At first glance, it seems that throughout the history of writing, so many fonts have been invented that it is simply impossible to understand them. In fact, everything is much simpler and all these endless variations of circles and sticks easily fit into a harmonious and simple system.

All fonts are divided into four large groups, like seasons or cardinal directions:

• Serif (serif)
• Grotesque (sans serif)
• Handwritten (imitating human handwriting)
• Display (for headlines and posters)

Antiqua

Style: academic, classic, traditional, conservative, elegant.
Application: business newspapers, scientific articles, books, textbooks, documentation.

If fonts could be compared to civilizations, the serif would undoubtedly be representative of the Western one. These fonts are formal, strict and have the longest history. They have traditions and manners. The peculiarity of serifs, as already mentioned, are serifs - starched collars and cuffs of letters, elements that make the font more stable, more thorough, and neater. Antiqua manages to convey meaning well business documents, scientific reference books and articles, large voluminous texts. A businessman with a newspaper is most likely skimming serifs; a student taking a test is dealing with serifs.

Old style antique

Rounding of serifs in places where they adjoin the main stroke and an inclined axis of oval elements, moderate contrast.

Transitional serif

The difference between the main and connecting lines in the transitional serif is more obvious than in the old style, but less clear than in the new style serif.

New style antique

It is distinguished by a stronger contrast between the main and connecting lines, strictly vertical ovals, thin and long serifs.

Bar antique

The difference between the main and connecting lines is either barely noticeable or not at all, the serifs are powerful, rectangular shape. Such as:

Grotesque

Style: modern, light, neutral, functional.
Application: business, technical and electronic documents, educational literature, architecture, Internet and digital technologies.

This is undoubtedly the font north - minimalistic, clear, functional and straightforward, like an Ikea cabinet, without any excesses, such as serifs or handwritten strokes. These elements, like atavism, disappeared as unnecessary. Grotesque fonts are new history, constructivism and Bauhaus, space and computers. Facebook feed is a grotesque Gotham. Microsoft Companies, Panasonic and even NASA.

Old grotesques

A transitional link in the font evolution from serif to grotesque, letters with slight contrast. Examples: Franklin Gothic, Akzidenze Grotesk

New grotesques

The most neutral, single-width fonts with almost no contrast. Examples: MS Sans Serif, Arial, Helvetica, Univers.

Humanistic grotesques

They have greater contrast in the thickness of strokes. And they are called humanistic not by chance, but because they resemble handwritten ones (with a pen). Examples: Gill Sans, Frutiger, Tahoma, Verdana, Optima, and Lucide Grande.

Geometric grotesques

As the name implies, they are built on the basis of geometric shapes. Example: Futura, Geometria.

Handwritten fonts

Style: poetic, artistic, decorative.

Application: design of invitations, albums, exquisite headers, signs, greeting cards.

Imagine a concentrated Chinese master writing hieroglyphs with a pen. Yes, handwritten fonts are beautiful, fickle and graceful, just like the east. They circle with their strokes, like Turkish dervishes, and more often look like Arabic script and hieroglyphs. There is too much variability in handwritten fonts, so they seem more human and can serve classical poetry (like formal ones) and modern street art(as informal). But you can’t read too much into them - in large quantities they become cloying, like halva. Handwritten fonts can be easily identified by the sсript ending in their names.

Formal handwritten

Informal handwritten

Not as old-fashioned as formal ones and basically similar to most handwritings modern man without calligraphy skills. Examples: Mistral and Brush.

Display fonts

Style: decorative, folk, fantasy.

These are all weird, stylized, artistic, designer and slightly wacky fonts. Reading large volumes of text with their help is hardly possible. They can only frame it, be a kind of cherry on the cake. Display items do not know the rules; their designs are limited only by the designer’s imagination. It is appropriate to compare them with the colorful diversity of the south: the exotic flora and fauna of the jungle or the magical ornaments of African tribes. Advertising, signs, headlines, logos, in short, everything that fits into two or three words - this is the habitat of this group.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about fonts: types of fonts, how to choose and use them correctly, and where to find free fonts.

1. What are the different types of fonts?

There is a huge variety of fonts, including those that defy any classification. Masters of typography and designers will tell you that they distinguish more than one classification with its own historical and technical features. You may have heard of classifications such as Old Style, Blackletter and Humanist. But this is not the subject of our article. (If you want to learn more, you can easily find interesting content on this topic on the Internet). In this article we will look at four main categories, which will be useful to know in order to successfully select and combine several fonts and competently justify your choice.

