10 Typography Mistakes to Avoid

Typography mistakes can make even the best content look unprofessional. From inconsistent capitalization to improper spacing, these errors damage your credibility and make content harder to read.

Top 10 Typography Mistakes

1. Inconsistent Capitalization

Mixing title case, sentence case, and all caps throughout your content creates visual chaos. Pick a system and stick with it.

2. ALL CAPS OVERUSE

Writing in all caps makes text HARDER TO READ and appears like SHOUTING. Reserve it for acronyms only.

3. Double Spaces After Periods

The two-space rule is a relic of typewriter days. Modern digital typography uses single spaces.

4. Wrong Quote Marks

Use curly quotes ("like this") instead of straight quotes ("like this"). The difference is subtle but important.

5. Improper Apostrophes

It's "it's" for "it is" and "its" for possession. Also, decades are written as "1990s" not "1990's".

6. Hyphen vs En Dash vs Em Dash

• Hyphen (-): for compound words (well-known)
• En dash (–): for ranges (2020–2024)
• Em dash (—): for breaks in thought

7. Poor Line Spacing

Line height should be 1.4–1.6 times the font size for optimal readability. Too tight or too loose makes reading difficult.

8. Too Many Fonts

Stick to 2-3 fonts maximum. More than that creates visual clutter and looks amateur.

9. Poor Color Contrast

Light gray text on white backgrounds might look modern, but it fails accessibility standards. Aim for at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio.

10. Inconsistent Heading Hierarchy

Your headings should follow a logical order: H1 → H2 → H3. Skipping levels or using them inconsistently confuses readers and hurts SEO.

Quick Fixes

• Use a style guide and enforce it consistently
• Run content through a grammar checker
• Test your typography on different devices
• Get feedback from others—fresh eyes catch mistakes
• Use tools like Text-Case.com to standardize capitalization

Remember: Good typography is invisible—it shouldn't distract from your message. When readers notice your formatting, something is probably wrong.