The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, 3rd Edition

Chapter 4 Typography

Let’s face it: the core purpose of all web design is communication. Whether we’re talking about an online retail store, a web presence for a Fortune 500 company, or a profile for a social networking site, typography is a vital component of your message. For most people, typography is simply about arranging a familiar set of shapes to make words, sentences, and paragraphs. But, ironically, having the ability to set type with only a few mouse clicks or strokes on a keyboard has allowed us to forget about the creative and artistic possibilities of this medium.

There are numerous obstacles to the effective customization of typography for the Web—and I’ll address these in the coming pages—but the power of type ...