Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! How are you all today? I hope the start of this week brings you many smiles! Today, I'm gonna try and explain how inches, picas, and points are used in design. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!
An inch is a common measurement used in the U.S. Picas and points are international, universal, measurements used in design work. These two units are used to measure type and layout sizes. That way, a designer in the U.S. can do work for someone in the U.K. or Japan and the measurements are the same without having to do a ton of conversions.
If you've ever looked at the size on your type, you'll notice it's referred to as: 12pt, 14pt, etc... A 12pt type size is also a one pica type size. Click on the image below for reference as we move along.
Allow me to break it down:
1inch = 6 picas
1 pica = 12 points
So when you see a measurement like 1.5" it equals 9p0. That's 9 picas and 0 points. We got there by taking 6 picas (one inch) and adding it to 3 picas (half an inch).
But wait! Adobe products do the conversions FOR you! If you have 12cm, you type in 12cm and hit tab and pow! you have your conversion (28p4.157). If you have 1.285 inches, you type in 1.285" and hit tab and pow! you have your conversion (7p8.52). How awesome is that?
So the next time you're designing that all important book cover, pay attention to the type size. Remember, your leading (the space between your lines of type) should be at least 1.5 of your type size. In other words, an 11 point typeface would get leading of around 16 or 17 points but a 9 point typeface would get 13 or 14. Your decision (I like 11 on 17 and 9 on 14). See image above for examples.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A blog dedicated to the education and support of Indie authors.
Also striving to providing great book recommendations and reviews for readers.
Links and Books by Jo Michaels
Monday, February 11, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Book Review - Underneath by Michael Cargill
Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm giving you an Indie Fever post. My second indie review of the year. Sit back and enjoy!
Indie Fever is dedicated to readers of indie books and to indie authors. I signed up to review at least eight indie books this year. It's a great idea and a wonderful cause! Here's the link: Indie Fever
Underneath won a review on my December 12 Days of Christmas indie author contest. The author hooked me right in with his pitch and I promptly bought the book which I read in just a few days. I give you my review.
From a reader's perspective:
To be frank, Underneath's main character, Hugh, scared the bejesus out of me. But he was so compelling I just had to keep reading. His odd thought process oftentimes gave me chills and made me wonder how many people like Hugh I'd passed by in my lifetime and never noticed. One of the supporting characters, Clare, was also well done, and I found myself identifying with her quickly. She has gumption and drive; both are qualities I admire a lot. The pacing was great and I flew through the book without realizing how much I'd read. I got a few surprises when the same exact words showed up at different times, and it thrilled and delighted me. Something else I liked was the author being from the UK. I learned some new words!!
From an editor's perspective:
I'd like to see a little more refinement of sentence construction and punctuation usage. I can overlook it if there are just a few but this book had a number of them. Short, choppy sentences left me stumbling over the words on more than one occasion. Plotline was bang on. I got the feeling this book was intended to be third person omniscient but it came off as third person limited with head hopping because one chapter would be about Hugh and another about Clare with snippets of other peoples' thoughts or feelings. I really only needed to see the story from two perspectives: Hugh's and Clare's. Quips now and then about random peoples' thoughts or feelings left me dangling (not in a good way). I think more character development of Hugh and Clare could've come from making this one small change.
Now, for my rating:
1 star for a terrifying main character.
1 star for rounding out the two characters I loved as much as was done.
1 star for bringing me to the UK and teaching me; as well as the surprises.
- 1 star for writing style (this is person by person so you may like it. I didn't).
- 1 star for including too many characters' thoughts and for punctuation blips.
3 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading if you like to be just a hair horrified at what could be going on in someone's mind.
You can find the book on Amazon here: Underneath for $3.30.
As far as the cover goes, I really like this one and feel it gives a good idea of what's going on in the story. One small tweak that could make it better is centering all the type. A general rule of design is to either left flush, right flush, or center everything if you do it once. Consistency is key! It could use some kerning as well but that's just aesthetics from a typography nerd.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Indie Fever is dedicated to readers of indie books and to indie authors. I signed up to review at least eight indie books this year. It's a great idea and a wonderful cause! Here's the link: Indie Fever
Underneath won a review on my December 12 Days of Christmas indie author contest. The author hooked me right in with his pitch and I promptly bought the book which I read in just a few days. I give you my review.
