Lesson 1Line length (measure), leading, and optimal characters per line for long-form readingAdjust line length and leading to aid comfortable long-form reading. Calculate 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 controlCreate paragraph styles that blend readability with typographic finesse. Compare first-line indents and space-between, set alignment and hyphenation, and manage widows, orphans, and runts for balanced pages.
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 stylesBuild uniform styles for headings, subheadings, lists, and quotes. Define hierarchy, spacing, and alignment to keep structural elements clear, 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 openings to steer readers. Set placement, content guidelines, and typography for front matter, main text, and special pages, ensuring consistency without distraction.
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 considerationsExplore selecting body and heading typefaces for print books. Compare serif and sans-serif choices, assess readability, pairing, and character sets, and handle licensing, embedding rights, and file formats for production.
Serif vs sans-serif for long-form readingEvaluating readability and text colourPairing 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 examplesSet up a type scale for clear hierarchy in a 6×9 layout. Choose a base size, pick modular ratios, assign sizes to heading levels, and test examples 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 systems that stay readable and subtle. Style callouts, select placement, handle spacing and rules, and manage pagination, note breaks, and cross-references in detailed, 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 placementDefine margins and type area for a 6×9 trim to make a steady, comfy page. Set inner and outer margins, head and foot space, folio placement, and apply optical alignment to balance spreads and enhance 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 printLearn to ready, size, and position images and diagrams for print interiors. Manage resolution, colour modes, captions, and float behaviour so visuals print sharply and complement the text without breaking the reading flow.
Print resolution and colour mode standardsSizing images for single and double columnsCaption hierarchy and typography rulesAnchoring, wrapping, and float behaviourBleeds, full-bleed spreads, and safetyPreflight checks for placed artwork