2) Sans-serif: In the Sans Serif category, the letters are not serifed at the ends, giving them a more modern, "clean" look. It is believed that serif font facilitates the visual perception of large fragments of printed text, helping the eyes glide along the lines. But since most serif fonts are small and thin, they don't in the best possible way displayed on pixel screens. They do not look clear, creating a distorted and “noisy” picture. For this reason, for screens or websites (especially compact ones), designers prefer to use sans-serif text.

3) Script: Scripts are beautiful cursive or cursive fonts in which the letters are usually connected to each other. They are used for a variety of purposes: to create elegant, fun, and relaxed handwritten text.

4) Decorative: Decorative fonts are designed to attract the attention of the audience. They cannot be called practical, so they are used sparingly or only for a specific effect or purpose.

2. Why is font choice so important?

Some designers compare choosing a font to choosing clothes. It must be admitted that such a comparison could not be more successful. Think about what your image says about you. By looking at your clothes, people make judgments (rightly or wrongly) about your style, personality, socioeconomic status, age (or the age you want to look like), and the impression you want to make. Moreover, various events and circumstances oblige you to choose certain clothes: after all, you will not come to an interview in a swimsuit, and a suit and tie is hardly a good option for a beach holiday. In other words, you have to think about the appropriateness and appropriateness of this or that clothing.

They serve the same purpose as clothing. They create the first impression by which the audience judges the rest of the visual image of your company. Therefore, the font you choose should serve a specific purpose and be appropriate in your context. in this context. Check to see if he's screaming " beach holiday”, while he should be conveying the idea of ​​an “interview”? Do its elements conflict with each other or harmoniously complement each other? Do they truly reflect the qualities you want to convey to your audience? Answers to these questions require careful analysis. That's why you can't underestimate the importance of choosing a font in the process of creating a visual image.

It often sets the tone for the entire design and influences how the audience perceives and interacts with the design. The same thing happens in everyday life: if you show up to an official reception in a T-shirt and shorts, people will form a corresponding opinion about you. Don't let your audience jump to the wrong conclusions about your brand or business; a poorly chosen font can distort the idea you are conveying and, accordingly, your intentions.

Don't know where to start? In the next section, we will explain in detail and clearly how to choose and use it correctly, and also give some useful practical tips.

3. How to choose the right font

Basics

So, you need to choose a font that matches the idea and purpose of your design. But don’t rush to look for it on your computer or buy it on the Internet. First you need to decide what qualities or characteristics you want to convey through your design.

This way, when you choose a font, you will already have an idea of ​​what you need. Remember that each style has its own mood and character. Among letters - as well as among people - there are serious, casual, cheerful and elegant examples. To understand whether this or that option is right for you, try to unravel its message to the world around you.

If the qualities conveyed by the font do not match the message of your design, your audience will not be able to understand you correctly. When faced with so many choices, it's easy to get carried away and follow your personal preferences. But in this situation, you are walking on thin ice: a font that appeals to you personally may be completely inappropriate for your project.
Do you feel like you've reached a dead end? Then just ask yourself if the option you choose emphasizes necessary qualities your brand and whether it matches the purpose of your design. If the answer is yes, then you most likely made the right choice.

Consider context and audience. Where and how will your audience see your design? This is another one important factor influencing choice. For example, for business card you need text that remains easy to read even in small size. And if you are working on graphic images for social networks that will be viewed primarily from mobile devices, you should give preference to letters that are clearly displayed on the screen (html page).

Also think about who will be reviewing your design. What is your age target audience? What are its other demographics? Is your font able to create an emotional connection with your potential customers?

Is your font appropriate?

In addition to mood, character and relevance to the context, it also has the characteristic of “appropriateness”. Will the option you choose be effective where you intend to use it? Will it be practical and easy to read in the context of your design?

One of the most common mistakes made by beginners involves not understanding how best to use each individual font category (for example, where body type fonts look best versus decorative fonts). Fonts for body text are used in book, magazine or newspaper texts, website content, and large fragments of text. They are easy to understand by the human eye without distracting the reader from the text itself. This category includes, for example, Times New Roman and Arial.

