Typophile

Type Crime? - Tracking a condensed display font

ml0 votes

Is it a typographic crime to track out a condensed font for headlines?

For example, all cap headlines with Tungsten Compressed by Hoefler.

If I want to track should I stick with the non-compressed version of the font?

Just trying to avoid a typographic crime, any suggestions? I've heard never to track out condensed type.

Personally, I think you could get away with tracking them out a bit, especially the heavier weights. As for accusations of crimes against typography, a frozen leg of lamb is a very effective defence.

I think tracking out condensed type can be beautiful. You see it a lot in editorial design, and it can give typography an "atmospheric" look. Here's an example from Avaunt magazine, designed by Matt Willey and Alex Hunting Studio, who know their way around typography:

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