In today’s digital landscape—more than ever—people are aware of typography, design and how the world looks around them. Gary Hustwit records this in Helvetica, a documentary about how fonts affect our everyday lives. Most notably, Helvetica ushers in the larger conversation about global visual culture, detailing how and why people are progressively more mindful about the visual impact of design.
“The world is full of beautiful fonts—choosing the right one for your next project can be a daunting task.”
When working with a digital marketing agency, it is important to be prepared to discuss fonts during the creative process. And you may hear terms like sans serif, slab serif, or script—but this isn’t a bunch of mumbo jumbo, it’s science!
Here are five tips to help you understand fonts and why they are so important.
1. Typefaces vs. Fonts
Typefaces, fonts… what’s the difference? Here’s the easiest explanation to remember:
- A typeface is a grouping of fonts that have similar characteristics.
- A font refers to an individual member of a typeface.
Take Gotham for instance:
Gotham has many font variations, but each falls within the parent typeface, Gotham. Specifically, Gotham Italic is a font; it resembles all things Gotham but looks slightly different. Think of it as one big happy family—each font is unique and special, but they all share the same typeface name.
Font Tip: Knowing the kinds of typefaces you have to work with or want to use will give you a good foundation as you develop your digital presence.
2. Know the Big Players
There are an overwhelming amount of fonts at our fingertips, but first let’s talk about the main categories of fonts out there.
Serif: Serif is the slight projection at the end of a stroke that’s most commonly seen at the bottom of letters. If you look closely, some fonts will have “little feet” on them. This is what characterizes it as being a Serif font. This allows the eye to flow through sentences with ease.
Sans Serif: Fonts that are Sans have no “feet,” or serif. Take a look at the diagram:
You can clearly see the difference above between a Sans Serif font and a Serif font. Sans Serif fonts are often modern, trendy and streamlined, however they tend to be harder to read at smaller sizes.
Script: This font type is known for its elegant, light and professional appeal. You often see this kind of font written on wedding invitations, diplomas or certificates. Use this kind of font sparingly. It’s not designed to be used as body copy or used in small spaces.
Display: You often see this kind of font on movie posters, newspapers, banners, etc. It’s intentionally designed to grab your attention or to give emphasis to a certain area. This is another font that’s not meant to be used in large quantities—a little goes a long way.
Hand Lettering: These kinds of fonts have hand rendered characteristics. Maybe they look as if a child has written it, or as if someone used a Sharpie or whiteboard marker to jot something down. Designers like to use fonts like this because they add a human element to the design—something that people can relate to.
Font Tip: There are a lot of great fonts out there, but keep in mind, you get what you pay for. Make sure the font you choose is high quality. For a more in-depth look into more typography terminology, check this blog post out.
Katika mazingira ya leo ya dijiti, zaidi ya hapo awali, watu wanajua juu ya typography, kubuni na jinsi ulimwengu unavyoonekana karibu nao. Gary Hustwit anaandika hii katika Helvetica, filamu ya maandishi kuhusu jinsi fonti zinavyoathiri maisha yetu ya kila siku. Helvetica inaanzisha mazungumzo makubwa juu ya utamaduni wa kuona wa ulimwengu, ikionyesha jinsi na kwa nini watu wanaendelea kuwa na ufahamu zaidi juu ya athari ya kuona ya muundo. """Ulimwengu umejaa fonti nzuri, kuchagua moja sahihi kwa mradi wako ujao inaweza kuwa kazi ngumu, wakati wa kufanya kazi na wakala wa uuzaji wa dijiti, ni muhimu kuwa tayari kujadili fonti wakati wa mchakato wa ubunifu.""" Na unaweza kusikia maneno kama sans serif, slab serif, au script <unk> lakini hii si rundo la mumbo jumbo, ni sayansi! Hapa kuna vidokezo vitano vinavyokusaidia kuelewa fonti na kwa nini ni muhimu sana. 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Aina za maandishi dhidi ya fonti Aina za maandishi, fonti... ni nini tofauti? Hapa ni ufafanuzi rahisi kukumbuka: - Typeface ni makundi ya fonts kwamba kuwa na sifa sawa. - font inahusu mwanachama wa mtu binafsi wa font. Chukua Gotham kwa mfano: Gotham ina tofauti nyingi za fonti, lakini kila moja iko ndani ya aina ya asili, Gotham. Gotham Italic ni font ya Kiingereza ambayo inaonekana kama Gotham lakini inaonekana tofauti kidogo. Fikiria kama familia moja kubwa ya furaha - kila fonti ni ya kipekee na maalum, lakini wote kushiriki jina moja font. Kujua aina ya fonts unahitaji kufanya kazi na au unataka kutumia, itakupa msingi mzuri kama wewe kuendeleza uwepo wako digital. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Kujua Wachezaji Big Kuna kiasi kikubwa cha fonts katika vidole vyetu, lakini kwanza hebu majadiliano kuhusu makundi makuu ya fonts huko nje. Serif: Serif ni makadirio kidogo mwishoni mwa stroke ambayo ni kawaida kuonekana chini ya herufi. Ukitazama kwa makini, fonti fulani zitakuwa na "mguu mdogo" juu yao. Hii ni nini sifa yake kama kuwa Serif font. Hilo huruhusu jicho litembee kupitia sentensi kwa urahisi. Sans Serif: Fonts kwamba ni Sans hawana <unk>feet,<unk> au serif. Kwa mfano, unaweza kuona tofauti kati ya font ya serif na font ya sans serif. Sans Serif fonts ni mara nyingi kisasa, trendy na streamlined, hata hivyo wao huwa na kuwa vigumu kusoma katika ukubwa mdogo. Hati: Aina hii ya fonti inajulikana kwa rufaa yake ya kifahari, nyepesi na ya kitaaluma. Mara nyingi unaona aina hii ya fonti imeandikwa kwenye mialiko ya harusi, diploma au vyeti. Tumia fonti ya aina hii kwa kiasi. Si iliyoundwa kutumika kama nakala ya mwili au kutumika katika nafasi ndogo. Maonyesho: Mara nyingi unaona aina hii ya fonti kwenye mabango ya filamu, magazeti, mabango, nk. Ni makusudi iliyoundwa kukamata tahadhari yako au kutoa msisitizo kwa eneo fulani. Hii ni font nyingine ambayo <unk>ni si maana ya kutumika katika kiasi kikubwa <unk> kidogo huenda njia ndefu. Handing Lettering: Aina hizi za fonts zina sifa za mkono. Huenda ikawa ni kama mtoto aliandika, au kama mtu alitumia karatasi au ubao wa kuchora ili kuandika jambo fulani. Watengenezaji wanapenda kutumia fonti kama hii kwa sababu wanaongeza kipengele cha kibinadamu kwa muundo - kitu ambacho watu wanaweza kuhusiana nacho. Font: Kuna aina nyingi za font ambazo zinapatikana, lakini kumbuka, unapata kile unacholipa. Hakikisha kwamba font unayochagua ni ya ubora wa juu. Kwa maelezo zaidi juu ya aina ya typography, angalia hii chapisho la blogi.