Decorative ones (we mentioned them at the very beginning of this article), on the contrary, are not intended for voluminous passages of text. Attracting all the attention, such fonts are used for different purposes. For example, fonts with bold capital letters are suitable for headings. Fonts with letters covered in snow are ideal for Christmas; and the letters, as if woven from tree branches, will indicate the connection of your brand with environment and outdoor activities. However, for a professional, business context, more rigorous and concise solutions are needed.

Decorative letters have great potential, but misuse they can make your design look unkempt, unreadable and even frivolous. So, unlike fonts for the main text, decorative ones should be used for selective text fragments and strictly for a specific purpose. If you have doubts, it is better not to take risks and choose a more neutral option. In the next section, we'll show you how to choose a beautiful, versatile, and functional font that will become a real find for your graphic project.

Is your font universal?

Every designer should have a few neutral, universal fonts in stock. They a real lifesaver when there is a catastrophic lack of time and other options are not suitable. Usually these are “Serif” and “Sans-Serif”, which can be successfully used almost anywhere. The most functional options are those that have different weights (light, normal, medium, bold and heavy) and styles (narrow, compressed, stretched or small caps).

This variety of options (especially for designs with a lot of text) allows you to use different styles of the same font for different functions and create a single, harmonious design from them. That's why creating an attractive, readable design is much easier with a universal option (especially if you plan to use just one).

But how to choose such a “workhorse”? Last year, more than 40 leading designers shared their favorite versatile fonts. And although preferences varied significantly, experts most often mentioned Avenir(and Avenir Next - its version adapted for web pages). If you decide to buy it, we immediately warn you that this is not a cheap option.

But don't worry: you won't break the bank on generic fonts. On the Internet and operating systems There are a wide variety of free fonts available. Maybe they'll give in professional options, but they are perfect for everyday needs. If you are looking for an option in the Serif category, pay attention to Crimson Text, Georgia, Droid Serif, Andada, Merriweather And Heuristica. From the Sans-Serif category we recommend Franklin Gothic, Roboto, Clear Sans, Source Sans, Lato And Merriweather Sans.

Is your font readable?

If you include text in your design, then you definitely have something to say to your audience. The presence of text obliges you to choose a readable font to convey your idea to the audience. But how do you know if the option you've chosen is legible and clear except through subjective evaluation? Here are some tips:

• Size: Choose a size that will look harmonious in your context. For example, fonts are needed for a business card and poster different sizes. If your audience will be viewing your design on mobile devices, open any text editor, type a few lines in your chosen font and reduce its size. If you can still read text easily, then it will likely be suitable for smaller screens. Do a Google search on a specific font to see if it's optimized for web pages.
• Distance: Character spacing can play a big role in improving the readability of text. Usually, the larger it is, the easier the text is perceived. But if you're short on space, it's worth experimenting with different combinations of font size and spacing. In almost any graphics editor, you can adjust spacing (the distance between entire groups of letters in lines or fragments of text), kerning (the distance between pairs of letters) and leading (the vertical distance between lines).
• X-height: This is the height lowercase letters. Sufficient X-height improves readability, maintaining it even when scaled down. However, you should not make the X-height too close to the height of the capital letters, as this will make it difficult to distinguish between lower and upper case.
• I/l/1 test: If you've chosen a font for pieces of text that contain both letters and numbers, do one simple test. Type a capital letter I, a lowercase letter L, and a number 1. If they look similar, it can be confusing to readers.

How to combine different fonts

Selecting two or more fonts that harmonize with each other is not an easy task. They should complement each other without being too similar. They should be different, but not so different that they conflict with each other. Avoiding such extremes requires a lot of experimentation, so be prepared to go through some trial and error.

Finding the perfect combination is not a sequential process. When choosing the right combination, you are guided by your individual preferences, experience, instinct and visual perception. Here are a few rules to help you find a good solution:

• Find general characteristics: Fonts that look different but still have something in common tend to look good together. For example, they have the same width or height of letters or the same structure. Even slight similarity can give a combination unity.
• Give preference to fonts from one designer: Designers can be recognized by their unique style, inimitable aesthetics. Fonts from the same author are similar (in appearance or structure), so they can be easily combined. Look for so-called superfamilies. They include complementary serif and sans serif fonts, with different degrees richness and different styles. Try, for example, the free Alegreya and Alegreya Sans superfamilies (each containing 40 weight/style options) or Merriweather and Merriweather Sans, which we also recommended as universal solutions.
• Determine the purpose of each font: they should be different enough to create a clear visual hierarchy and tell the audience what to look for and what is important. For this, one option with serifs and one without serifs is usually enough.

