typographie

Typography, or typographie in French, is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually engaging. It involves choices about typefaces, sizes, line length, line spacing, letter spacing, alignment, and overall layout to guide reading and convey tone.

Historically, typography began with movable type in the 15th century, enabling mass production of texts. Over time, typefaces evolved from blackletter to humanist and transitional styles, then to Didone, and later to sans-serif. The digital era expanded typography into on-screen typesetting, web typography, and responsive design, emphasizing legibility across devices and contexts.

Key concepts include the distinction between a typeface (the design) and a font (a specific size, weight, and style). Classifications cover serif and sans-serif families, with subgroups such as geometric, humanist, and grotesque. Anatomy terms include baseline, mean line, x-height, cap height, ascenders, and descenders. Metrics such as measure (line length), leading (line spacing), kerning (pairwise spacing), and tracking (overall letter spacing) shape readability and aesthetic balance. Grids and alignment establish a visual framework for hierarchy and coherence.

Practical considerations focus on purpose, audience, and medium, balancing readability with branding and style. Accessibility, legibility, and responsive behavior are central in digital contexts, including web typography, font licensing, and fallbacks. Modern typography blends artistic sensitivity with technical constraints, supporting editorial, branding, and user interface design through specialized tools and workflows.