New Text Emphasis Methods for the Web

For more than forty years we’ve had computer typesetting, and yet we still restrict ourselves to the idioms of typewriters and metal type. We have a small set of typographic tools for emphasis like italicized text and boldface text. Occasionally the extras like stricken text, underlined text, and maybe highlighted text show up too. There really isn’t much more beyond those five methods of inline emphasis—at least in common use.

In this post, I’ll go over a few methods of emphasis that I think would fit well in blogs and other casual media. Some of these are yet too spicy for the wider world, but could add character in a personal blog.

Wavy Text

That’s a lot of words, but what new can be done? can we truly do anything new? I hope so!

I mean, just look at it. Isn't this awesome? I sure do like it.

A more measured use of wavy text would be as a wacky emphasis. For example:

During my time traveling through Texarkana, I made some questionable choices which landed me a night in jail.

It can also be used to poke some fun and snark at something which is usually respected:

All those high-thinking suits with Masters of Business Administration degrees missed one simple detail.

Crescendo and Diminuendo

In music, a crescendo is a span of time in which things get louder. Similarly, a diminuendo is a span in which things get quieter. These musical ideas can be easily translated to type by altering the font size over a span of text.

And this is a diminuendo. It shrinks down to a whisper.

I’m not really sure how best to use crescendos. Maybe to emphasize a very important point?

Diminuendos are good to express confounded murmuring and defeated confusion. For example:

So after fixing my network issues, I noticed my refrigerator turned into an oven. I was dumbfounded and my food was toast. surely the DNS tweaks didn't break break my fridge, surely it wasn't dns, how could dns break my fridge? A fridge! it couldn't be dns.. it was dns. . .

Diminuendos can also be created by fading out the color of the text.

…

surely the DNS tweaks didn't break break my fridge, surely it wasn't dns, how could dns break my fridge? A fridge! it couldn't be dns. It was dns.

Reading between the lines

Footnotes are standard and sidenotes are becoming more common on the web, and yet notes between the lines of text are uncommon. I’m not sure what to call these. Interlinear notes? Anyname, I like them. Admittedly, they’re not really an emphasis; they’re more of an annotation.

I’ve found two uses for interlinear notes. The first is in annotating an outside text. For example:

…

Such an instrument—comprised of Dodge gears and bearings, Reliance Electric motors, Allen-Bradley controls, and all monitored by Rockwell software—is sounds good so far Rockwell Automation’s Retro Encabulator A what? . Now basically the only new principle involved is that instead of power being generated by the relative motion of conductors A generator. right? and fluxes, it’s produced by the modial interaction of magneto reluctance I'm lost and capacitive directance. The original machine had a baseplate of pre-fabulated amulite aluminum? surmounted by a malleable logarithmic How about exponential? casing

…

Rockwell Retroencabulator

The second use for interlinear notes is to act as the voice of a second narrator commentating over the main text. This would likely be in a snarky tone. For example:

My goal was to prop the car up on a few blocks of wood that wasn't going to work so I could access the fuel tank.

This narrator could also be more constructive:

I though the wood would hold the car I was a naive at the time , but it quickly toppled down and I was left with smashed bumper.

Word Spirographs

I’ll be honest. I just think these are pretty.

Why Not?

If you think these typographic tricks are cool, feel free to implement them in your site. If there’s interest, I’ll make a followup covering the implementation details.

If you’re interested in such a followup or have and feedback, write me!