From a reader's perspective:
To be frank, Underneath's main character, Hugh, scared the bejesus out of me. But he was so compelling I just had to keep reading. His odd thought process oftentimes gave me chills and made me wonder how many people like Hugh I'd passed by in my lifetime and never noticed. One of the supporting characters, Clare, was also well done, and I found myself identifying with her quickly. She has gumption and drive; both are qualities I admire a lot. The pacing was great and I flew through the book without realizing how much I'd read. I got a few surprises when the same exact words showed up at different times, and it thrilled and delighted me. Something else I liked was the author being from the UK. I learned some new words!!
From an editor's perspective:
I'd like to see a little more refinement of sentence construction and punctuation usage. I can overlook it if there are just a few but this book had a number of them. Short, choppy sentences left me stumbling over the words on more than one occasion. Plotline was bang on. I got the feeling this book was intended to be third person omniscient but it came off as third person limited with head hopping because one chapter would be about Hugh and another about Clare with snippets of other peoples' thoughts or feelings. I really only needed to see the story from two perspectives: Hugh's and Clare's. Quips now and then about random peoples' thoughts or feelings left me dangling (not in a good way). I think more character development of Hugh and Clare could've come from making this one small change.
Now, for my rating:
1 star for a terrifying main character.
1 star for rounding out the two characters I loved as much as was done.
1 star for bringing me to the UK and teaching me; as well as the surprises.
- 1 star for writing style (this is person by person so you may like it. I didn't).
- 1 star for including too many characters' thoughts and for punctuation blips.
3 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading if you like to be just a hair horrified at what could be going on in someone's mind.
You can find the book on Amazon here: Underneath for $3.30.
As far as the cover goes, I really like this one and feel it gives a good idea of what's going on in the story. One small tweak that could make it better is centering all the type. A general rule of design is to either left flush, right flush, or center everything if you do it once. Consistency is key! It could use some kerning as well but that's just aesthetics from a typography nerd.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Thursday, February 7, 2013
What's a Display?
Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today we'll talk about display fonts and answer some questions like: When to use a display font? How to identify a display font? Examples of display fonts. So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!
Display is defined as: Making a prominent exhibition of a thing where it can be noticed. Example of a display font:
This letterform is from the font family known as Capitular Floral. Pretty, huh?
When should you use a display font?
Much like a script font, a display font is for just that - display. They're not meant to be used in blocks of text but they make nice drop caps and decorative elements used at the start of a chapter. So stick to using them as decoration rather than text.
How to identify a display font?
If your letters do weird things when you're trying to type them out, it's probably a display font. They're usually very decorative and hard to read when combined in sets of more than one or two. Not all of them have a box around them or have really gritty details like the one above.
Some examples:
As you can see, they don't read very well when combined. Never ever use them for book design unless you're adding a single decorative letter to the beginning of something.
This concludes my font week. I hope you all learned a little bit and had some fun along the way!
What's your favorite display font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Display is defined as: Making a prominent exhibition of a thing where it can be noticed. Example of a display font:
This letterform is from the font family known as Capitular Floral. Pretty, huh?
When should you use a display font?
Much like a script font, a display font is for just that - display. They're not meant to be used in blocks of text but they make nice drop caps and decorative elements used at the start of a chapter. So stick to using them as decoration rather than text.
How to identify a display font?
If your letters do weird things when you're trying to type them out, it's probably a display font. They're usually very decorative and hard to read when combined in sets of more than one or two. Not all of them have a box around them or have really gritty details like the one above.
Some examples:
As you can see, they don't read very well when combined. Never ever use them for book design unless you're adding a single decorative letter to the beginning of something.
This concludes my font week. I hope you all learned a little bit and had some fun along the way!
What's your favorite display font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
What is a Script?
Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today we'll talk about script fonts. Some questions I'll answer are: When to use them? How long have they been around? How do I identify a script typeface? So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!
