Match type to images and symbols

We think of type as something to read, but every letter is also a small drawing. That is why the right typeface makes a logo, poster or business card feel finished, and the wrong one makes it feel pasted on. To choose well, coordinate the visual properties of the type with those of the image.

Step 1: Evaluate the image

We usually just name an image (“it’s a tree”) instead of really seeing it. Slow down and describe four things.

• Square, symmetrical

  Proportion and mass

  Draw a box around it. Is it square, tall and narrow, or wide? Symmetrical or lopsided? Don’t trust your eye; actually draw it.

• Oval on a stick

  Shape

  What is the main silhouette? Round, oval, triangular, rectangular? The tree is an oval on a stick.

• Sweep and rough edge

  Line

  What is the overall sweep, and what are the edges like? The tree sweeps sideways, drapes downward and has a rough, gnarly edge.

• Busy, irregular

  Texture

  Squint. Is the surface smooth or busy, regular or random? The leaves are irregular, with thick-thin shapes and specks of light.

Step 2: Cut what clashes in proportion and shape

There are thousands of typefaces, so cut quickly. Start with the biggest differences. Next to a square, upright tree, these styles are all out. The dashed square is the tree’s shape; the blue outline is the typeface’s.

• O

  OutCondensed

  Too tall and narrow.

• O

  OutExtended

  Too wide and flat.

• O

  OutSwoopy

  Slanted and flowing, not upright.

• O

  OutBlocky

  Square but artificial and heavy.

Step 3: Compare line and texture

Standard, upright typefaces are still about half of all typefaces, so look closer. Sans serifs tend to have even strokes, repeated curves and sharp corners: mechanical lines that feel unlike a natural tree. Oldstyle serifs are full of thick-thin strokes, serifs and small variations that create texture, much like the leaves.

Compare the type and image at three distances:

• Far: texture

  Squint at a paragraph. Does its overall gray look smooth and even, or lively like the image?

• Middle: shape

  Look at a word. Do the letters make a regular, repeating pattern or a varied one?

• Near: lines

  Zoom in on single letters. Are the serifs and corners sharp and machine-made, or soft and drawn?

Try it: find the tree’s typeface

Look for common shapes

Round letters go naturally with round images. Look at the small parts too: loops, swirls, teardrops and the spaces inside letters. Avoid shapes that compete, like triangles beside a typeface full of circles.

• bubble bath

  Round with round

  Fredoka’s circular o, b and a echo the bubbles.

• Summit Gear

  Angles with angles

  Oswald’s tall, straight-sided letters match the steep peaks.

Blend type and image

Once the type and image agree, tie them even closer together.

• Borrow color. Sample two colors from the image and apply them to the type, even as a gradient. The lettering takes on the image’s glow.
• Share an edge. Tuck words close to the contours of the image, adjusting the spacing by eye.
• Carry it through the page. Repeat the image’s colors, ornaments and textures in borders and small details. A symmetrical image suits a centered layout.
• Choose images to fit the type, too. A flourished, fancy typeface goes with an ornate image. A busy, multicolor photo or a real face will steal the attention.

© Created by Sara Rosenstock, Marietta College Graphic Design.