Rupi Kaur is one of the most recognizable authors and poets in the modern literary world. Her poetic works often attract readers from all walks of life, prompting them to take a closer look at their own lives and experiences. As an artist, Kaur has embraced a distinct and stylish approach to her works, with one of the key components being her choice of font. While Kaur often uses traditional serif fonts for word-based content, she has often incorporated sans serif fonts in titles and visual pieces.
Despite this varying use of fonts, Kaur has a preference for serif fonts in her works, due to the added readability that comes with these typefaces. Sans serif fonts have their advantages in titles and visual pieces, however, for the purpose of displaying text meant for reading and contemplation, Rupi Kaur has chosen serif fonts as her go-to typeface. Text that is meant to be read requires a font that is easily legible and requires minimal strain on the reader’s eyes, a trait significantly enhanced with the thinner and more curved finishes of serif fonts.
The most commonly used serif font in Kaur’s works is Garamond. This font combines many properties of the classic serif fonts (low contrast between thin and thick strokes, shorter descender heights, and reduced stroke width variations) with a slightly more modern feel. This allows the words on the page to be easily distinguishable, without being overly ornate or distracting. Uniquely, the font also contains condensed and extended options, allowing Kaur to tailor the font size to her liking.
Although Garamond remains the most used font by Rupi Kaur, she has also implemented other traditional font families in her works, such as Times New Roman. This particular font has been a long-standing go-to in the world of printed literature, mainly thanks to its versatility and classic, no-nonsense feel. This font is generally used alongside Garamond in Kaur’s works, providing a more uniform look when combining multiple typefaces.
In many of her more recently released works, Kaur has also taken advantage of the new font trends, with some of these typefaces bearing a stronger character than their predecessors. Many of these selections contain bold, contemporary styles, often paving the way for a more modern and visually appealing design. For these typefaces, Kaur typically opts for sans serif fonts, as this allows characters to be more easily distinguishable, rather than being subject to the thin lines and curvature of traditional serif options.
Overall, Kaur’s choice of font helps her achieve her main design objectives. As a result, her works are not only highly readable, but also aesthetically pleasing. With a range of traditional and modern font options at her disposal, Kaur can carefully craft the look and feel of her work, enabling her readers to enjoy her works in all their poise and beauty.
Effects of Font Choice on Readability
On a practical level, font choice has a major effect on the readability of a piece of text. This is particularly important in works like Kaur’s, where each line of text can have a deep and emotional impact on the reader. If the font is too thin, or if the lines are too dense, the reader can quickly become overwhelmed, unable to make sense of the text that lines the page.
With this in mind, font choice becomes an important factor in conveying the desired message. Serif fonts, as discussed previously, provide a good balance between style and readability. They offer delicate lines, while still maintaining a distinct structure that can easily be identified. Sans serif fonts, meanwhile, tend to emphasize the importance of each character, leading the reader’s eye to move vertically, line-by-line, with the necessary pause for contemplation along the way.
The choice of font also has an effect on the overall aesthetic of a text. Lighter fonts such as Garamond can evince a more graceful look on a page, while more contemporary, bolder typefaces can suggest a stronger and more dynamic feel. Whichever font is chosen, it will lend its own special character to the page, allowing the reader to appreciate the work in its fullest form.
For Kaur, this is especially important. With her works, the author seeks to evoke a strong emotional response from her readers, but to do this, the text needs to be presented in a way that maximizes readability and enables the reader to take in every word.
Font as an Expression of Theme
The choice of font is often a highly personal decision, with the style and aesthetic of each font providing its own unique expression. When carefully chosen, the font can support and enhance the tone of the text, providing an extra layer of meaning and nuance. In many of her works, Kaur has used font choice to emphasize particular themes and ideas, lending her writing a more grooved and layered ambience.
This is particularly noticeable in more somber works, where the lighter, more delicate manner of serif fonts can suggest sadness and subdued emotion. In these instances, Kaur employs fonts such as Garamond and its variations, allowing the subtle lines and curves to encourage the reader to linger over each line, and fall into the melancholic sentiment of her work.
Where a more upbeat energy is required in the text, Kaur often chooses longer, bolder typefaces. The rounded corners and thick strokes can suggest optimism and strength, allowing the text to roll off the page with a sense of wonder and joy. These typefaces are often used in visual pieces, wherein lines and shapes take prominence, allowing readers to take in the full scope of the text.
In this manner, Kaur’s choice of font can give her works an additional level of expression and sophistication. By blending the right typefaces into her work, Kaur can seamlessly transition between the different themes that often make up her pieces, giving her readers an even more engrossing and enlightening experience. In this way, the role of the font in her pieces is clear—it serves to bring the text to life.
Design and Layout Effects on Readability
The choice of font doesn’t end with the typeface itself. The size of the font, along with the layout and design of the page, can all have a significant effect on the readability of a piece. For this purpose, Kaur typically opts for larger font sizes, allowing the words to jump off the page and draw in the reader. This is particularly helpful with serif fonts, as the slender lines can often be lost on the page if the font size is too small.
The layout of the text is also important. Instead of employing a standard line-by-line style of printing, Kaur often opts for a staggered pattern, where the lines have extra space between them. This allows words to take up more space on the page, while also allowing the punctuation and pauses to take greater prominence.
In her visual pieces, Kaur often implements a design that features more dynamic shapes and lines. This allows her to lead the eye across the page, pushing the reader to take in both the text and the accompanying visuals. She also takes advantage of empty space, allowing the text to stand out further, and to illustrate a sense of contemplation and introspection.
Conveying Emotion Through Font Choice
For Kaur, font choice is one of the key ways she conveys her message and emotions. By carefully selecting typefaces that are expressive, yet subtle, Kaur can bring her works to life and give her words an additional visual impact. With a wide array of fonts ranging from traditional serifs to new and exciting sans serifs, Kaur can ensure that no two works are alike, giving each of her pieces a unique look and feel.
In combination with strategically-placed layouts, Kaur’s works become immersive affairs, prompting her readers to fully engage with her content. Her distinct approach to font choice further serves to emphasize her themes, allowing her readers to more deeply connect with her poetic works, and take away valuable lessons and ideas.
Conclusion
Rupi Kaur is one of the most recognizable and thoughtful authors in the modern literary world. Through her use of fonts and layout, she is able to create pieces that have an immediate and powerful effect on the readers. Her works often feature traditional serif fonts such as Garamond, while also offering bold, contemporary options such as those found in new sans serif typefaces. These are again combined with strategic layouts and designs, lending her works an even deeper meaning.
Ultimately, Kaur’s font choice plays a critical part in conveying her message and themes, giving her works an additional layer of expression and emotion. With her choice of words and fonts, Kaur is able to bring her works to life and create experiences that evoke powerful feelings in her readers.
