CDA CDA Typography & Visual Hierarchy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a sans-serif font from a serif font?
- Sans-serif fonts have decorative strokes at letter ends
- Sans-serif fonts lack the small finishing strokes found on serif fonts (Correct answer)
- Sans-serif fonts use only uppercase letters
- Sans-serif fonts are always italic
Correct answer: Sans-serif fonts lack the small finishing strokes found on serif fonts
Sans-serif fonts are clean and modern because they do not have the small decorative strokes (serifs) that serif fonts feature.
Question 2: In visual hierarchy, what does scale primarily communicate?
- The color relationship between elements
- The relative importance of elements through size differences (Correct answer)
- The texture applied to text
- The alignment of objects on the grid
Correct answer: The relative importance of elements through size differences
Scale uses size contrast to signal importance — larger elements are perceived as more significant and draw the eye first.
Question 3: What is white space (negative space) used for in typography and layout?
- To fill empty areas with background color
- To improve readability and draw attention to key content (Correct answer)
- To reduce the file size of a document
- To separate fonts from images only
Correct answer: To improve readability and draw attention to key content
White space improves readability, reduces cognitive load, and directs focus by giving design elements room to breathe.
Question 4: Which font classification is most commonly recommended for long-form body text in print?
- Display fonts
- Script fonts
- Serif fonts (Correct answer)
- Decorative fonts
Correct answer: Serif fonts
Serif fonts are traditionally preferred for print body text because their small strokes help guide the eye along lines of text.
Question 5: What does 'alignment' contribute to a typographic layout?
- It adds color to type elements
- It creates visual order and connects related text elements (Correct answer)
- It increases the font size automatically
- It converts fonts to outlines
Correct answer: It creates visual order and connects related text elements
Alignment creates a visual connection between elements, bringing order and professionalism to a layout.
Question 6: What is a display typeface primarily designed for?
- Small body copy paragraphs
- Large headlines and titles at big sizes (Correct answer)
- Coding and technical documentation
- Footnotes and captions
Correct answer: Large headlines and titles at big sizes
Display typefaces are designed for use at large sizes in headlines and titles, often featuring decorative or expressive characteristics.
CDA CDA Typography & Visual Hierarchy 2
What distinguishes a sans-serif font from a serif font?