It's everywhere we look.

處處可見。

In the books we read, on the websites we visit

我們讀的書、造訪的網站

—even in everyday life, on street signs, bumper stickers, and product packaging.

——甚至在每天的生活中、路標、保險槓貼紙，以及商品包裝上都能看到字體排印學。

Simply put, typography is the style or appearance of text.

簡單來說，字體排印學指的是文字的風格或樣貌。

It can also refer to the art of working with text—something you probably do all the time

也可以指運用文字的藝術——這可能是你常常在做的事

if you create documents or other projects for work, school, or yourself.

每一次當你為了工作、學校或是自己設計文件或是其他企畫的時候。

Typography can be an intimidating subject, but it doesn't have to be.

字體排印學可能會是一個令人生畏的主題，但它不一定得是這樣。

You only need to know a little to make a big difference in the stuff you do every day.

你只需要一點點對它的認識，就能在你每天所做的事上有大大的改變。

So let's get started.

那麼讓我們開始吧。

First: Some common types of fonts, and what you need to know about them.

首先：一些常見的字體類型，以及你需要知道的相關資訊。

Serif fonts have little strokes called serifs attached to the main part of the letter.

襯線字體有一些稱為襯線的筆畫，附在字母的主要部分上。

Because of their classic look, they're a good choice for more traditional projects.

由於它們經典的外觀，是較傳統之企劃的好選擇。

They're also common in print publications, like magazines and newspapers.

在出版印刷品，像是雜誌或報紙上，也很常見到這樣的字體。

Sans serif fonts don't have that extra stroke—hence the name, which is French for "without serif."

無襯線字體沒有多餘的筆畫——因此這個名稱在法文中指的是沒有襯線。(Sans 意即沒有)

This style is considered more clean and modern than serif fonts.

這種樣式被認為較襯線字體來得乾淨、現代。

Also, it tends to be easier to read on computer screens, including smartphones and tablets.

再加上，在包括手機及平板等的電腦螢幕上，無襯線字體較容易閱讀。

Display fonts come in many different styles, like script, blackletter, all-caps, and just

裝飾性字體有不同的樣式，像是書寫體 (script)、黑體字 (blackletter)、大寫字母，或是僅是

plain fancy.

花俏字體。

Because of their decorative nature, display fonts are best for small amounts of text;

因為他們裝飾的天性，裝飾性字體最適合少量文字：

for example, titles and headers, and more graphic-heavy designs.

舉例來說，標題及頁首，和較著重平面視覺的設計。

In a way, fonts have their own language.

在某種意義上，字體有它們自己的語言。

They all have something to say, beyond the words on the page.

除了頁面上的文字，它們都還有話要說。

They can come across as casual or neutral; exotic or... graphic.

它們或輕鬆或中性地現身；或奇特或⋯⋯生動。

That's why it's important to think about your message, and pick a font that fits.

這就是為什麼要好好思考你的訊息內容，再選擇適合的字體，是很重要的。

Some fonts come with an extra baggage, like Comic Sans, Curlz, Papyrus, and many more.

有些字體過於沉重——例如 Comic Sans, Curlz, Papyrus 以及其他更多的字體。

There's nothing particularly wrong with these fonts—

這些字體沒什麼特別的錯——

they just have a certain reputation for being outdated and overused.

只是它們因過氣或過度使用而享有一定的聲譽。

If you find yourself tempted by them, think twice and consider using something else.

如果你發現自己受到它們的誘惑很想使用這些字體，請三思，考慮一下用其他字體。

There are many fonts with a similar look and feel that are less likely to detract from your message.

還有許多字體有著類似的外觀跟感覺，比較不會搶了你訊息的風采。

When deciding which fonts to use, less is more.

當決定要用哪些字體時，簡單就是美。

It's best to limit yourself to one or two per project.

每一份計畫限制自己使用一至二種字體即可。

If you need more contrast, try repeating one of your fonts in a different size, weight, or style.

如果你需要多一點對比，試試看以不同大小、重量或樣式來重複你之前用過的其中一種字體。

This trick is practically foolproof for creating interesting combinations that work.

這個技巧幾乎是萬無一失的，可以創造有用的有趣組合。

You've probably heard the saying "opposites attract."

你也許有聽過「異性相吸」這個說法。

Well, the same is true for fonts.

