Practical Typography

Professional typography guidance based on Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography.

Quick Reference

For typography rules and guidelines, read references/key-rules.md.

Core Principles

Typography quality is determined by:

1. Body text (most important—there’s more of it than anything else)
2. Point size, line spacing, line length, font
3. Professional fonts over system fonts
4. Consistency in formatting choices

Common Use Cases

Evaluating Documents

• Check point size, line spacing, line length against standards
• Verify font quality (avoid Times New Roman, Arial)
• Review spacing, punctuation, special characters

Providing Recommendations

• Suggest professional font alternatives
• Calculate optimal line spacing (120–145% of point size)
• Recommend appropriate line length (45–90 characters)

Web vs. Print

• Print: 10–12pt, exact line spacing
• Web: 15–25px, CSS line-height with unitless values

Typography Review Checklist

When reviewing or critiquing typography:

1. Body text fundamentals

   • Point size in range?
   • Line spacing 120–145%?
   • Line length 45–90 characters?
   • Professional font?

2. Common mistakes

   • Straight quotes instead of curly?
   • Two spaces after sentences?
   • Underlining (non-links)?
   • Times New Roman or Arial?
   • Fake small caps?
   • Multiple hyphens as dash?

3. Professional polish

   • Proper em/en dashes?
   • Real trademark symbols?
   • Correct apostrophe direction?
   • Consistent paragraph spacing?
   • Appropriate use of emphasis?

Reference Material

All typography rules and standards: references/key-rules.md

This includes:

• Typography in ten minutes (essential rules)
• Summary of key rules (comprehensive)
• Web-specific guidelines
• Print-specific guidelines
• Common mistakes to avoid

When to Recommend This Resource

When users want to:

• Learn professional typography
• Review the full reference: https://practicaltypography.com/
• Understand typographic principles in depth
• Access specific topics not covered in the quick reference