What’s the Difference Between a Font and a Typeface?

Typeface vs Font: The Difference Between Font And Typeface

typeface-vs-font

Have you ever asked if a font and a typeface are the same thing? Is typeface only a term used by historians and academics? Perhaps one alludes to digital media, while the other to analog?

The simple answer is that they do have different meanings, but because the term “font” is so commonly used and misused, it doesn’t matter (unless you’re a type designer, in which case it does). If you’re wondering about the difference and don’t mind a little print history, keep reading; it’s rather simple!

What is Typeface?

what-is-typeface

A typeface represents a collection of design elements that define a specific style of letters. This can include the existence (or absence) of a serif, the relative height, spacing, and width of the letters, as well as any other aesthetically pleasing decorations. There are various types, which include:

Serif Typefaces

serif

These are typefaces that include serifs, which have a little extension added to the ends of strokes. Serif typefaces have a classy, classic vibe to them.

Times New Roman, Garamond, Bodoni, and Didot are perhaps the most well-known serif typefaces.

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Serif typefaces are commonly used in printed newspapers and news websites nowadays. It was also the default font in some older versions of Microsoft Word.

Many serif typefaces have centuries-long histories.
Some of its histories is in 1470, Nicolas Jensen created Roman as a technique to make printed text simpler to read. Another one is in 1993, Matthew Carter invented Georgia; another serif typeface that has more character and charm, it was inspired by Scotch Roman typefaces of the 1800s.

Sans Serif Typefaces

sans-serif

Sans serif typeface, in comparison to serif typefaces, Sans Serif typefaces do not have serifs. They tend to exude a more relaxed, easygoing demeanor.

Helvetica is a popular sans serif typeface. Verdana and Futura are two others. Another popular sans serif typeface is Open Sans, which ranks among the most popular Google Fonts with more than 1.5 trillion views in a year.

sans-serif-typefaces

While this style emerged in the 1800s, it was not generally adopted until the 1920s and 1930s. Sans Serif typefaces gained popularity because of their refreshingly clean, simple, and more relaxed and informal vibe, particularly on mobile websites—sans serif typefaces are easier to read when browsing on a small screen.

Decorative Typefaces

decorative

Decorative typefaces are lively, eye-catching types that feel a little more niche than regular serif and sans serif typefaces.

These typefaces are often unsuitable for body text, not just because they can be obtrusive, but also because they can be difficult to read. This is especially true at lower scales. While a beautiful typeface font can be a terrific attention-grabber for your headline or outdoor sign, it can be a turn-off for readers when used on a menu or in a brochure.

Outlaw and Morris Troy are two well-known types of a decorative typeface.

decorative-typefaces

Script Typefaces

script

Script typefaces resemble cursive handwriting. A script typeface might help you communicate that your brand is handcrafted and unique.

Script typefaces can be basic or elaborate. Popular script typefaces include Kuenstler Script, Kauffmann, and Brush Script.

script-typefaces

Script typefaces, like decorative typefaces, can be difficult to read at tiny sizes. Keep these for your logo, headlines, and signage, and when you have heavier text, use a serif or sans serif font.

Old Style Typefaces

old-style

Before we go into fonts, let’s have a look at another typeface classification: Old Style typefaces. These have curved strokes with an axis that slopes to the left and a modest contrast between thick and thin lines.

ITC Berkeley Old Style, developed by Frederic W. Goudy in 1938 for the University of California, Berkeley, is a classic in this category. Bembo is another old-style typeface that was inspired by a printed travelogue by the Renaissance Italian writer Pietro Bembo.

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What is a Font?

what-is-font

Now that we’ve established what typefaces are, you might be wondering, “What is a font?”

A font is simply a more particular way of describing the type of text being used. It focuses on the size and weight of a typeface.

Let’s look at the typeface Futura as an example:

typeface-font-illustration

As you can see, there are numerous Futura variants. In the image above, each line represents a distinct font. These fonts are distinguishable due to their various weights, however, they all belong to the same typeface.

The primary choices are typefaces. Fonts are the suboptions.

In this sense, a font is a term that incorporates all potential variations of a design, whether large, small, italic, bold, expanded, or condensed.

