| Typefaces
or Fonts
The
original meanings of the words 'Typeface' and 'Font'
have become blurred through common usage . Both
now tend to be used to describe the various styles
of letterforms available to designers and printers.
Typefaces
The
term 'Typeface' was originally used to identify
the design elements in a letter style eg. bold,
underlined, or italic.
Bold
Type
can add an emphasis or strength to the style of
a font.
Underlined
Type is an effective way of emphasising
the title of a document. It can also be used to
call attention to an important section of text.
Italic
Type can also emphasise an important
word or passage of text, but it tends to be used
in a more informal context. Italic fonts have an
animated style and are often selected for designs
where there is a need to convey the illusion of
speed and energy.
Fonts
The
term 'Font'
was originally used to identify a family of typefaces.
The fonts below are all members of the 'Futura'
font family. Their height is measured in points
- the standard unit for printed text. There are
about 72 points to one inch.
Although
the above fonts are all the same height, note how
their breadth varies according to their style. Some
fonts are more suited to fitting into a confined
area of a design, while others like to spread themselves
out.
There
are two main font types:
Serifs
are the extended corners
at the ends of a letter and like all good design,
they have evolved naturally. They originated in the
stone-carved letters of the Ancient Romans. Stone
masons discovered that it was technically easier to
finish chiseling the ends of a letter in a slow curve.
Not only did serifs look more elegant but they were
also very practical as they formed a natural channel
for water or rain to flow away as it cleaned dust
from the corners.
Serif
fonts are the most legible and are commonly used for
large blocks of text. Their wide horizontal baseline
emphasises the line of text for the eye and makes
reading more comfortable.
Sans-serif
fonts are simply fonts without serifs ('sans'
means 'without' in French). They are also
sometimes called gothic fonts.
On
our next page, we investigate the balance between
legibility and style in font design.
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