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..

Hyphens, en-dashes and em-dashes are frequently used punctuation marks that are just as frequently misunderstood. All three marks are essentially horizontal lines, though their lengths vary. However, these three different marks have very different purposes, and using a hyphen to do an m-dash’s job is just as much of a punctuation error as using a question mark in place of a comma.

Proper email etiquette means a lot more than saying please and thank you. Follow these tips on everything from fonts to attachments, and you’ll be sure your message arrives intact and readable.

The history of Bembo originates in Venice, an important typographic center in 15th and 16th century Europe. Many printers established businesses in Venice at this time, but none so significant as Aldus Manutius. Next to Gutenberg, Aldus was perhaps the most influential printer of the Renaissance – and the first of many great scholar–printers.

Vincent Connare designed Comic Sans in 1995, for applications intended for children. Fifteen years later, the font is wildly popular with users of all ages – except for graphic designers, most of whom love to hate it.

Today’s OpenType fonts come equipped with a virtual buffet of numeral styles, but all those choices can be a bit much for your design application to swallow. Here’s a practical guide to help you find your way.

The University of California Old Style, the basis for ITC Berkeley Oldstyle, was one of Frederic Goudy’s favorite designs. In 1937, a friend asked Goudy if he would consider drawing a face for the exclusive use of the University of California Press at Berkeley.

Making professional-looking fractions with OpenType is a snap – as long as you have the right font!

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.

When did all the type get so small? Like it or not, as we get older our eyes start to have design opinions of their own. Follow these guidelines for setting type that audiences of all ages will read with pleasure.