Layout V: Typography
Type sets the tone before anyone reads a word.
Typography as a design decision
Every typeface carries a personality. The fonts in your portfolio communicate something about how you design before anyone reads a caption. A portfolio full of Helvetica Neue reads differently from one built on a humanist serif. Neither is objectively better — both are design choices that should be intentional and consistent with the visual character of the work they're presenting.
You don't need a deep knowledge of type history to make good font decisions. You need to choose fonts that feel aligned with your work and your sensibility, use them consistently, and resist the urge to keep adding more.
The hierarchy
Every text element in your portfolio has a role. Establish a clear typographic hierarchy and apply it consistently across every spread:
| Level | Content | General guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Project name, section headers | Largest, most prominent. Sets the tone. |
| Subtitle / Label | Drawing type, scale, key terms | Smaller than title, distinct from body. |
| Caption | Image descriptions, notes | Small but legible at print size — test at actual output scale. |
| Body text | Project descriptions, statements | Keep it brief. Captions should extend the image, not narrate it. Full Left justify to organize the text as a graphic itself. |
| Page number | Navigation | Quiet, consistent, always present. |
The common failures
- Too many fonts. Two is usually enough — one for headings and one for body/captions. Three is the maximum before it starts to feel unresolved. Four is almost always too many.
- Captions too small to read in print. Design at screen resolution, print a sample page, read the captions. If you can't read them easily at arm's length, they're too small.
- Inconsistent sizing. The same hierarchy element appearing at three different sizes across spreads signals that the system was never established — just approximated.
- Type as filler. Long project descriptions that nobody reads aren't documentation — they're visual clutter. If you can't say it in three sentences, consider whether it needs to be said at all.
When type becomes a design element
There are portfolios where large display type — a project title at 120pt running across the top of a spread, or a single word set in an expressive typeface — becomes an intentional organizing element. This can work beautifully. It can also overwhelm the work. If you want type to play a structural role, commit to it fully, scale the imagery accordingly, and make sure the typographic element earns its place in the hierarchy rather than competing with the work for attention.