Toralvex / Practical guide
A good layout process alternates observation with making. Use the three modes to separate an assumption about the page from evidence in a physical proof.
Exercise 01 / Letter
Compare a short headline at two spacing settings and inspect its texture at reading distance.
Inspect a printed spread without reading every word. Identify the first three elements you notice and decide whether their order serves the content.
Review point: The first reading cue is intentional.
Exercise 02 / Page
Use the outside edge as room for a note, a pause or a clear boundary.
Change the spacing or hierarchy in a small proof while holding the other choices steady. Compare the versions on paper rather than through different zoom levels.
Review point: Body text was checked at actual size.
Exercise 03 / Book
Check whether the inner content remains comfortable when the bound object is held naturally.
Give someone a specific piece of information to find. Observe which cues they follow before explaining what you intended the layout to do.
Review point: Captions belong clearly to their images.
Exercise 04 / Letter
Compare two weights before introducing another family into the hierarchy.
Inspect a printed spread without reading every word. Identify the first three elements you notice and decide whether their order serves the content.
Review point: The inner margin survives the binding.
Exercise 05 / Page
Position the caption so the reader can associate it with its image without searching.
Change the spacing or hierarchy in a small proof while holding the other choices steady. Compare the versions on paper rather than through different zoom levels.
Review point: A second reader tried the page.