But how do you know if there are too many fonts? Some designers believe that most projects only need one font and that maximum quantity There are three options. If you are still new to the design field, then it will not hurt you to listen to these recommendations. But essentially, there are no rules here. Or, at least, such rules that could not be broken in a certain situation. For example, some designs simply need a lot of variety to create a certain aesthetic.

Where to find free fonts

Looking for interesting fonts to experiment with, but not ready to open your wallet yet? Fortunately, there are a huge number of sites (of varying quality) with free fonts. When you download them, be sure to check for a license. We'll go into more detail on this later, but for now here are a few resources where you can find great collections:
1) Font Squirrel: This is probably the best site for free fonts licensed for commercial use(every single one!). Here you will find an extensive collection of quality, hand-picked options. You can search by categories or tags (regular, retro, grunge).

2) Google Fonts: This is a directory of free fonts for websites and other web projects and applications. The collection contains hundreds of publicly available fonts that can be edited, distributed, etc. All of them are optimized for web pages and come with instructions on how to add the corresponding html code to your website or integrate it into your CSS. Moreover, you can download fonts to your computer and use them on printed media.

3) DaFont: This resource currently offers 25,000 free public domain demo fonts. But since any user can add their works to this database, there are fonts of completely different quality here. Many options are free for personal use only.

4) 1001 Fonts: Currently there are 7,000 free fonts of varying quality available in the database. Here you will find a special section with free fonts for commercial use. You can search by type/style/mood, time periods and even holidays.

5) Other resources: they offer rather modest collections, but you can also find quite decent options there.

Lost Type Co-Op: Trendy, unique and vintage fonts available for personal use on a pay-what-you-want basis. You don't even have to pay anything, but why not support the designers?

Fontfabric: A small but diverse collection of free, professional fonts. From time to time, new options are added to the database.

FontShop: Almost everything here is available for a fee, but you get some variations in weights and styles for free. To download, you must register an account.

Pixel Buddha: This site has a modest section of original, hand-drawn fonts. Although they are free, you will have to register an account to download them.

Font licensing

When you buy a font or download it for free, it doesn't always mean you can now do whatever you want with it. Before using it, be sure to check its license. They are typically licensed for personal, commercial, or educational use.

Some fonts have restrictions on how often they can be used in print or online. It may also indicate whether the distribution of a particular font is permitted, and if so, under what conditions. By carefully reviewing the license of the option you choose, you will protect yourself and/or your client.

Inspired? Then start designing with amazing fonts today!
To learn how to use them correctly in your graphic projects, you need to practice and experiment a lot. We hope this guide motivates you to expand your knowledge about choosing and using fonts. Share your favorite fonts and useful resources in the comments.

Most fonts of the late 20th century either copy or vary old fonts, in the development of which Aldus Manutius, Leonardo da Vinci, Luca Pacioli, Albrecht Durer, Claude Garamon and other famous artists and graphic artists participated.

In the historical classification, all fonts are divided according to the above criteria into three types:

· Antique.

Serifs, in turn, are divided into three groups, in which the strength of the contrast between strokes and the shape of the serifs vary. In old or humanistic serifs, the contrast is little noticeable, and the serifs are thickened and slightly rounded. In the transitional serif, the contrast is moderate, and the serif configuration is close to the shape of a triangle. New or classic serifs are characterized by strong contrast and thin, elongated serifs. A special place among fonts of this type is occupied by the so-called ribbon serif with weak contrast and serifs.

· Egyptian.

Egyptian fonts originate from ancient Egyptian writings made on papyrus (some of them have the shape of blocks, for example, Memphis, hence the modern name for fonts - block). Over time, some Egyptian fonts evolved towards thinner connecting strokes and serifs.

· Grotesque.

Fonts of the grotesque type have neither contrasts nor serifs; the strokes in them are usually distinguished by the boldness of the style. Apparently, this unusual design and the blackness of the lines served as the basis for their name (French Grotesque - whimsical, comical). In the advertising departments of Russian newspapers they appeared in the first quarter of the XIX centuries and for a long time did not go beyond this department. Today, from large base Called sans serif, these fonts are widely used in headlines and texts.

