The more round, horizontal font style, without extra detailing, is easier to read at a small size. In print projects, consider sans serif fonts with a lower x-height for items that will use very small point sizes (typically 8 points are less). In addition to selecting a font that as the right feel for your project, font selection must also work with your printing or digital medium. Monospace fonts, such as Courier, have a set width and are commonly used in computer coding applications. Some typographers do not make a designation between cursive and fantasy fonts.
#ANATOMY OF A TYPEFACE FULL#
Fantasy fonts, such as Comic Sans MS, are a mix of font types that have a playful feel and may not include a full character set. Cursive fonts, such as “Monotype Corsiva or “Lucida Handwriting,” have lines that connect letters that also tend to have a distinct slant. Each of these three styles are best used in decorative applications and not for reading.
In contrast, many website designers use serif fonts for headlines in digital design.Ĭursive, fantasy and monospace fonts are styles that are less commonly used in design projects. “WAR!” would not have the same impact with fancy detailing on each letter. Sans serif fonts are also commonly used in print design for the big words, such as newspaper headlines. Clean lines make for easier web reading, which is why sans serif font use has become so popular.
Sans serif fonts are typically easier to read in digital projects, especially those where the typeface is small, because the strokes on serif fonts can get lost on screen. Sans serif fonts, those without any strokes extending from the letters, have become the standard for body type in digital design.
#ANATOMY OF A TYPEFACE SOFTWARE#
This traditional type style is also commonly used in digital communications - think Times New Roman, which is used from everything from sending emails to the default font in many word processing software applications. More classic serif fonts, those with short strokes extending from the upper and lower ends of each letter, are commonly used to create the body type in books, newspapers and other printed media. The style of a font can add meaning to your project. What kind of feel are your trying to convey? Modern or classic? Your font can help. Think words with the “fl,” and “fi.” In each instance the “f” takes away part of the second letter - the top of the “l” and the dot over the “i.” The “Th” letter combination also creates a ligature in some typefaces. When a lowercase “f” is placed in front of another letter with a center ascender, the letters merge. Ligatures should be avoided altogether in projects where adjustments will be made to the spacing of letters, because ligatures do not allow for internal spacing changes. This is an attribute of certain fonts, and an option with even more, but designers should be wary of using ligatures both in print and digital design. LigaturesĪ ligature combines two letters into a single character. Fonts with long decsenders, for example, could invade the space of other letters depending on how tightly the lines are spaced. (Think of the letter “g.”) The size and weight of ascenders and descenders vary by font and should be considered in your design. (Think of the letter “d.”) Descenders are the parts of a letter that extend below the baseline. Ascenders are the stems that rise above the x-height. Some parts of certain letters fill the space above and below the baseline and x-height, these are referred to ascenders and descenders, respectively.
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