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simple.
BIG
s p a c i o u s
WAR
The days of peace and
slumberous calm are dead.
John Keats
146 slide:ology
Typesetting
If you plan to use large words by them-
selves or combine them with an image,
take the time to typeset the text.
In the same way that grammar and punctuation errors
can distract some of your audience, typographic lazi-
ness can irk those with right-brain tendencies. Case in
point: Steve Jobs built typesetting features into the very
first Mac because he considered his users and had the
foresight to see the importance of typesetting. Smart
and innovative people do their homework. And these are
the people you want as clients. So spend a few moments
typesetting. You never know who’s in the audience.
Simplicity is powerful.
Type alone can convey
messages succinctly. Use
a single word or phrase to
get your point across. Often,
nothing else is needed.
Using Visual Elements: Background, Color, and Text 147
Ligatures
Ligatures occur when two or more letterforms are joined
as a single glyph. The most common English combinations
usually begin with the letter “f.” The word “firefly” has two
opportunities for ligatures: “fi” and “fl.” In the example to
the right, the two individual letters are replaced with a
single letterform. The bulb of the “f” combines with the
dot in the “i,” creating a unique letterform that replaces
two characters. Common ligatures are fl, fi, , , , .
Kerning
Kerning adjusts the space between individual letters. A well-
kerned font reduces the amount of visually awkward gaps
between letters. Turn auto-kerning on in your presentation
software. Common letters that need to be kerned manually
are capital letters: A, R, T, V, W, Y.
Look at the word “WAR”. It is not kerned. You can see how
the slant of the “W” is parallel with the slant on the “A” but
there’s a large gap between the two letters. Compare this
with the slide on the opposite page where the word “
WAR”
is properly kerned.
Letterspacing
Letterspacing—also called tracking—refers to the amount
of space between letters that affects the overall density of
a word. The slide on the opposite page with the word
“spacious” has loose letterspacing.
Final typeset word
applied to a slide.
AFTER: Ligatures and kerning applied
BEFORE: Default PC type
Ligatures not used
Gaps and spaces
make awkward
negative spaces
between letters.
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