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Understanding
Typefaces, Part 1
When we refer to a typeface,
we’re actually talking about a whole family of faces. These can include
roman (vertical) and italic (slanted) forms, various weights (light, regular,
bold, or extra bold), as well as varying widths (condensed, normal, or expanded).
Of course, not all faces take advantage of the many forms, but this gives
you an idea of the broad meaning of the term typeface.
While often confused with “typeface,” font refers to a complete set of type for a particular typeface in a particular size. For instance, 12 point Times New Roman would be a font while Times New Roman would be the typeface.
The
many faces of type
Typefaces come in
many different styles. Most fall into either serif or sans serif
categories. Serif faces have short lines at the tops and bottoms of many
or all the letter forms like this.
Sans serif faces do not — sans is French for “without.” This
is a sans serif face.
The most common example of a serif face is Times New Roman, on almost everyone’s computer. A few of the other more well known serif faces include Garamond, Goudy, and Minion. Body copy should usually be set in a serif face. It’s easier to read in large blocks.
Sans serif faces work well in headlines or short pieces of text. They include the familiar Arial and Helvetica families, as well as Gill Sans, Frankfurt Gothic, and Optima.
Then you have your decorative faces. These should not be used for body copy, but used sparingly, as in headlines or drop caps. In this category, you have some very elegant script faces such as Ex Ponto, Shelly Allegro, and Vivante. For classic appeal, choose a calligraphic face like Black Chancery, Old English, or Zurich Calligraphic. There are plenty of fun faces like Giddy Up, Party, and Snap. In the grunge department, you’ll find faces like Motrhead Grotesk, Overexposed, and Smash.
Choosing
the right face
One of the most important
steps in a desktop publishing project, is selecting the correct type.
Different faces can create very different feelings in the same piece,
so you need to first decide what image you want to project. A brochure
going to corporate executives may need a conservative image while one
promoting to a teen market should be more fun and lively. Look at this
simple brochure cover done both ways. While they use the same words, the
one on the left creates a more conversative impression than the one on
the right.
While serif faces often portray a traditional image, sans serif tend to give a piece a more modern look. Here’s an example of the same phrase set in both a serif and sans serif face. See the difference?
Using
the right emphasis
Back in the early
days of typewriters, if you wanted to emphasize a word or phrase, you
didn’t have too many options. You could underline the text or set
it in ALL CAPS. Later typewriters added a bold feature (by overtyping
the letters a second time) and italics if you changed the print
wheel or ball. Thanks to the advent of computers, adding emphasis to text
is much easier.
Underlining is not recommended. If the word you’re emphasizing has descenders (portions of the letter the go below the baseline) like young, the underscore runs into the lower portions of the letters, making it harder to read.
Typing in all caps is also discouraged. When you read, you’re not just recognizing the different letters, you’re recoginzing the shape of the word as well. The combination of ascenders, descenders, curves and slants make up this shape, enabling you to read more quickly. For instance, which of the below lines is easier to read?
ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT DREARY…Today, it’s better to use either bold, italic, or bold italic to provide emphasis. The better typeface families include a regular form as well as all three of these, but not all do. Some software packages can force these emphasized styles, but the result may not be as pleasing as you would like. For instance, a true italic form isn’t just a slanted, or oblique form. Certain letters are quite different in the italic as you can see here.
Once upon a midnight dreary…
Another option would be to set the emphasized type in a different face, or at a different size.
If you’re not limited to just a single color for your text, try setting the emphasized text in a contrasting color.
That’s
all for now…
This article lays
the groundwork for understanding typefaces. In our next installment, we’ll
go a bit deeper into the different styles. Part III will discuss typographical
marks — what they are and when they’re used.
The
Rosetta StoneThe
History of WritingThe
Printed Word, Part 1The
Printed Word, Part 2Understanding
Typefaces , Part 1