From the course: After Effects Scripts & Tips: 2 Design Theory & Animation

Typography: Consider it for font's sake! - After Effects Tutorial

From the course: After Effects Scripts & Tips: 2 Design Theory & Animation

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Typography: Consider it for font's sake!

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- [Narrator] Typography, consider it for font's sake. It's important. When we use type and text in our animation and design, we are always walking a tightrope when choosing which font to work with. We want the text to feel integrated into the design, reinforcing the feel we're going for. But we also need to make sure the viewer can read it, as text is, inherently, a form of communication. We have to consider the legibility and readability of our text, or the ability to actually read the text within our design, and discern how this works with the kind of text we use to reinforce the style. A quick way to do this is to consider whether using a serif or a sans serif font. Serif fonts have these little decorative pieces on the ends of each character. Those are the actual serifs. Serif fonts have a classic look. They remind us of handwriting and calligraphy. The more elaborate and decorative those serifs are, the more classic and old-timey it feels. Now, sans serif fonts have no decorative marks. Sans means without, so, without serifs. Sans serif fonts tend to look more modern, less decorative, and therefore tend to be more readable in your design. Serifs are a great place to start when determining what font to use. It gives an instant classic or modern feel. Of course, there are many other kinds of fonts to consider beyond just serif and sans serif. You have fonts that are styled to look hand drawn, computer or digital, stenciled, typewritten, comical, distorted, and fonts that work as texture rather than communication. Fonts that reflect all different cultures, regions of the world, countries, and periods of histories throughout recorded time and even unrecorded time. Oh yes, cave paintings are a type of font and design in and of themselves. Just like the many pictographs, ideographs, dingbats, wingbats, icons, and emoticons, or emojis that we use. These are all forms of typographical communication. The world is yours when it comes to fonts. Even though many are fairly expensive, there are places to find thousands of free fonts for your use. Check out dafont.com, da with a D, where you can seek out nearly endless great fonts. Also, 1001freefonts.com has way more than the 1,001 number in their branding. Above all else, remember to consider your font choices carefully. Always choose your fonts with intent, and just think about it for font's sake.

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