Lesson 1Line length (measure), leading, and optimal characters per line for long-form readingAdjust line length and leading to facilitate comfortable extended reading. You will work out ideal characters per line, tweak leading for various sizes and fonts, and fine-tune for dense text, notes, and multi-column setups.
Measuring characters per lineChoosing target line length rangesSetting leading for body textFine-tuning leading for headingsHandling narrow and wide columnsTesting pages with real contentLesson 2Paragraph styling: first-line indent vs space-between, hyphenation, widow/orphan controlEstablish paragraph styles that blend readability with refined typography. You will weigh first-line indents against space-between, configure alignment and hyphenation, and manage widows, orphans, and runts for balanced page appearances.
Indent vs space-between strategiesSetting alignment and justificationHyphenation rules and exceptionsWidow, orphan, and runt controlParagraph spacing and groupingUsing styles for global changesLesson 3Handling headings, subheadings, block quotes, lists, and pull quotes with consistent stylesCraft uniform styles for headings, subheadings, lists, and quotes. You will outline hierarchy, spacing, and alignment to ensure structural elements are distinct, visually unified, and simple to update in long documents and series.
Heading levels and naming conventionsSpacing above and below headingsStyling subheads and run-in headsBulleted and numbered list treatmentsBlock quotes and pull quote designBuilding reusable style sheetsLesson 4Running heads, page numbers, and chapter open treatments: placement, content, and typographic styleDesign running heads, page numbers, and chapter starts to assist readers. You will decide on placement, content guidelines, and typography for front matter, main text, and unique pages, maintaining a consistent and subtle system.
Running head content conventionsPositioning and aligning foliosOdd and even page variationsSuppressing heads on special pagesDesigning chapter opening spreadsCoordinating with cover and seriesLesson 5Choosing main text and heading typefaces: serif vs sans-serif tradeoffs and licensing considerationsDelve into selecting body and heading typefaces for print books. You will contrast serif and sans-serif choices, assess readability, combinations, and character support, and handle licensing, embedding permissions, and file types for production.
Serif vs sans-serif for long-form readingEvaluating readability and text colorPairing body, display, and special facesOpenType features for book typographyLicensing, embedding, and usage rightsManaging font files in the workflowLesson 6Type scale and hierarchy: establishing base font size, modular scale for h1–h4, and ratio examplesBuild a type scale for clear hierarchy in a 6×9 layout. You will pick a base size, choose modular ratios, assign sizes to heading levels, and test samples to ensure consistency, legibility, and flow throughout the book.
Choosing a base text size for printSelecting modular scale ratiosMapping sizes to h1–h4 levelsAligning scale with line lengthAdjusting scale for special pagesDocumenting the type hierarchyLesson 7Treatment of footnotes and endnotes: inline callouts, placement, spacing, and pagination strategiesPlan footnote and endnote setups that are readable yet unobtrusive. You will format callouts, select placements, control spacing and lines, and tackle pagination, note splits, and references in intricate, note-rich books.
Footnote vs endnote use casesStyling note reference calloutsNote text size, leading, and indentsPlacement, rules, and spacing logicHandling note breaks across pagesManaging notes in multi-author worksLesson 8Margins, type area, and optical alignment for a 6×9 trim: inner/gutter, outer, head, foot, and folio placementSet margins and type area for a 6×9 trim to form a steady, user-friendly page. You will define inner and outer margins, head and foot areas, folio positions, and apply optical alignment for balanced spreads and better symmetry.
Standard margin schemes for 6×9 booksBalancing inner and outer marginsHead, foot, and folio positioningDefining and testing the type areaOptical alignment of text blocksAdapting margins for binding methodsLesson 9Integrating images and diagrams: sizing, captions, float behavior, and image resolution for printFind out how to ready, size, and position images and diagrams in print interiors. You will manage resolution, colour modes, captions, and floating so visuals appear crisp and complement the text without breaking the reading rhythm.
Print resolution and color mode standardsSizing images for single and double columnsCaption hierarchy and typography rulesAnchoring, wrapping, and float behaviorBleeds, full-bleed spreads, and safetyPreflight checks for placed artwork
