Fonts. We know, it is another world.
A world where people throw around words like “serif” and “transitional” and “oblique” without regard for those of you without a degree in graphic design or typography. It can be frustrating trying to describe the font style or look you want when you don’t know the lingo. However, there are some simple ways to communicate what you are looking for in that perfect font. In this post, we will discuss fonts in terms of font classifications. There is certainly more than one way to classify fonts, depending on where you are looking or who you talk to, so in this case, we are going to give you a general set of categories that may help you start your search.
Serif
Essentially, a serif is the little extra stroke found at the end of the main horizontal and vertical strokes of a letter. The look of the serif can vary greatly in serif fonts, as you can see in the selection below. Generally, serif fonts are more legible, or easier to read, when used in large amounts of text because the serif helps stabilize the line of letters and draws your eye left to right on the page. They also generally present a more traditional look, as they date back further than other types of fonts.
Slab Serif
Old Style
Sans Serif
A sans serif (french: sans meaning “without”) font is just what you might imagine then, a font without the serifs. You can see from the examples below that there are no strokes at the end of any of the letterforms. Sans serif fonts overall tend to appear more modern, and have many variations that can be geometric, organic, or more neutral in appearance. Helvetica is very popular for it’s ability to be neutral, and take on the personality of whatever it is designed with. Bryant is a more rounded, friendly, even childish font. Whitney is a great step between the two, still remaining neutral, but with a slightly more modern, friendly flare.
Geometric
Geometric fonts are created using geometric proportions. You can see in the examples below that the “o” for instance, is a near perfect circle, and all the other letters are based on near perfect triangles and squares. These fonts were designed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, to look “modern,” which now translates into a style reminiscent of the Art Deco and Bauhaus eras.
Other Categories
After grouping fonts into the two main categories of serif and sans serif, there are more specific categories in which they can be gathered. There is no universal standard, but we do have some guidelines when it comes to these categories.
Blackletter
Display
Display fonts can encompass a wide range of other fonts. Essentially, a display font is a font that is not meant to be small, or set with a large body of text. It was designed to be viewed large (36pt or larger) and used to catch attention, such as a headline. According to Ilene Strizver at U&LC Magazine “A good display typeface should have a distinct, assertive personality. Whether it’s a decorative design with a flamboyant attitude (the “life of the party”), or a simple bold sans with minimal embellishments (the “strong, silent” type), a good display design makes a powerful and specific first impression.”
Script
Last but certainly not least, scripts! Script fonts are just like they sound, fonts created to mimic handwritten letters. There are countless fonts, ranging from extremely classical styles to more modern “handwriting” styles. They can be clean, youthful, unkempt, vintage or grungy, and everywhere in between. Depending on the style choice, they can communicate something extremely formal or very casual. You can also create a more unique look if you choose a font with alternate characters, which provides an alphabet that has different versions of certain letters, that can be used to create a more unique and individualized look.
Traditional
Youthful
Vintage
Clean & Modern
Remember, there are many, many ways to categorize fonts, and the above are just some examples to get you started. In Part 2 of Fonts 101, we will delve into the anatomy of a letter, the pieces that create the written word, and how those subtle variations are what create each font’s unique appearance.
Links
If you are interested in purchasing fonts, or just learning more about whats out there, please visit some of these pages.
~ Intern Julia
Tags: font classifications, fonts, Knowledge, typefaces, typography
Atlanta Wedding Photographer Lauren Wright: I love reading this blog. I literally check back every day :) You guys do everything top notch, and I LOVE how you go the extra mile to educate your clients & potential clients. Aug 12, 2009, 3:17pm
Kaysha: Nicely explained, this was surprisingly interesting! I learned a lot, thanks for the 101! Aug 13, 2009, 2:32am