Seven Principles of Typographic Contrast

Written by John D. Berry

In a seminal booklet that he both designed and wrote, Carl Dair showed how in typography, as in music, harmony and contrast are the keys to composition.

The late Canadian typographer Carl Dair was one of the great typographic designers of the 1950s and 1960s, and he may have been the best of them all at explaining the nature of typography. In coordinated projects that he both wrote and designed, he managed to describe — and show — the ways in which manipulating and using type make typography happen.

Dair is the very epitome of what I mean when I say "typographer": someone who designs with type, not just a fancy typesetter, but someone who uses type, in all its variations, as the principle element of design...

Harmony and Contrast

The heart of Carl Dair's teaching is the subject of "A Typographic Quest" No. 5: Typographic Contrast. In a virtuoso performance, Dair shows exactly how designers use different kinds of visual contrast to make design work and meaning pop out.

"Harmony and contrast are fundamental to both, and the discovery of these basic principles and their application to the design of printed matter is the object of this volume."

Seven Kinds of Contrast

Dair first explains the “elements of harmony” — a consistent relationship between the black strokes of letters and the space around them — then introduces the seven types of contrast:

Contrast of Weight

Bold type stands out in the middle of lighter type. Dair points out that not only typefaces, but other typographic material such as rules, spots, and squares can add emphasis.

Contrast of Size

A simple but dramatic contrast of size provides a point to which the reader’s attention is drawn...

Contrast of Form

This refers to differences between capital and lowercase letters, roman and italic forms, or condensed and expanded variations.

Contrast of Structure

Contrast of structure highlights different typeface designs — a monoline sans serif vs. a high-contrast modern, for example.

Contrast of Texture

Texture is about how blocks of text appear as a whole — the density, rhythm, and visual tone of the massed type.

Contrast of Color

Color contrast isn't just about hue, but also tonal value. Dair notes that black on white is often stronger than most second colors.

Contrast of Texture

Texture is about how blocks of text appear as a whole — the density, rhythm, and visual tone of the massed type.

Contrast of Color

Color contrast isn't just about hue, but also tonal value. Dair notes that black on white is often stronger than most second colors.

Contrast of Direction

The opposition between vertical and horizontal — or using angled text elements — can dramatically shift attention.

Other Types of Contrast

Dair also mentions contrast by isolation (e.g., a word standing alone), and even non-typographic contrasts like mixing paper stocks or finishes. He emphasizes the value of rhythm, and how broken expectations — "interrupted rhythm" — enhance impact.

Most of the time, designers use multiple types of contrast at once. Dair refers to these complex combinations as "typographic chords."