Why theme typography should begin with content

Start with a content inventory

A theme demo usually shows a perfect headline and two short paragraphs. A production website has long page titles, translations, download tables, author bios and legal text. Collect representative content before you decide what the typography needs to do.

Test the longest realistic title, the smallest useful label and the most complex article page. Those cases tell you more than a pristine hero mockup.

Give each role a job

Display type can set a mood, while body type must stay comfortable through long reading sessions. UI labels need consistency. Code samples need their own rhythm. Use a small set of roles so editors understand what each one is for.

A restrained scale is often more durable than dozens of near-identical sizes. Pair size changes with line length, spacing and weight changes, then check the system at mobile widths.

Treat localization as a design test

A German heading may be substantially longer than an English one. Content can also include accents, numbers and technical terms. Let headings wrap naturally and avoid layout decisions that depend on a fixed number of characters.

In a TYPO3 theme, these rules belong in the component system, not in page-by-page exceptions.