We will be dealing with five items in this section, each of which is essential for the design of your Web page. We have decided to treat each theme separately, but we would like to make it clear that all of them should be regarded as a unifying whole.

The typography’s verbal message: this item is pretty simple. The so-called "verbal message" is actually what you are reading right now, the things written here. The letters and words belonging to an idiom are part of the typography’s verbal message.

The typography’s non-verbal message: unlike the previous item, the "non-verbal message" is independent of the things written. In other words, as much as the verbal message is what is written, the non-verbal is what the typography suggests. A text’s typography, i.e. the type of letter, conveys another meaning apart from that of the text in itself. Words’ size and shape also convey certain connotations, which converge on some point with the verbal message. A classic example is that of contracts, whose tiny letters are not tiny enough to be illegible (this would be illegal), but they are tiny enough to be hard to read. Therefore, we infer that when someone uses very small letters he does not want us to read that part of the text for some reason. The same happens, for instance, if we use some comic typography for a formal text –inappropriate as this would be, our text would lose credibility and value. This is why you should be careful when choosing the typography for your website, as this ought to reinforce and ratify the message transmitted by the written text.

Different kinds of typography: there is the "serif" typography, i.e. with serifs (lines at the upper or lower end of the letters), and there is the "sans serif" typography, i.e. without serifs. Times New Roman and Arial, respectively, are examples of these types of letter. In graphics, the "serif" typography is used for long texts, as it has been scientifically proved that the serifs foster the reading –they do not cause eyestrain, and consequently there is no distraction on the part of the reader. On the Internet, however, for long texts as this the "sans serif" typography is preferable. This is because the screen gives bad definition of the serifs, which makes the reading difficult.

Color connotations: colors, as any other design tool, convey a meaning, transmit a message. This is a matter of convention, that is to say we all agree that a certain color means a certain thing. You are supposed to consider this when choosing the colors for your website, and here the designer might be of great help, as he knows well the conventional connotations of each color. So you should not get intransigent about one particular color you like if the designer tells you it will not coincide with the message you wish to transmit.

Color adjustment: if you watch the same design first on a screen and then in print, you will notice slight color differences. This is not a mistake, but a necessary change. Screens work with a chromatic palette called RGB; printing machines, with one called CMYK. The former consists of much more colors than the latter. Therefore, as designs are made on a computer screen, they must be adjusted in order to be suitable for a printing machine. But do not worry: differences are barely perceptible.