Common Typography Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)

Typography is deceptive. It looks easy—just pick a font from the dropdown menu, type the text, and you're done.

In reality, typography is the backbone of almost all graphic and UI/UX design. If images grab attention, text delivers the message and ensures the audience stays engaged. Unfortunately, many beginner designers ruin their own good designs with poor text execution.

Here are four "cardinal sins" of typography most commonly committed by beginners, and simple ways to fix them.

1. Tracking (Letter Spacing) That Is Too Tight

This mistake often happens out of a desire to save space or make text look "compact." As a result, letters crash into each other, making them hard to distinguish.

• The Problem: The text becomes very difficult to read, especially in small sizes or long paragraphs. The reader's eyes tire quickly.
• The Solution: Give it breathing room. For body text, leave tracking at default (0) or add a tiny bit (+10 to +20 in some software). Be careful, tracking that is too loose is just as bad!

2. "Font Flooding" (Too Many Font Types)

Beginners are often too enthusiastic about their font collections. They use a script font for the title, a slab-serif for the subtitle, and a geometric sans-serif for the body, all in one design.

• The Problem: The design looks chaotic, unprofessional, and lacks a clear identity. It's like wearing five different patterned outfits at once.
• The Solution: Apply the "Maximum of Two" rule. Choose one characterful font for Headlines (e.g., bold Serif), and one highly readable font for Body text (e.g., clean Sans-serif). Consistency is key to professionalism.

3. Line Height 1.0 (The Fatal Error)

This is perhaps the most common and most damaging mistake for readability. Many beginners leave the leading or line height setting on the default "Auto," which is often too tight, or manually set it to 1.0 (100%).

• The Problem: Lines of text crash into each other. The descenders of 'g' or 'y' in the line above collide with the ascenders of 'h' or 'T' in the line below. This makes paragraphs look incredibly crowded and intimidating to read.
• The Solution: Follow the golden rule. For body text, set the line height between 1.4x to 1.6x the font size. (Example: 16px Font, use a line height around 24px).

4. Unclear Hierarchy (Everything Looks Equally Important)

When beginners design a poster or website, often the Main Headline, subtitles, and explanatory text have nearly the same size and weight.

• The Problem: The reader is confused about where to start reading and which information is most important. If everything "shouts," nothing is heard.
• The Solution: Create extreme contrast.
  • Main Headline: Must be the biggest and boldest (Bold/Black).
  • Subtitle: Medium size, medium weight.
  • Body Text: Small size, regular weight, and perhaps use dark gray instead of pitch black so it's not too dominant.

"Good typography is invisible."

Good typography shouldn't make the reader think about the font, but rather focus on the message. Avoid these four mistakes, and your designs will instantly look much more professional. ✨