Abstract

Technical communicators need to select typefaces that match the tone that they intend for a document. Rather than relying on intuition or personal preference, technical communicators can use a research-driven approach to analyze objectively the extent to which a typeface's personality meshes with the intended tone of a document. This study describes how technical communicators can analyze a typeface's uppercase J and its lowercase a, g, e, and n letterforms—letterforms that are dense with anatomical information—to gauge the extent to which a typeface will contribute a friendly or a professional personality to a document. Technical communicators—both professionals and students—who are armed with this knowledge can move beyond “safe” typefaces like Times New Roman and Helvetica, selecting instead typefaces whose anatomical features generate different kinds of personalities.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2005-07-01
DOI
10.2190/lqvl-ej9y-1lrx-7c95
Open Access
Closed

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (1)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Also cites 7 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1109/IPCC.2003.1245492
  2. 10.1075/idj.3.1.03row
  3. 10.1075/idj.5.1.02wal
  4. 10.4018/978-1-59140-521-4.ch010
  5. 10.1109/TPC.2004.840485
  6. 10.1177/108056990306600202
  7. 10.1109/TPC.2002.808352
CrossRef global citation count: 33 View in citation network →