Typography Best Practices
Learn professional typography principles for Hindi, Marathi, and Indian fonts. Font pairing, readability guidelines, and cultural design considerations.
🎨 Design Principles • 🔤 Font Pairing • 🕉️ Cultural Context
Fundamental Typography Principles
Master these core principles to create effective and beautiful typography
Hierarchy
Create clear visual hierarchy using font sizes, weights, and spacing
Examples:
- Use larger sizes for headlines (32-48px)
- Medium sizes for subheadings (24-32px)
- Standard sizes for body text (16-18px)
- Smaller sizes for captions (12-14px)
Pro Tips:
- Maintain consistent scale ratios (1.2x, 1.5x, 2x)
- Use font weights to differentiate importance
- Ensure adequate contrast between hierarchy levels
Contrast
Ensure sufficient contrast for readability and accessibility
Examples:
- Dark text on light backgrounds (high contrast)
- Light text on dark backgrounds (inverse)
- Avoid low-contrast combinations (gray on gray)
- Test with WCAG accessibility guidelines
Pro Tips:
- Aim for contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text
- Use 3:1 ratio for large text (18px+)
- Test readability in different lighting conditions
Alignment
Consistent alignment creates order and improves readability
Examples:
- Left-align for Hindi/English mixed content
- Center-align for headlines and short text
- Right-align sparingly for special emphasis
- Justify text only with proper hyphenation
Pro Tips:
- Maintain consistent alignment throughout layouts
- Consider reading direction for different scripts
- Avoid center-aligning long paragraphs
Spacing
Proper spacing improves readability and visual appeal
Examples:
- Line height: 1.4-1.6x font size for body text
- Paragraph spacing: 0.5-1x line height
- Letter spacing: Use sparingly, mostly for headings
- Margin consistency: Establish rhythm
Pro Tips:
- Devanagari scripts need slightly more line height
- Adjust tracking for different font weights
- Maintain vertical rhythm throughout design
Font Pairing Guide
Expertly curated font combinations for different styles and use cases
Hindi Headlines + English Body
Best for: Websites, blogs, modern publications
Best for: Corporate materials, presentations
Best for: Educational content, community materials
Traditional & Cultural
Best for: Wedding invitations, cultural events
Best for: Books, literature, formal documents
Best for: Art galleries, creative portfolios
Modern & Tech
Best for: Apps, software, tech websites
Best for: Startups, modern brands
Best for: Marketing, advertising
Font Pairing Guidelines
Contrast
Pair decorative with simple, serif with sans-serif
Proportion
Choose fonts with similar x-heights and proportions
Purpose
Consider the content type and target audience
Harmony
Ensure fonts complement rather than compete
Cultural Design Considerations
Respect cultural context and traditions while creating modern, effective designs
Religious & Spiritual Content
Guidelines:
- Use traditional, respectful font styles
- Avoid overly decorative fonts for sacred texts
- Maintain proper hierarchy for mantras and verses
- Consider gold/saffron colors for auspicious content
✓ Recommended:
- AMS Traditional
- AMS Mantra
- AMS Sacred
✗ Avoid:
- Overly stylized fonts
- Distorted letterforms
- Inappropriate decorations
Wedding & Celebration
Guidelines:
- Embrace decorative and ornamental styles
- Use rich, vibrant color combinations
- Balance tradition with personal style
- Ensure readability for invitation details
✓ Recommended:
- AMS Wedding
- AMS Celebration
- AMS Royal
✗ Avoid:
- Too plain fonts
- Difficult to read decoratives
- Inconsistent styling
Educational Content
Guidelines:
- Prioritize clarity and readability
- Use consistent, familiar letterforms
- Maintain high contrast for accessibility
- Consider different age groups and reading levels
✓ Recommended:
- AMS Clean
- AMS Educational
- AMS Simple
✗ Avoid:
- Overly decorative fonts
- Low contrast
- Inconsistent character spacing
Business & Corporate
Guidelines:
- Project professionalism and trust
- Balance traditional values with modernity
- Ensure cross-cultural accessibility
- Maintain brand consistency
✓ Recommended:
- AMS Corporate
- AMS Professional
- AMS Modern
✗ Avoid:
- Too casual fonts
- Overly traditional for modern brands
- Inconsistent application
Professional Design Tips
Expert advice for creating professional and accessible typography
Readability
- Test fonts at actual usage sizes, not just large preview sizes
- Consider reading distance - mobile vs desktop vs print
- Ensure adequate line spacing for Devanagari complex characters
- Test with actual content, not just sample text
- Consider different screen resolutions and pixel densities
Color & Contrast
- Use high contrast for body text (dark on light or vice versa)
- Avoid pure black (#000000) - use dark gray (#333333)
- Test colors for color-blind accessibility
- Consider cultural color meanings in Indian context
- Use color purposefully, not just for decoration
Layout & Composition
- Establish consistent margins and padding
- Use grid systems for alignment
- Create visual breaks between different language scripts
- Balance white space with content areas
- Maintain consistent spacing throughout design
Cultural Sensitivity
- Research cultural context before font selection
- Respect traditional design principles
- Consider religious and cultural sensitivities
- Test with native speakers and cultural experts
- Balance tradition with contemporary needs
Common Typography Mistakes
Learn from these frequent errors to improve your typography skills
Using too many font families
Problem: Creates visual chaos and inconsistency
✓ Solution:
Limit to 2-3 font families maximum per design
Example:
Instead of 5 different fonts, use one Hindi font + one English font + weights/sizes for variety
Poor font pairing
Problem: Competing fonts that don't harmonize well
✓ Solution:
Choose fonts with complementary characteristics
Example:
Pair a decorative Hindi headline font with a simple, readable English body font
Insufficient contrast
Problem: Text becomes difficult to read, especially on mobile
✓ Solution:
Use high contrast ratios and test in various conditions
Example:
Replace light gray on white with dark gray (#333) on white
Ignoring line height
Problem: Text appears cramped, especially with Devanagari characters
✓ Solution:
Use 1.4-1.6x line height for Devanagari text
Example:
For 16px text, use 24-26px line height instead of default 16px
Inconsistent hierarchy
Problem: Unclear information structure confuses readers
✓ Solution:
Establish clear size and weight relationships
Example:
H1: 48px Bold, H2: 32px Semi-bold, Body: 16px Regular
Cultural insensitivity
Problem: Inappropriate font choices for cultural/religious content
✓ Solution:
Research context and use appropriate traditional styles
Example:
Use respectful, traditional fonts for religious texts, not decorative party fonts
Typography FAQ
Frequently asked questions about typography and font usage
How do I know if two fonts work well together?
What's the ideal font size for Hindi text?
How do I handle mixed Hindi-English content?
Are there any cultural taboos in Hindi typography?
How do I ensure my typography works across different devices?
Should I use different line heights for Hindi vs English text?
Typography Tools & Resources
Helpful tools and resources to improve your typography workflow
Color & Contrast
WebAIM Contrast Checker, Colour Contrast Analyser
Font Pairing
FontPair, Canva Font Combinations, Adobe Fonts
Testing Tools
Browser DevTools, Real Device Testing, A/B Testing