The Type of Typeface in a Newspaper Headline Does More Than You Think

The type used in newspaper columns is usually fairly consistent but the headline and display of the type has to stand out to attract readers.

In this newspaper, the type used in the first part of the headline that reads “sludge scare” definitely stands out from the rest of the page. It uses a traditional sans serif font in big bold letters in all caps. The traits of these letters being used in the headline tell us this is a traditional typeface. They go beyond the handwritten look which relates more to a humanist typeface and into the realm of the traditionalist typeface with a more carefully-constructed, sharper form with clean lines and a more vertical appearance, slimming the type. Changing the size of this first part of the headline make the text jump right in front of the viewer’s eyes. However, the rest of the headline is not forgotten.

In order to draw contrast between the first two important words of the headline and the rest, these two letters were modified to be different. The type of the rest of the headline still jumps out but just not as much as the first two letters. The rest of the headline has the same sans serif shape, slightly smaller-than-the-first-two-yet-still-larger-than-normal sized letters, and bold italics.

Due to the combination of the different sizing of the typeface, the viewer is inclined to notice the first two words of the headline first and then the rest.