A Garamond By Any Other Name - Multiple revivals of historic typeface designs, production techniques that vary from foundry to foundry — these reasons and more can create a jumble of mistaken font identities. Learn why it happens and how to navigate through the confusion.
Art Deco Typestyles - A Lalique vase, a Chanel gown, the Chrysler Building - and type? Absolutely! The Jazz Age cool of the Art Deco movement left its mark not just on architecture, advertising and fashion, but on type design as well.
Art Noveau Typestyles - The highly decorative style of the Art Nouveau period continues to inspire type designers. Here, we take a look at the distinctive traits that set these elegant typefaces apart.
Blackletter - Blackletter is not just for monks anymore. This fascinating and historic typestyle remains a vital part of our typographic heritage, with a surprising array of contemporary uses.
Border Fonts - Just as good fences make good neighbors, good borders can help make good designs. But if you think choosing a border means deciding how thick a rule to put next to the text, it’s time to check out the varied and illustrative world of border fonts.
Calligraphic Fonts - Styles vary from historical and formal to edgy, whimsical, or sentimental.
Comic Fonts - Comic book writers aren’t the only ones who can use silly, wacky and irreverent fonts. You, too, can give your work a fresh and light-hearted look with one of these fine, fun fonts.
Condensed Typefaces - Like Jack Sprat, condensed typefaces cut out the fat. These lean design powerhouses are indispensable for a (dare we say?) wide range of uses, from packing lots of text into small spaces to maximizing the impact of headlines and display copy.
Handwriting Fonts - Handwriting fonts are typographic interpretations of the penmanship of a real human being.
A Sea Of Typefaces, Part 1 - Here are a few basic guidelines to demystify the process and start you on your way to making the right typographic choices.
A Sea Of Typefaces, Part 2 - Now, you’re ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of font selection.
Initial Fonts - Most fonts don’t reveal their full flavor until you set them in words and sentences, but others need to be savored in small bites – one letter at a time. Learn about initial fonts, an often-overlooked source of decorative letters that can stand on their own.
Scripts: From Formal to Casual - Scripts offer a wide variety of moods and characteristics, ranging from formal to casual.
How to Build a Type Library - Graphic designers love the convenience of today’s computer-created type designs, but too much perfection can get boring. When your eye gets tired of all those flawless, digitally-precise letters, it’s time to explore distressed typefaces. They’re weather-beaten, inconsistent, and utterly, irresistibly human.
How to Build a Type Library - When it’s time to add typefaces to your library, are you paralyzed by indecision? Or do you succumb to random, impulsive shopping sprees? This month, learn how to selectively build the type library that best suits your needs and budget.
Spencerian Scripts - Weddings, award ceremonies, formal graduations: some might call them “Kodak moments,” but to the typographer they’re “Spencerian script” moments. These elegant script faces are derived from a popular form of 19th century penmanship and are still used to create beautifully typeset announcements, invitations, and keepsake documents such as diplomas and formal certificates.
Tab Leaders - Does designing a table of contents drive you dotty? Next time, remember to say “take me to your tab leader.” Learning how to use your application’s automated tab leader function is a great way to save time and keep your layouts looking professional, down to the last detail.
Titling Fonts - With their proportions and design details perfectly suited for use at larger sizes, titling fonts are an indispensable but often-overlooked category of typefaces.
Type Families - Considering that type has been with us for over five hundred years, typeface families are a relatively new concept.