typefaces
Printed character designs
Typefaces are the designs of printed letters and characters—the visual style that gives text its appearance.
A typeface includes all the letters, numbers, and symbols sharing a consistent design.
Times New Roman, Helvetica, and Garamond are typefaces.
The term is often used interchangeably with font, though technically a font is a specific size and weight within a typeface family: The designer chose a sans-serif typeface for the headings.
Letter terminal flourish
- sans-serifType without terminal strokes
- kerningLetter-pair spacing adjustment
- leadingGuiding or pacing type
- trackingMonitoring location over time
glyph · ligature · weight · x-height · baseline · ascender · descender · counter
Written words for performance
- cursiveJoined handwriting style
- italicSlanted letter style
- flourishTo grow vigorously
- letteringStyled written characters
penmanship · blackletter · uncial · copperplate · Spencerian · chancery · roundhand · brush
Neutral sans-serif typeface
- ArialSans-serif screen typeface
- TimesPeriods or newspaper
- FuturaGeometric sans-serif typeface
- VerdanaSans-serif screen font
Georgia · Baskerville · Palatino · Rockwell · Gotham · Century · Comic Sans
Ease of understanding text
- clarityState of being understandable
- antialiasingEdge-smoothing rendering technique
- hintingSuggesting indirectly
- renderingInterpretive depiction or performance
contrast · spacing · alignment · hierarchy · body text · headline · caption · small caps
Printing press inventor's name
- linotypeLine-casting printing machine
- monotypeNon-reproducible printed artwork
- letterpressPrinting from raised surfaces
- compositingCombining visual elements digitally
hot metal · phototypesetting · punch · matrix · typecasting · broadsheet · incunabula · Jenson
serif
Letter terminal flourish
- sans-serifType without terminal strokes
- kerningLetter-pair spacing adjustment
- leadingGuiding or pacing type
tracking · glyph · ligature · weight · x-height · baseline · ascender · descender · counter · aperture
script
Written words for performance
lettering · penmanship · blackletter · uncial · copperplate · Spencerian · chancery · roundhand · brush · ornamental
Helvetica
Neutral sans-serif typeface
Verdana · Georgia · Baskerville · Palatino · Rockwell · Gotham · Century · Comic Sans
readability
Ease of understanding text
- clarityState of being understandable
- antialiasingEdge-smoothing rendering technique
- hintingSuggesting indirectly
rendering · contrast · spacing · alignment · hierarchy · body text · headline · caption · small caps · legible
Gutenberg
Printing press inventor's name
- linotypeLine-casting printing machine
- monotypeNon-reproducible printed artwork
- letterpressPrinting from raised surfaces
compositing · hot metal · phototypesetting · punch · matrix · typecasting · broadsheet · incunabula · Jenson · pica
- graphic designlogo, font, layout, color, icon
- printingprinting press, letterpress, printing, lithographers, offset printing
- publishingpublishers, editors, editor, publishing house, books
- typographyletters, font, calligraphy, font design, sans serif
- print historyprinting press, printing presses, printing houses, print shops, Gutenberg
- printing historyprinting press, Gutenberg, typographers, Gutenberg press, block printing
typefaceshandwriting
Manual letter formation
cursive · penmanship · manuscript · calligraphy · longhand