Fonts vs. Typeface: The History

middle-ages-blackletter-typeface

When most people talk about fonts, they’re actually talking about typefaces. This idiom did not appear by chance. We may credit Microsoft in part for making “font” the more popular of the two terms. Since the early versions of Word in the late 1980s, they’ve designated their array of typefaces as “fonts,” catapulting the term into common usage.

However, the distinction between typefaces and fonts goes back far deeper.

Let’s Dive Deeper

The divergence can be traced back to the history of printing. The term “font” derives from the Middle French word “fonte” from the late 16th century. This term referred to the act or process of casting in metal. During this time, printers had to cast entire sets of letters in metal in order to create a font.

A typeface was a collection of fonts that shared a common design. This would include both the capital and lowercase variants of the design, as well as multiple widths or weights.

font-collections

As you might expect, manual typesetting required a little more effort than merely pressing the keys. To create a page layout, typesetters had to line up the individual blocks letter by letter. When their design was finished, they’d roll it in ink and press it onto paper to make prints.

You can imagine how something so time-consuming would necessitate rigorous planning. Each font was placed in a distinct metal case to make the job faster and more efficient (the capital letter case was often positioned above or behind the tiny letter case, which is where the phrases “uppercase” and “lowercase letters” originated). Consider how inconvenient it would be if different sizes and widths were mixed together! Knowing where different fonts may be found was crucial for typesetters.

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Even as the old technology faded away, the language used in web typography stayed the same. However, the distinction is now rather obsolete, at least in practice. In the computing realm, scaling a typeface to produce any font of that style is simple. A single mouse click is all that is required to generate new sizes, weights, and more because all of that data is instantly saved to your font file.

What is Typography?

When you start talking about text and design with your new or refreshed knowledge of typeface and font, you’ll almost certainly come across the term typography.

typography-illustration

Typography is the arrangement of words inside a design. It is the process of determining how to make the text fit in an aesthetically acceptable manner while maintaining legibility. In typography, the designer does not create the letters themselves; instead, they work with pre-existing typefaces and fonts.

To develop a text-based design using typography, a designer selects the appropriate font in the appropriate size, then modifies the spacing between the letters and the scale between capital and lowercase letters to complete their work.

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Why Does This Matter?

That begs the unavoidable question: Is the distinction between typeface and font genuinely significant? Is it merely snobbish academic language, or can it have a real impact on your work?

Thierry Blancpain, designer, art director, and co-founder of the type company Grilli Type, believes that knowing precise vocabulary is not necessary for generating exceptional work. He goes on to say, “Every single person in the room will know what you mean no matter if you call it a typeface or a font. In the few cases where the distinction is truly relevant and could lead to problems down the line, you can easily communicate that in other ways.”

Of course, knowing the correct words can help you communicate these ideas more effectively. It can also help you better understand your colleagues and avoid rubbing language purists the wrong way. However, as Blancpain points out, being able to express differences such as size and weight is considerably more important than knowing the correct terminology. “We do think that the designer caring about typography is a very important aspect for the quality of a website,” he adds.

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Wrap it Up

Many individuals say “font” when they mean “typeface,” and many people say “typeface” when they mean “font.”

Being able to accurately inform a designer that you want to utilize a specific typeface, communicates the general style you desire while allowing them to be creative and select the appropriate font for your project. In contrast, informing them you want a specific font makes your concept crystal clear—something you’ll need to be able to achieve if you have a specific vision for your end project.

Let Us Bring Your Project to Life!

Looking for a designer to bring your idea to life and showcase your distinct identity with typeface and font? Imprint.com offers a variety of customizable items; with the assistance of our professional staff and our creative features, you will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression at your next event! Contact us today!

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Source:

GREEN, CLAIRE. “The Difference Between Font and Typeface.” The Difference Between Font and Typeface – Hoban Cards, 21 Aug. 2018, hobancards.com/blogs/thoughts-and-curiosities/difference-between-font-and-typeface.

“Typeface – Fonts Knowledge.” Google Fonts, Google, fonts.google.com/knowledge/glossary/typeface.

 

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