choose-a-type-scale

name	choose-a-type-scale
category	design
description	Choose a practical type scale for readable hierarchy across content, controls, breakpoints, zoom, and languages. Use when a product or publication needs consistent text sizes instead of one-off styling.

choose-a-type-scale

Start from reading needs, then reduce the number of roles.

When to use

• Use for a new interface, editorial system, or typography cleanup.
• Do not encode hierarchy through size alone; preserve semantic structure and weight, spacing, or position.

Procedure

1. Inventory body, label, caption, heading, display, data, code, and utility text with actual content.
2. Define body size, line height, line length, font availability, and supported zoom and viewport range.
3. Choose a modest ratio or optically tuned steps that create distinct roles without fragile extremes.
4. Map each semantic role to size, line height, weight, and spacing tokens.
5. Test long headings, numerals, dense tables, controls, errors, translations, and fallback fonts.
6. Review at narrow and wide screens, 200 percent zoom, and representative assistive settings.
7. Remove redundant steps and document permitted exceptions.

Done

• A type-scale document lists semantic roles, tokens, values, content examples, and exception rules
• Verified screens remain readable and hierarchical across breakpoints, zoom, long text, and fallback fonts