A script typeface is defined as: Handwriting as distinct from print. An example:
This letter is from the font family known as Edwardian Script. It's been around since 1994. A relatively new font in comparison, eh?
When should you use a script font?
When you want something to look like it was hand written. I've seen them used in titles but rarely more than one or two words. They're commonly used as a drop-cap at the opening of a chapter to give it some flair.
How long have they been around?
For as long as we've been writing things by hand with quill and ink! Everyone has a script font in them waiting to escape.
How do I identify a script font?
If it looks like a normal person's handwriting or calligraphy, it's a script. Easy peasy.
Some popular script fonts are:
Some of these I had to make bigger so you could read them at a glance. They're hard to read when used in a large block of text. Don't use script fonts when formatting your book for print unless they're used as a decorative element.
What's your favorite script font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A script typeface is defined as: Handwriting as distinct from print. An example:
This letter is from the font family known as Edwardian Script. It's been around since 1994. A relatively new font in comparison, eh?
When should you use a script font?
When you want something to look like it was hand written. I've seen them used in titles but rarely more than one or two words. They're commonly used as a drop-cap at the opening of a chapter to give it some flair.
How long have they been around?
For as long as we've been writing things by hand with quill and ink! Everyone has a script font in them waiting to escape.
How do I identify a script font?
If it looks like a normal person's handwriting or calligraphy, it's a script. Easy peasy.
Some popular script fonts are:
Some of these I had to make bigger so you could read them at a glance. They're hard to read when used in a large block of text. Don't use script fonts when formatting your book for print unless they're used as a decorative element.
What's your favorite script font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
What about Sans Serif?
Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we're talking more fonts! I know, I know, crazy stuff. But the topic for today is sans serif fonts. Why do we use them? Where did they come from? What are some common ones? So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!
A sans serif font is defined as: A style of type without serifs.
The type you're reading now is sans serif. It's called Arial. Designers worldwide just drew in a collective gasp. Yes, I know Arial is the knockoff Helvetica. Sorry, I like it. So, for a larger example:
This letter is from a typeface called HelveNuThin. It's the one I use for my name on the cover of my novels. Notice there are no protrusions of any kind on the letterform. This is an excellent example of a sans serif font.
Why do we use them?
They're easier to write and have become more widely used with the invention of the computer. Now, here's a tidbit of trivia for you! Arial was designed by Microsoft when the designer of Helvetica wanted a payment for every copy of windows that was distributed. They hired someone to come up with a font similar so they wouldn't have to pay. Hell hath no fury like the design world when one uses Arial. By the way, that stop sign near your house? Helvetica is the font used. Anyway, I digress!
Where did they come from?
The first sans serif typeface was Caslon in 1745 but they didn't become as popular as they are today until the invention of the computer.
What are some common ones?
And I hope this answers questions you may have had about serif typefaces. Tomorrow, we'll talk script typefaces and I'll give some examples of those, too!! For printed book design, Caslon is a popular choice.
What's your favorite sans serif font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A sans serif font is defined as: A style of type without serifs.
The type you're reading now is sans serif. It's called Arial. Designers worldwide just drew in a collective gasp. Yes, I know Arial is the knockoff Helvetica. Sorry, I like it. So, for a larger example:
This letter is from a typeface called HelveNuThin. It's the one I use for my name on the cover of my novels. Notice there are no protrusions of any kind on the letterform. This is an excellent example of a sans serif font.
Why do we use them?
They're easier to write and have become more widely used with the invention of the computer. Now, here's a tidbit of trivia for you! Arial was designed by Microsoft when the designer of Helvetica wanted a payment for every copy of windows that was distributed. They hired someone to come up with a font similar so they wouldn't have to pay. Hell hath no fury like the design world when one uses Arial. By the way, that stop sign near your house? Helvetica is the font used. Anyway, I digress!
Where did they come from?
The first sans serif typeface was Caslon in 1745 but they didn't become as popular as they are today until the invention of the computer.
What are some common ones?
And I hope this answers questions you may have had about serif typefaces. Tomorrow, we'll talk script typefaces and I'll give some examples of those, too!! For printed book design, Caslon is a popular choice.
What's your favorite sans serif font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Friday, February 1, 2013
What is a Serif?
Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! This week we're going to learn about letterforms. Today's topic is serifs. What are they? Why do we use them? What typefaces are considered serifs? So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!
A serif is defined as: A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter.
This text is not a serifed typeface. An example:
This letter is from the type family Georgia. Those little feet on the A are called serifs. Any letterforms with protrusions like those are considered to be a serifed typeface. Sometimes, they can resemble cups or be prettier than the ones here, but they're all still serifs!
Why do we use them?
It goes back to ancient handwriting. Even the first typewriters used a serifed (slab serif) font. Basically, readability is why we use them. There are slab serif fonts, too. Those more closely mimic what was done with a chisel and hammer back when we were banging around on rocks and was what many typewriters used. An example:
This letter is from the type family Rockwell. It's called a slab serif because the serifs are the same basic weight as the strokes on the letter.
A few other serifed fonts are:
Just to give you an idea. Now you can start noticing some of your own. For printed books, Palatino is a common font to use. Always consider legibility FIRST when producing a book. After all, we want them read, right?
What's your favorite serifed font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A serif is defined as: A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter.
This text is not a serifed typeface. An example:
This letter is from the type family Georgia. Those little feet on the A are called serifs. Any letterforms with protrusions like those are considered to be a serifed typeface. Sometimes, they can resemble cups or be prettier than the ones here, but they're all still serifs!
Why do we use them?
It goes back to ancient handwriting. Even the first typewriters used a serifed (slab serif) font. Basically, readability is why we use them. There are slab serif fonts, too. Those more closely mimic what was done with a chisel and hammer back when we were banging around on rocks and was what many typewriters used. An example:
This letter is from the type family Rockwell. It's called a slab serif because the serifs are the same basic weight as the strokes on the letter.
A few other serifed fonts are:
Just to give you an idea. Now you can start noticing some of your own. For printed books, Palatino is a common font to use. Always consider legibility FIRST when producing a book. After all, we want them read, right?
What's your favorite serifed font?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Release for Good Ghost Gone Bad
Synopsis:
Brianna Moreno was an average 22-year-old women who loved shopping, hanging out with her friends and making more career plans....until the night she was brutally and unexpectedly murdered.
Now she finds herself trapped in the ghost world while residing on earth. The problem is, her killer can see all of his ghostly victims and enjoys taunting them as much as he does killing them.Brianna soon finds out that her killer has horrible new plans concerning her family.
Brianna meets up with a few of her killer's past victims to hatch a plan so terrifying, the entire town will never be the same again.
Brianna is a good ghost gone bad; the good girl side is gone forever!
*This book is not a YA read. It's an 18+ only novella that features sex, strong language and strong violence.
Now she finds herself trapped in the ghost world while residing on earth. The problem is, her killer can see all of his ghostly victims and enjoys taunting them as much as he does killing them.Brianna soon finds out that her killer has horrible new plans concerning her family.
Brianna meets up with a few of her killer's past victims to hatch a plan so terrifying, the entire town will never be the same again.
Brianna is a good ghost gone bad; the good girl side is gone forever!
*This book is not a YA read. It's an 18+ only novella that features sex, strong language and strong violence.
Grab Your Copy!
About the author
Janiera enjoys feeding her book addiction when she not writing. Writing is theraputic to her during her struggles with Fibromyalgia. Being unable to work a normal 9-5 is what encouraged her to write full time. She is also a book blogger at Beauty and Books where she mixes being a book nerd with keeping things chic. When not reading or writing she is freelance writing in the entertainment industry.When trying to relax she likes a huge yard sale on a Saturday morning, rainy days to read by and nacho cheese is her kryptonite. Soul Sisters is her debut novel.
Feel free to visit her book blog where she loves reviewing books and doing author interview at Books & Beauty- http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com. She loves feedback and welcomes any questions or comments to her email:
Feel free to visit her book blog where she loves reviewing books and doing author interview at Books & Beauty- http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com. She loves feedback and welcomes any questions or comments to her email:
Other Works by this author:
- Soul Sisters (Book one of the Soul Sisters series)
- Dark Expectations(Book two of the Soul Sister series)
Jo
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