Q: What is a font stack?
A: A font stack is a list of fonts in the order of preference for use on a web site. The font stack provides specific instructions to the web browser for how to make a font substitution if the web site viewer’s computer does not have a specified font installed. Without a font stack, the browser will choose the font.
Here is a suggestion for what to include in a font stack:
1. The font of choice. If the browser can access this font, the page will look as intended.
2. An alternative font. A font that is similar to the font of choice so there is as little change to the page design as possible.
3. A common Windows or Macintosh font. A font that has a very high likelihood of being installed on either a Windows or Macintosh computer.
4. A generic font name in CSS (cascading style sheet). The generic font families in CSS are serif, sans serif, monospaced, cursive, fantasy and script.
Times Roman is the most common serif font on the web, and the default serif font in most browsers. Arial (PC) and Helvetica (Mac) are the most common sans serif fonts.
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There are two holdovers from the days of typewriters that negatively affect the appearance of type in documents and on the web – the practice of putting two spaces after a period, and the use of underlining.
The use of two spaces after a period is due to typewriter fonts being monospaced. In a monospaced font, every letter takes up the same amount of space as every other. Putting two spaces after a period creates extra space and helps signal the reader that the sentence has ended. In contrast, a proportional font varies the space assigned to each letter, making words easier to read because the letters are closer together and making extra space after a period unnecessary. In fact, putting two spaces after a period in a proportional font can create a gap that is visually unappealing.
With typewriters, underlining was one of the few ways to create emphasis. Computer type has italics, bold or a different point size available to create emphasis. Also, avoid double emphasis – combining bold, italics or a larger point size with underlining – as it compromises the effect of the emphasis.
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To get a clear visual of how a font looks, use a pangram – a sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet. A familiar pangram is “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” A pangram can be set alone or repeated to create a block of type.
For a large amount of text, use nonsense words or Latin to examine the weight and style of the font. This technique is known as greeking and is a good way to approximate the overall feel of the type.
A common form of nonsense text is known as lorem ipsum:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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Q: What is the difference between additive and subtractive color?
A: Additive and subtractive color models use two different bases to create color. Additive color uses the primary colors found in light (red, green and blue) and adds them together (i.e., combines them) to create all other colors. White results from combining red, green and blue light in equal intensities. The secondary colors of additive color are magenta, yellow and cyan.
Subtractive color is the basis for creating colors when mixing paint, dye or ink. Color is created when some wave lengths of light are subtracted (i.e., absorbed) while others are reflected. The color display on a surface (a wall, a piece of cloth, a sheet of paper) depends on which colors are reflected by it and therefore made visible.
The primary ink colors used in printing are cyan, magenta and yellow. Cyan is the complement of red, which means it absorbs (subtracts) red. So the amount of cyan ink printed on a sheet of paper controls how much red will show. Magenta is the complement of green; yellow is the complement of blue.
Red, yellow and blue (RYB) used to be the standard set of subtractive primary colors used for mixing pigments and is still used in art (particularly painting). RYB are the primary colors of a standard color wheel; the secondary colors of violet, orange and green are formed by mixing equal parts of red and blue, red and yellow and blue and yellow.
Here is some color terminology to help you describe to us the color characteristics you are seeking.
Hue is the color name.
Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue.
Tint is the result of adding white to a hue.
Shade is the result of adding black to a hue.
Intensity or chroma is the brightness or darkness of a color.
Saturation is the relative strength or weakness of a hue. Full saturation is a hue at full strength.
Temperature describes a hue’s warmth or coolness. Warm hues include yellows, oranges and reds; cool hues are blues and violets. Warm hues accelerate the pulse, increase body temperature and elicit an extroverted emotional response. Cool hues are seen as receding, tranquil and passive.
Harmony is a scheme for combining color. The three most common harmonies are monochromatic, analogous and complementary. Monochromatic harmony is developed around one hue; an example is light, medium and dark blue. Analogous harmony is developed by choosing colors that are close to each other on the color wheel (yellow, yellow-green and green, for example). Complementary harmony is developed by selecting colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red and green.
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