The dawn of the web has frequently been compared to the invention of the printing press. But the web has also destroyed one of the greatest features of nearly every press since Gutenberg: the ability to publish pleasing type.

The printing press gave us type that was clearer and easier to read than that produced from a typewriter, because the typesetter had additional tools at his disposal—and knew how to use them. The web has cost us some of those tools.

[ - ] hyphen

[ – ] En dash

[ — ] Em dash

The hyphen (-), the same as the minus sign on a keyboard, separates words and syllables (i.e., top-notch, mother-in-law); the en dash (–) is a little longer, and is used to indicate a range or relationship (i.e., 250–300 word essay, New York–London flight); and the longest one, the em dash (—) is used to indicate a thought inside another thought—like this one—or to show a sentence is incomplete or the speaker has run out of patience or words (i.e., “Why don’t all you kids just —,” the teacher said).

En dash on a Mac
Option+hyphen.
En dash on Windows
ALT while typing 0150 on the numeric keypad.

Em dash on a Mac
Shift+option+hyphen.
Em dash on Windows
ALT while typing 0151 on the numeric keypad.

“Curly” or "straight" — there's a big difference

There’s a clear distinction in typography between quotation marks, which curl inward at the bottoms and usually come to some form of circle or square at the top and bottom, and tick marks, which are simply vertical lines that narrow slightly from top to bottom. Straight quote marks are used to denote things like inches of length, seconds of time, and double prime in mathematics. But they are not now, nor will they ever be, American quotation marks.

[ ” ]  [ " ]

On a Mac
Use Option+[ and Shift+Option+[ for the left and right double curly quotes.
For Windows
Use ALT 0147 and ALT 0148 for the left and right double curly quotes.

November 2009

Do customers find your digital message relevant?

When Buster Creative opened its doors in 1993, interactive digital media was not on any of our client’s minds. As Buster Creative guided clients over the years, we have not only mastered digital communication skills, but learned one very important fact: relevancy knows no bounds.

Just as in print, if a digital message is not relevant, it will never stimulate the response needed to generate revenue. Relevancy gets the mouse clicking and the cash flowing! So, what’s the secret at Buster Creative? No magic wand, but we do have folks who really understand what makes our client’s customers tick. Sure, we make it all exciting and dynamic, but a big dose of relevancy is what sets Buster Creative apart!

Our interactive digital projects are always dynamic and visually compelling. But, most importantly, at Buster Creative, we also make sure the relevancy factor is high.

Buster Creative clients require digital development and distribution of marketing communications. We have helped drive new product launches and established brands alike. Our command of web-based promotional landing pages, email marketing, HTML and Flash design, e-newsletters, blog content, banner advertising and even PDF mass distribution of conventional sales collateral has contributed to our success.

Click here to visit our redesigned and refreshed website.

Giving thanks and giving back

Through volunteer hours, creative service or philanthropic donations, Buster Creative seeks to preserve and enhance human dignity.