TYPE TIP: Contrast of Form
This design tip can be subtle or dramatic.
With contrast of form we are talking about the form of the letters themselves and making sure that there is contrast in them.
In a simple example, there is contrast of form between two letters of the same font such as
We want to be more dramatic than that so another example would be using an italicized word in a sentence as in:
Mahler’s finest work is Symphony No. 5 written in 1901 and 1902.
The “Symphony No. 5” is italicized but it’s in the same font as the text around it.
A more dramatic example would be using a drop capital in a different font from the body text. In the following example, the letter “F” is in a sans serif face followed by a serif face for the body copy:
Try it out. Just keep in mind that to make something be in contrast, subtlety usually doesn’t cut it.
