Section 6 · Typography

Type Weight

Definition

The relative thickness of a typeface’s strokes, running along a scale from Thin and Light through Regular to Bold and Black.

Why it matters

Weight is one of the fastest ways to build hierarchy and emphasis without changing size or typeface, and contrast in weight is what makes a headline read as a headline.

Example
An image of type set in different weights and sizes to create hierarchy.
© Salvador Orara, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.