A page of display typography composed of a mixture of irregular gray and black tones is inexcusable in the sight of the art-loving reader. As combinations of inharmonious type-faces are wrong, equally so are combinations of incongruous tones. For the sake of contrast and variety in typography, art principles are too often ignored, the printer confessing to ignorance or lack of ingenuity. Contrast is necessary, but it may be had without sacrificing uniformity. Again making use of a military simile: soldiers are marched in platoons, companies, battalions and regiments that the monotony of solid formation may be broken; type is arranged in groups and paragraphs for similar reasons. While an absolutely solid page of type may present a pleasing tone, a slight break in the regularity is desirable for reading purposes. Thus art makes concession to utility, but such concession should always be granted reluctantly. There is classic authority for the arrangement of the type lines in Example 20 of the preceding chapter, but on the majority of printing jobs it is necessary to compromise with utility and emphasize important words, as in Example 19-a of the same chapter. The secret of producing artistic typography in these practical times is to pilot the ideas of the customer into artistic channels; emphasize the words he wants emphasized, but do it in a way that will result in creditable typography. There is a right way and there is a wrong way of arranging type, and too many typographers arrange type the wrong way and unjustly blame the customer for the result.
The effectiveness of uniformly black tone on a background of white is well illustrated on the beautiful book title shown as Example 32, in which even depth of color is consistently maintained. There is not a weak spot on the page; border, ornament and lettering are of equal tone, and the white background is reflected thru the black print in agreeable contrast. The Germans are masters in their treatment of contrast and uniform tone, and he who bewails the limitations of black and white printing should ponder over the results shown by this specimen from over the sea.
Here is a practical demonstration of the workings of the theory of uniform tone in typography. Example 33 displays four ornaments, each of a different tone or depth of color. One of the customs when constructing a booklet cover-page to be ornamented, is first to select an ornament that is appropriate in design and of proper proportions. Upon this ornament the page is constructed, and it dictates the characteristics of the border and of the type-face; its tone determines the tone of the entire page. This is also true of a trademark furnished by the customer, altho such plates are frequently so inartistic that a compromise is necessary.