Typophile

Drop Caps...yes or no

Evie0 votes

Hi everyone,

I have a small question regarding Drop caps, is it like ok to use them or is it smarter to try and avoid them as much as possible...reason why I'm asking is that I'm trying something out with drop caps but no mater how much i experiment with it it never looks quite alright.

So is it like a no-no when it comes to good typography?

Also are there like some unwritten rules for the kerning between the drop cap and the letters that follow...

Also do you actually use the spacing function or kerning function in Indesign when trying to make your drop cap float nicely with the text.

Could someone maybe provide some examples/links on the web with good use of drop caps, that would be really useful to see how it should be done.

thnx for the help everyone!

Penn Glendinning0 votes

http://dailydropcap.com/

Thomas Phinney0 votes

Drop caps are fine, at least in the right kind of work. Not a no-no at all. That being said, if they're not working for you, it may be that they are out of place in that particular piece. It would be helpful/interesting to see the context in which they are not working for you, including the typefaces.

Regards,

T

Nick Shinn0 votes

There is something about it in this style guide.

J. Tillman0 votes

Here are some nice examples of creative yet tasteful drop caps.
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/09/8-drop-caps-for-chapter-openings-...

blank0 votes

Not only are drop caps acceptable, they’re a great way to showcase novelty fonts that aren’t especially useful outside of a specific context.

James de Leiburne0 votes

Nice guide Nick. I particuarly like the mention of slightly hanging initial caps, à la the old version of Hart’s.

oprion0 votes

Here's something that I always wondered.
It seems, from their inception and until rather recently, drop caps almost invariably followed this convention: When a drop cap began a word, the first line moved closer then all subsequent ones. Bottom Picture. Was the practice abandoned or deemed impractical at some point, as most modern examples I see treat the lines uniformly. Top picture.

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