All typographic fonts can be divided into the following categories:

· Text.

These are fonts designed for printing the main text of books, magazines and newspapers; These are fonts of relatively small size - from 0 to 12 points.

· Title.

These are fonts with larger point sizes - from 14 to 48 points, used for typing titles, covers, columns, newspaper headlines and various display works. Many typefaces contain title fonts (by size), while others are only title fonts. Small and large fonts of the same typeface can be used: the first - as text, the second - as title.

· Promotional

These fonts are mainly decorative, imitative, and large-point fonts. Display fonts include poster and poster fonts. The font size (size) is determined by the uppercase (capital) letter.

Classification of fonts according to GOST.

IN state standard For fonts, all typographic fonts are divided into 6 main groups and one additional one. There is a very direct connection between typographical and historical classifications. Of the three varieties of serifs, three independent groups of typographic fonts are formed: new low-contrast ones correspond to the design of the old serif, medieval ones - transitional, ordinary ones - classic. Ribbon serif was given the name in a typographic catalog as a font with barely visible serifs. The group of slab fonts includes distinctive features Egyptian. The currently popular sans serif fonts in both old and new typefaces respect the grotesque nature of this type of font. Contrasting chopped ones (for example, the Central typeface), along with other “violators” of the standard, turned out to be outside the classification.

Typefaces are subgroups or subclasses of fonts that are identical in design, characteristic of a particular group, and different in style and size. There are about 40 typographic fonts in GOST, and in practical use there are many more, which allows you to individualize and diversify the font design periodicals. Thus, in accordance with the classification of typographic fonts according to GOST, the following groups are distinguished:

· Group of sans serif fonts.

This group includes typefaces that do not have serifs, for example: Journal cut, Ancient, Poster,

· Letter group of fonts.

A group of fonts with subtle serifs

This includes typefaces whose stroke ends are slightly thicker, for example, Oktyabrskaya.

· Group of medieval fonts.

This is the most full group fonts. The serifs of the fonts included in this group blend smoothly with the main strokes and, as a rule, are built like circular arcs. Examples of typefaces in this group: Literary, Bannikovskaya, Lazursky, Times.

· A group of regular fonts.

Fonts in this group have strong contrast and long, thin, straight serifs that connect to the main strokes at right angles. Example: Ordinary new, Elizabethan, Bodoni.

· Group of slab fonts.

There is no or little contrast in these fonts; thick straight serifs are connected to the main strokes at right angles. Examples: Bruskovaya newspaper, Baltika.

· A group of new low-contrast fonts.

As a rule, fonts in this group, which are characterized by long, rounded serifs that blend softly with the main strokes, are used for large amounts of text in books and newspapers. Examples: New newspaper, School, Bazhanovskaya, Magazine, Academic.

· Group of additional fonts.

This group includes all fonts that cannot be classified into any of the other groups. For example, handwritten typefaces, such as Zhikharevskaya.

Classification of computer fonts.

Adapting to the wide possibilities of electronic technology, artists created a lot of new headsets, preserving the traditions of old schools. But new technologies also required new classification characteristics of fonts, due to systemic and proprietary differences in computers and the language environment in which they were created. Below is the following classification of fonts adopted in the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems:

· Roman - This group defines serif fonts (for example, Times and Bodoni).

· Swiss - a group of sans serif fonts with variable stroke thickness (Helvetica, Futura and others).

· Modern - a group that includes fonts with constant stroke thickness (Courier);

· Script - a group of handwritten fonts;

· Decorative - a group of decorative fonts;

However, this classification is quite general character. Computer fonts are also classified according to the methods of their digital description. According to this classification, fonts are raster, vector and algorithmic.

· In raster fonts, each character is described as a set of dots (pixels) located at the raster grid nodes, essentially being an ordinary bitmap. Bitmap fonts are not suitable for high-quality printing and are used in text-based programs and consoles. They were widely used in the era of dot matrix printers and low resolution monitors.

· In vector (or outline) fonts, characters are curved outlines described by mathematical formulas. Each sign is described using vectors that define the coordinates of reference points, which are connected by straight lines or curves and form the outline of the sign without reference to absolute size or resolution. This description allows you to enlarge the image without losing quality, which is impossible in the case of raster fonts. Vector fonts look the same on screen and on paper. There are several different vector font formats, differing in the way they store and present information about the font: PostScript Type1, TrueType, OpenType.

