Typo—what?

German Typography

While the Arabic and Persian typefaces are not overly stylised, the red ‘El Reda’ in the centre uses a true German classic and a staple of Berlin’s typography: Herbert Bayer’s Bauhaus Bold. Although the typeface dates to the 1920s, when used on a backlit plastic sign its vibe is distinctly late-70s. Typography terms defined in English and translated by our community into many languages. The content of this section is available under Public Domain Dedication (CC0 1.0). More recently, the German street artist Bronco became internationally known for having a consistent typography which he combines with a sharp sense of humor that criticizes and questions the pop-culture and politics, but also our everyday life experiences. This Typography Printable was created from an old Piece of German Ephemera, that was used to advertise a factory in Germany, I believe the factory manufactured leather items. I just love all the fancy ornamental doodads around the typography on this one! Its focus lies on Chinese, and it includes a comparison to German typography as well as a multilingual glossary of typographic terminology (Chinese, German), and an illustrated explanation of the structure of CJK characters and the two syllabic Japanese writing systems.

Typography is the craft of arranging type with the goal to make language visible. We arrange type multiple times throughout the day; whether we are writing essays, summarizing meeting minutes or creating slides for a presentation. Unfortunately, we usually end up thinking more about what we write than how we write it. And, most importantly, how others will read it.

1. Good typography makes us read
Good typography is utilitarian. It allows the reader to focus on the content, not the formatting. Ideally it is not even noticed because it just makes sense to the reader.

2. Good typography makes us feel
Good typography is emotional. The choice of typeface affects how your content is understood or perceived. Based on its character, the right typeface sets the tone and voice for your text.

German Typography

This little guide is for everyone who comes across these typographic adventures or just want to do things right. Mastering the things mentioned in the short chapters below will help you get your message across more successfully.

German Typography Rules

While I try to outline guidelines for the most common challenges, I encourage you to trust your own judgement when it comes to final decisions. Work out the hierarchy of your content and design it in a way that it’s easy for your readers to follow.

I run this site as an ongoing project, so please feel free to contribute on GitHub or give feedback via email or Twitter. It’s highly appreciated!