This is a great article that everyone should read and apply. I have added some keyboard shortcuts for your liking.
By Steven D. Posted by Smashing Magazine
While many designers have been quick to embrace web standards, it’s surprising how often the basic standards of typography are neglected. Here are ten deadly sins to avoid in your web typography:
1. Using hyphens instead of an em dash
If you need to interrupt yourself, do it with an em dash (alt+0151) instead of a pair of minus signs. This is a top pet peeve for countless editors.
Sullied Mac Tip:
en dash –
alt + -
em dash —
alt + shift + -
2. Using periods instead of ellipses.
Most fonts provide a dedicated ellipsis character (alt+0133) to keep your type tidy. The ellipsis character fits the three dots into a single letterspace, which is especially beneficial for content that might be printed.
Sullied Mac Tip:
ellipse …
alt + ;
3. Using dumb quotes
These straight “up and down” quotes used in your markup should stay in your markup. In your content, only use them to indicate a measurement in feet or inches.
Sullied Mac Tip: Use “smart quotes.”
beginning smart quote “
alt + [
end smart quote ”
alt + shift + [
also use smart apostrophes
beginning smart apostrophe ‘
alt + ]
end smart apostrophe ’
alt + shift + ]
4. Double-spacing between sentences.
The antiquated practice of double-spacing between sentences seemed like it was finally laid to rest thanks to web typography. Just a few short years ago, it required manually inserting a blank ASCII space to commit this font faux pas. Now, some content management systems will actually format the double-spacing for you if you let them. Don’t give them the chance! Only use single spaces between sentences.
Sullied Tip [In typewriting class you may have learned to use two spaces. Please don’t. Big Pet Peeve of mine.]
5. Improvising a copyright symbol.
Not only is it ugly and lazy, a copyright symbol hacked together out of a capital C and parenthesis might not even cut the mustard in court. Use the real McCoy (alt+0169), and bill your clients extra for the legal advice.
Sullied Mac Tip:
copyright symbol ©
alt + g
6. Using too much emphasis.
You can bold text. You can italicize it. You can underline it. You can even use all caps if you really need to hammer home your point. Just don’t use more than one at the same time.
7. Underlining your hypertext links.
Underlines cut right through the descenders in your typeface, making it harder to read. Instead of
text-decoration: underline;
, use
border-bottom: solid 1px #00f;
to draw a line below your text instead of through it.
Sullied Tip: I just learned this! Great way to keep your text’s integrity.
8. Faking families in Photoshop.
If your font doesn’t offer (or you couldn’t afford) the bold, italic, or smallcaps branches of the family tree, don’t try to fake it in Photoshop. Sometimes you can get away with it in print, but at web resolutions, it’ll be a mess.
9. Use accent characters.
I know how annoying they can be (especially when you’re writing about Ikea furniture), but if somebody’s name includes an exotic character, be polite and include it.
Sullied Mac Tip:
In the System Preferences select International from the Personal row.
Then select the input menu.
Finally select Character Palette to display an American Flag in your tool bar.
Once this is done you can select the flag and then display the Character Palette. Then you are able to pick from a wide range of special symbols.
10. Use CSS for capitalization effects.
I know it’s CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL, but if you’re using caps (or lowercase) for decorative reasons, be sure to use the text-transform property. It’ll save a lot of trouble if you ever decide to change things later.
For symbols and their html codes visit the Special Characters site.
Most of these have become pet peeves of mine, so please be kind…know how to write well on the web.
Sully
