Font versus Typeface
“Font” and “typeface” are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but let’s clarify the difference:
- A typeface is the design of a complete set of letterforms and characters (such as Helvetica, Times, and Arial).
- A font is a particular variation such as weight (light, regular, and bold), italic, width (condensed or extended), etc., which are often grouped into what is called a font family.
#1 Clarify your purpose
You need to know what you’re trying to communicate before you can even choose a typeface. Ask yourself:
- What is the goal for this project?
- Who’s the audience?
- Are they a niche or a general audience?
- What is the tone: solemn, professional, playful, humorous, etc.?
- Is there a cultural framework that this type of work fits into, or a historical precedent?
- Is there a specific time-period that needs to be referenced?
From here do some research to see what typefaces could properly communicate these ideas. Knowing what you’re trying to say is what’s most important in this first step.
#2 Consider practical limitations
How will your work be displayed or distributed? Will it be sprawled on the side of a building or viewed on a mobile phone? Will it be printed or made for a screen or both? Will it need to be seen quickly, such as a street sign, or absorbed over time, such as a magazine article? From here you can make the next round of choices for typefaces that fit your project’s practical needs.
#3 Learn about general type classifications
Type classifications refer to common visual characteristics that are often derived from the period they were made and the tool used to create them. The main four: Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Decorative will help to identify, choose, and pair typefaces. For example, a classic pairing of type is a Serif with a Sans Serif. Learning when to appropriately use typefaces from each classification is essential.
#4 Think about hierarchy
What is the most important information that needs to be communicated? List everything in order of most to least important. What needs to be read first? What should someone understand with a brief look, and what information can be absorbed by reading more?
A headline, a title, a band name, an event name, are all examples of important take-away information that needs to be understood by a cursory glance. More nuanced information, such as directions to an event, or a description of a photo doesn’t have to be as bold since people will have already gotten the most important information.
#5 Pay attention to kerning, tracking, and leading
Learning to look at the space between letters is an art that takes practice to get a feel for.
- Kerning is the space between individual letters, which should look even and balanced.
- Tracking is the evenly applied space between all letters in a range of text.
- Leading is the space between lines of text (how tall the lines are).
All the various kinds of spacing should work together in a way that is harmonious and enforces what you’re trying to communicate.
#6 Decide the heading and body (paragraph) typefaces first
If you’re designing a document that has a lot of text, it’s best to start by deciding the typefaces of the headings and paragraphs. From there you can decide other elements such as captions, quotes, sidebars, etc., spacing for the page layout, and much more. The character and feel of the overall design will be established by these two typefaces, which need to work together.
Establishing the body typeface will allow you to decide a baseline grid size, which can help keep spacing consistent. You can even set page margins based on a factor of the value of the baseline grid. In this way deciding your body typeface will lay a foundation for your entire document. So your page layout can grow out of your choices in typography.
#7 Reduce typefaces
Less is more. Using fewer typefaces allows you to make more nuanced choices with the ones you’re using. If too many different voices are in one place, they all start competing for attention. Start with two typefaces, and maybe add a third in some cases.
#8 Learn about font pairings
Pairing fonts is an art that needs to be practiced. When fonts are set next to each other some elements need to be consistent, such as x-height, while others can be different, such as font weight. Some combinations work because of extreme contrasts and some work because of common elements. It’s best not to use two fonts that have too many elements in common because they end up reading as the same thing and competing with each other.
#9 Consider less obvious solutions
Check yourself to see if you are often using a similar approach to your designs. Do you always use bold type for a caption? Why not try small caps or something different instead? Create variations of your design where you force yourself to try new options. There are always more options than you might think of at first. Push yourself to try to find them so each of your designs is unique.
#10 Revisit with fresh eyes
This goes for any creative endeavor and is especially true for typography. The longer you look at something, the more you get used to it. You start to miss obvious mistakes and details. Take a break and come back later (or the next day) and new things will become apparent that you didn’t see at first.