First thing’s first, what is a font? And more importantly, what’s the difference between a font and a typeface?

Way back when analog printing was the most common method of printing type, each page would be set in frames full of metal letters. Each page would be rolled meticulously in ink and then pressed on paper, and that was how we used to get a lot of our printed media. If you wanted a page to be printed in Arial, for example, you would need the different blocks for every letter in the alphabet in that typeface, plus the letters in every weight and size. The letters in each separate size and weight are known as the ‘fonts’. Make sense?

To put this in a way that’s easy to understand nowadays, think of it like this:

A typeface is a particular design of type, while a font is a type in a particular size or weight. A typeface often carries many fonts. Simple!

We’re all guilty of calling a typeface a ‘font’, but it seems that in our day and age the terms have become almost interchangeable, and many more people tend to understand the term ‘font’ when talking about any kind of type than they do ‘typeface.’ So if you’ve been getting it wrong all these years, don’t sweat it – as long as you know the true difference between the two terms, using the two interchangeably isn’t as much of an issue as it was back in the day of analog printing.

So now that’s out of the way, let’s get onto the actual anatomy of typography, so you know exactly what to ask for when wanting to make alterations to a certain part of a word or letter.

Believe it or not, there’s quite an extensive glossary just to describe the different parts of a single letter. It’s so extensive, in fact, that here in our graphic design department, we like to keep this handy diagram from playtype.com bookmarked on a browser.

It’s probably fair to say that many of the terms featured in this diagram you may have never even heard of before, but that doesn’t mean they’re not useful to know. How often have you looked at some type on a design and felt that something looked, well, just a bit off? Something doesn’t quite work, but you just can’t put your finger on it. Having a diagram like this which shows the different parts of a letter that can be altered and adjusted might be just what you need to determine exactly what isn’t quite working on a design so you can change it.

As well as letterform anatomy, there are dozens of different names used to classify different kinds of type, some of which you may have heard of already. Some of the most commonly used terms are ‘serif’ and ‘sans serif’.

A serif is the name given to the small extensions on the ends of certain strokes that make letters and symbols. Serif typefaces are often considered more ‘traditional’, and are more widely used in books and newspapers than sans serif typefaces.

A sans serif typeface is one that, as you can probably guess, doesn’t have serifs. Sans serif typefaces are considered more contemporary than serif typefaces, and have become more of the standard for text on-screen especially.

The appropriate use for serif and sans serif typefaces entirely depends on its intended purpose, audience and the personality you want to project out to the public. Whilst serif typefaces are considered more corporate, traditional and mature, sans serif typefaces are seen as more contemporary, understated and fresh. That’s why a typeface that may work for a solicitors’ office, for example, might not work as well for a young digital company. Therefore, it’s always important to take your time when choosing the typefaces that will represent your company.

We could go on for hours about the different subcategories of typefaces within both serif and sans serif classes as there are so many. However, to keep things simple, we’re going to briefly mention two more basic terms it will be important to know when selecting your typefaces: ‘text’ and ‘display’.

Text typefaces are more appropriate for long bodies of copy. This means they must be clear to read at relatively small sizes, and are often much simpler and more understated than display typefaces.

Display typefaces are those that are used to entice readers to read text copy. Display typefaces are usually where we can implement our personalities into a design, as they can be much more decorative and extravagant than text typefaces.

So, perhaps you’ve decided on a display typeface that you think will be a good representative of your company. But how often do you see a brand that uses just one single typeface throughout their entire website and marketing? You may not have noticed, but the majority of companies will find a secondary (and sometimes even a tertiary) typeface that compliments their primary typeface. Combining typefaces is not an exact science, but being able to pair them successfully is the difference between a seamless, effective design and a design that sticks out like a sore thumb.

So how do you combine typefaces effectively?

As we mentioned just now, context is perhaps the most important thing to consider when selecting typefaces for a design or for branding. This does not only mean in the sense of who your company is and what personality you’re trying to project, but also where this type will end up. Are you designing something for print? If so, are the typefaces you’ve chosen clear to read from a distance?

If a design features long passages of text, you will perhaps want to choose a display typeface that does not distract from its purpose. However, if you have a product or design that is simple, the context will allow you to be more adventurous with a display font, meaning you can choose one that will really pop and draw the attention of your audience.

Typefaces should cement the aesthetic of a design. For example, if you’re creating a poster for a 1950’s themed evening event, your chosen typefaces should have a retro feel to ensure continuity throughout every element of the design.

After ensuring the typefaces you use suit the context of your design brief, it’s time to make sure that the ‘personalities’ of each typeface compliment each other. As is often the case with people, opposites often attract with fonts. Therefore, if you use a typeface with a ‘strong personality’ (a display font), pair it with a more ‘introverted’, or understated typeface to make sure the design looks balanced.

Following the rules of opposites attract, using very different fonts can create an extremely effective sense of contrast. Contrast can make a design stand out, create a sense of hierarchy and combine elements you may not usually expect to see together in a way that works well. Typefaces can certainly contribute to the contrast in a design, from something as simple as using a very bold font parallel to a much lighter font. Simple combinations like this can ensure your design will be cohesive and effective without having to try too hard or overdoing it.

To cover every single definition, aspect and feature of fonts and typefaces, we’d be having to write a much longer post. What we have covered are a few basics that will help give you a better understanding of typefaces so you know what to look for when choosing, editing and combining your own typefaces in a design. Knowing what you’re looking at and what to ask for when you want a specific font or typeface will make the whole design process much smoother and simpler, meaning you can get the final product you’re after as efficiently as possible!