply helps the message land more clearly and professionally. Additionally, working directly in InDesign boosted my confidence with professional tools; I now feel comfortable navigating the interface and understand why it’s the industry standard for print and complex layouts. Overall, this exercise transformed abstract concepts from the lectures into practical skills I can immediately apply to future projects.

FURTHER READINGS

1. What Is Type Anatomy?

Click Here

This article presented a comprehensive list that will help guide you through the common anatomy of type terms.