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For decades, critics have predicted the end of the written word.
“No one reads anymore! No one writes anymore!” Yet from birth certificates to gravestones, from tee-shirts to text messaging, the written word—and thus reading—is woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.
Throughout history, we have used the written word to record and preserve all that is important to humankind: possessions, laws, commitments, ideas, and memories. Words and characters once impressed in clay, written on papyrus, and printed with ink are now manifest in pixels of light.
The use of text messaging for casual conversation has exploded, surpassing phone conversation as the communication method of choice—suggesting our personal connection to reading and writing continues to thrive.
People read. they seek connection to their community, answers to their questions, lessons to augment their skills, and new ideas to influence their lives. People may not participate in sustained reading the way they used to (or the way we think they used to), but people read. They text, twitter, facebook. They search for things they need or want to know. They get lost in stories. People read what is important to them.
If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires.
The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important. As typographers, we can support them all.
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14/18As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
14/20As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
14/22As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
14/24As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
As typographers,
our first responsibility is to our readers.
Our second responsibility then,
is to honor the content.
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14/20 × 900 Casual reading is skimming over a text, reading sentences here and there (the first sentence of each paragraph, the caption, the pull quote) to get a general idea and flavor of the text. Scanning with purpose is scanning down or across a text, jumping from section to section, looking for a specific piece of information. The reader glances at the first letter or word of each section, dismissing incorrect matches and moving on. Sustained reading is engaged reading. It includes pleasure reading (pursued for its own sake) and reading for understanding. Readers slow down, read the entire text, and may go into a trance-like state.
14/20 × 700 Casual reading is skimming over a text, reading sentences here and there (the first sentence of each paragraph, the caption, the pull quote) to get a general idea and flavor of the text. Scanning with purpose is scanning down or across a text, jumping from section to section, looking for a specific piece of information. The reader glances at the first letter or word of each section, dismissing incorrect matches and moving on. Sustained reading is engaged reading. It includes pleasure reading (pursued for its own sake) and reading for understanding. Readers slow down, read the entire text, and may go into a trance-like state.
14/20 × 450 If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires. The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important.
14/20 × 300 If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires. The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important.
12/18 × 350 If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires. The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important.
12/18 × 250 If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires. The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important.
10/14 × 200 If we define reading as sustained and literary, if we acknowledge only one kind of reading, we measure ourselves against a fabricated truth. We ignore the actual activity and exclude people’s needs and desires. The truth is there are different ways to read, and they are all valid and important.
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#000As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#333As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#666As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#999As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#CCCAs typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#FFFAs typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#CCCAs typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#999As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#666As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.
#333As typographers, our first responsibility is to our readers. Our most important job is to help our readers find, understand, and connect with the words, ideas, and information they seek. Our second responsibility then, is to honor the content. To clarify and share the meaning of the texts people read.