嗯，對字體來說也行得通。

Don't be afraid to combine font styles that are different but complementary,

不要害怕將兩種相異但互補的字體樣式放在一起，

like sans serif with serif... short with tall... or decorative with simple.

像是無襯線字體配襯線字體⋯⋯短的配長的⋯⋯或是裝飾性字體配簡潔字體。

This can be challenging at first, but don't despair.

一開始會有些挑戰性，但請不要絕望。

Look to other designs for inspiration, and soon you'll get the hang of it.

看看其他的設計尋找靈感，你很快就會掌握技巧。

Maybe you've heard terms like kerning, leading, tracking, and hierarchy.

你也許有聽過一些專有名詞，像是特定字距、行距、平均字距及層次。

For those with more experience, these concepts are essential for creating professional-looking designs.

對於那些較有經驗的人，這些概念在創作具有專業外觀的設計時十分重要。

As a beginner, you don't need to know everything about these terms—

身為初學者，你不需要完全了解這些專有名詞——

just enough to inform your work and help you talk about design with more confidence.

只要懂些夠你用在作品上，而且能幫助你在談論設計時更有自信的概念就好。

Hierarchy is used to guide the reader's eye to whatever is most important.

層次用來引導讀者的視線，讓他們知道什麼最重要。

In other words, it shows them where to begin and where to go next, using different levels of emphasis.

換句話說，層次用不同程度的強調來告訴讀者從哪裡開始、下一步到哪裡。

Establishing hierarchy is simple: just decide which elements you want the reader to notice first,

建立層次很間單：只要決定好你想要讓讀者最先知道的要素，

then make them stand out.

然後讓他們脫穎而出。

High-level items are usually larger, bolder, or different in some way.

高階層的項目通常在某種層度上較大、較大膽，或是不同。

Remember to keep it simple and stick to just a few complementary styles.

記得要保持簡潔，堅持只使用幾個互補的樣式。

Leading is the space between lines of text, also known as line spacing.

行距 (leading)，指的是文本中行與行之間的距離，也可以說是行間距 (line spacing)。

If you're not sure how much line spacing to use, don't fret—the default is usually fine.

若你不確定要用多少行距，不用苦惱——預設值通常就很好了。

The goal is to make your text as comfortable to read as possible.

目標是讓你的文字閱讀起來越舒服越好。

Too much or too little spacing can make it unpleasant for the reader.

間距太多或太少都會讓讀者讀起來不舒服。

Tracking is the overall space between characters, sometimes called character spacing.

平均字距 (tracking) 指的是字母間的整體空間，有時候會稱作字元間距 (character spacing)。

Most programs let you condense or expand this depending on your needs.

大部分的程式允許你根據需求壓縮或擴張平均字距。

In some designs, you might adjust your tracking to create a certain artistic effect.

在一些設計上，你可以調整你的平均字距來創造某種藝術效果。

It can also help you fix fonts that are poorly spaced to begin with.

這可以幫助你修正間距較差的字體。

Kerning is the space between specific characters.

特定字距指的是特殊字元之間的距離。

Unlike tracking, it varies over the course of the word, because each letter fits together differently.

與平均字距不同的是，特定字距在每個字整體呈現上有所不同，因為每一個字母的組合方式不同。

Some fonts have what we call "bad kerning," making certain letters look improperly spaced.

有一些字體有我們所說的「不良字距」，那讓某些字母間的間隔看起來很不恰當。

If a font you're using has bad kerning, it's best to cut your losses and choose something else.

如果你正在用的字體有不良字距，最好的做法是減少損失，選擇別的字體。

Well-crafted text can mean the difference between an ordinary project...and an extraordinary project—

精心設計的文字可意味著普通文件跟非凡文件間的差別——

even if you're just getting started with design.

即使你才剛開始從事設計。

All it takes is an interest in typography, and you'll start to notice more, see more,

你所需要的只是對字體排印的興趣，接著你就會注意到更多、看到更多，

and be able to do more in your own work.

進而能在你的作品上做得更多。

We hope you enjoyed learning the basics of typography.

我們希望你喜歡學習字體排印的基礎知識。

Don't forget to check out the rest of our design topics, including color, images, and composition.

別忘了去看看我們其他的設計主題，包括顏色、影像跟構圖。