Either on the digital platform or on the non-digital one, readers’ understanding of the text can be inevitably influenced by the paratext surrounding the main content. Other than the use of colors, images, sounds and structure, readers have to read the sentences in order to actually know what information is contained in the text. Therefore, Typography, the way words are designed, can play a crucial part in the delivery of the underlying message.
The application of typography is everywhere in our life. Publishers and web-designers who work on a digital platform pay great attention to the fonts they use. With a great choice of fonts, readers will not notice the fonts but the message itself. For example, Serif is a font that’s prevalent in the printed format. Serifs are the small horizontal lines tailing from the edges of letters and symbols, making the words more distinctive and readable in a book. However, due to the lack of high-resolution like printed works (with 1000 dots per inch), Serif will seem a little bit clumsy and will not survive from the smearing effect caused by the lower resolution on computer screen (generally 100-300 dots per inch). As a result Sans Serif was invented to make online reading much easier and smoother. Without the tailing lines from edges, Sans Serif looks less complicated and becomes more recognizable in small size with lower requirement for resolution.
Moreover, just like how we can tell the personalities and social standings of people by justing observing the way they dress, people can interpret the brand images just by observing the fonts they use. Some companies choose different fonts to deliver a sense of profession and business. Taking a step further, Apple creates a brand image of simplicity, modern and innovation through constantly implemented Myriad as a major typeface. Because Apple includes typography into their marketing strategies, it receives wide recognition and popularity among customers.
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