Remember the commercial whose tagline was “Please Don’t Squeeze the Charmin?” The premise was that Charmin toilet paper was so soft, customers couldn’t resist squeezing it every chance they got.
The same thing happens with typefaces. People can’t resist electronically “squeezing” and “stretching” letters to make them taller or wider. Don’t do it. Here’s why:
It looks desperate
Typefaces are drawn with carefully considered proportions. When you change those proportions electronically, they become distorted and don’t look right.
You may be trying to fill the available space by squeezing or stretching type: not a good idea! Remember, injecting white space into your page is one way to make it easier to read.
It looks unprofessional
When letters get squeezed, they start to look badly drawn. With so many beautiful typefaces out there, why use a clunky one to represent your business?
Because there’s a typeface out there for every possible need, when you take one you own and squeeze it or stretch it, it looks like you don’t care.
Take the time to find the right typeface for the job. Here are some of the online resources where you can find fonts: many are free or low cost. Explore the categories (condensed, expanded, etc.) to find what you need.
I know that typography is a topic that confuses many people. If you’re among them, and want to know more, you’re in the right place. Visit these posts to delve deeper:
Design 101: 7 Typographic Resources and 1 Type Joke
Five-Ingredient Design Recipes: A Gift for You
Typeface Combinations That Work on the Web
Still confused? I want to know what baffles you about type. What confuses, confounds or annoys you? No problem is too big or too small. Talk to me in the comments and we’ll get it sorted out!
