by Ilene Strizver

What makes a good text typeface?

What makes a typeface good? With over 45,000 fonts on the market, every designer should be asking this question – and learning how to answer it.

Although some of the identifying characteristics of a good typeface are universal, others vary depending on whether the face is intended for text or display applications. This month we’ll discuss what makes a text typeface worth using.

Consistent design characteristics

A good text typeface will have consistent design characteristics throughout its full complement of characters. Check for consistency in cap and x-heights (including the overhangs of curved characters), character width, stroke width, ascenders, descenders, serif details (if any), as well as the individual nuances and idiosyncrasies of the design. Related fonts in a family should be similar in spirit, if not in actual design.

Legibility

Legibility is especially important in text typefaces, which are usually used at smaller sizes and for greater amounts of copy.

Simply put, the legibility of a typeface is the ease with which it can be read. Legibility is a quality of the actual design of the typeface (as opposed to how the type is set). Factors which affect legibility include weight, character shapes, ascender and descender length, size of counters, stroke contrast, and character width.

Spacing

A typeface that is well-spaced looks neither too tight nor too open. Most importantly, it has even spacing overall between characters throughout the design (see kerning below for exceptions). NOTE: Those “free” fonts that you can find on the Internet are notorious for poor spacing, and are generally unsuitable for professional use.

Kerning

Even a typeface that is properly spaced will have specific character combinations that are too open or too tight (although a well-spaced design will have fewer of these than a more carelessly designed one). These awkward pairs can be improved with kerning, which is the addition or reduction of space between a particular combination of characters. High-quality typefaces have built-in kern pairs, which enhance an already well-drawn design.

Even color and texture

Even color and texture is probably the most important quality of a good text typeface. It’s the consequence of all of the above factors (a consistent and legible design, with good letterspacing and built-in kerning) plus proper word spacing.

You can tell that word spacing is correct when the typeface can be read easily, without the words either running together or getting separated by blocks of white space that interrupt the color and overall readability of the design.

Clearly, there’s more to type design than the actual shapes of the characters. As you get in the habit of paying attention to these characteristics, your eye will get sharper. Soon, you’ll easily distinguish a well-designed text typeface from one that’s not worth your time and money.

Continue to What Makes a Good Display Typeface (Part II).

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