CSS for Print Designers

4. You Have to Read the Words

This Is Not About Proofreading

There’s a reason we designers are not allowed to send anything to the printer without having it proofread by a qualified individual. For designers, words and letters aren’t much more than shapes interacting with one another. When we’re in the zone, kerning our little hearts out, our minds aren’t focused on meaning (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1. Kerning is fun. Reading is not.

I’m not saying designers don’t read—there’s no way to art-direct a magazine layout or annual report without understanding the information being communicated. But let’s be honest: Sometimes we skim. I mean, sure, headlines ...