Poor Kerning

Poor kerning is everywhere. I never knew what kerning was until I learned it in my Typography class. Now I see poor kerning everywhere. It is like a pest that won't go away. I found a shameful example on the Kutztown University website on Thursday, October 21st around 9am in the CD lab. The link to the example is:

http://www.kutztown.edu/divisions/studentservices/departments/recreation/.

On this web page is a bold black heading that says: "Student Rec Center." This is horribly kerned. When you put up a website for students, prospective students, parents, and faculty to see, wouldn't you take the time to kern? Upon first glance of this header, you can clearly see that the "t" and "u" in "Student" are too close. The letters look anti-social with the "S" and the "d." Com'on Kutztown! Make us proud!

Bad Typography

Bad typography is everywhere. I found this example at my home in Laurys Station, Around 8pm on October 15th. This advertisement is a magnet I think I got at a parade a few years ago. The design and typefaces are horrible. The advertisment is so busy and cluttered that the accual company is hard to find. I think that there are way too many typefaces used, and too many different sizes. The main company is not even the largest part. The company in no way stands out to the viewer, and everything just gets lost in the make-shift design. This magnet could be greatly improved by just organizing a bit more and rethinking typefaces and sizes.

Good Typography

This example of "good" typography was found around 9pm on Wensday, October 7th, at my home in Laurys Station. This is one of my western hat boxes. I am packing up for a big horse show this weekend, and realized how much I love the typography on the box. This brand of hat is a decent brand. The script and italic feel of the typeface gives the feeling of the elegance and quality of the hat. Also, the spur detail on the descender of the "y" gives a playful and "western" feel. The type face on the bottom of the box "Fits Your Lifestyle" is rendered in a more harsh script. I like this because it shows the roughness and toughness most western riders would love to have. I think this box is a great example of good typography. It is very well thought out and designed, attracting the potential buyer.

Hand rendered typography

Hand rendered typography is everywhere we look. This example of hand rendered typography was found on October 1st, 2009 around 8pm at my house in Laurys Station. This is a dry erase board that is on my refridgerator that people write messages on from time to time. This person writes in a very neat and clean way. The characters resemble Helvetica Neue to me also, except the rounded vertexes on the lowercase "w." I personally like this hand rendered typography beacause I think it gets its point across and says it with a little personality.