· Algorithmic fonts use special character description languages. They contain control commands, descriptions of variables and arrays, an assortment of calculation functions and functions for exchanging with the external environment. Algorithmic fonts are characterized by the largest range of possibilities when forming characters, as well as flexibility in determining the grapheme, and then other parameters (including design). Their disadvantage lies in the laboriousness of constructing fonts.

Classification of fonts by purpose.

Fonts are divided according to their purpose and area of ​​application into book, advertising, newspaper, poster and poster, decorative, cartographic.

The choice of one or another typeface is determined by the publication itself, its purpose and readership. Some fonts are appropriate in a popular science publication, while others are appropriate in a literary publication. The choice of font also determines the printing method. All this led to a wide variety of fonts, differing in a number of characteristics.

Proper use of font plays important role. The font must be not only beautiful, but economical, which is characterized by capacity and is determined by the average number of characters that can fit in a line or strip. From a production and technological point of view, the requirements for fonts include accuracy of reproduction of font graphics in different types of printing - high, deep, flat, mechanical strength and linear accuracy of the font as an element printed form when receiving prints in a printing machine. Hygienic requirements for a font refer to its readability. Research has shown that it is important to select the correct line length and the size of spaces between words. For example, for preschool and younger children school age clear, simple in design fonts of 12-16 points are required; for an adult reader - fonts of 8-10 points; in reference books - the font size can be reduced. Research results have also shown that text typed in capital letters slows down reading speed, and in addition, takes up more space, sometimes by 50 percent; Italics are more difficult to read than roman style; very short lines, as well as very long ones, are more difficult to read. When choosing the main font of a publication, you should take into account the characteristics of the paper. For example, Old Style Romanesque fonts work well on rough paper, while Art Nouveau fonts look better on smooth or coated paper. In addition, the choice of font is influenced by the printing method. Some fonts, due to their very fine serifs, are difficult to reproduce in offset printing.

Today's article is part of a free e-mail course on the basics of graphic design (access to which will be opened soon) from the typography section. The knowledge that is given in it is mandatory for study. At first it may seem that a couple of new words-terms can have little effect, but this is fundamentally not the case.

Knowledge about the classification of fonts, their features, era of creation, etc. very useful (and even indispensable) when we're talking about about combination various fonts in one job. There are quite a lot of options for dividing fonts into groups, but to get a more or less general idea, it’s enough to remember the two main ones.

The most well-known classification of fonts is based on their anatomy:

Serif (Antique, Serif)

Each letter in such fonts contains serifs (I think there is no need to explain what they are), which became the basis for the ingenuous name of this group. They are often used for continuous text in layout printed publications; For typing such text on the web, serifs were considered difficult to read and gave way to grotesques. Antiquities are great for headings.

Serif fonts are:

• Old Style
  It’s easy to guess from the name that these are one of the first fonts. They are also called humanistic antiques, the origins of which go back to the distant 15th century. These fonts are calligraphic and were designed to imitate handwritten text of the time. Their main feature is the pronounced tilt of the axis of the ovals, low contrast (the difference in the thickness of the main and additional strokes), the inclined axis of the lowercase “e” and the characteristic droplet of the lowercase “a”. The height of lowercase letters is quite small. Examples of humanistic serifs: Centaur, Adobe Jenson, Goudy Old Style, Guardi, Arno.
• Haralds (Old Style)
  Otherwise, they are also called the Italian-French antique of the old style or Aldine. The beginning of the development of these fonts dates back to around the end of the 15th century. The contrast of their symbols is slightly more pronounced, the inclination of the oval axis becomes smaller and approaches perpendicular. The lowercase "e" axis is parallel to the base line of the font. Serifs are sleeker, letters are more proportional, and lowercase letters are taller. Quite often, Haralds are not classified as a separate group, or are classified as a transitional serif. Representatives of this type of fonts: Bembo, Dante, Adobe Garamond, Stempel Garamond, Granjon, Poliphilus, Caslon, Sabon, Palatino, Galliard.

  

• Transitional Serif
  The name tells us about the fonts that were a step in the transition from the old style serif to the new style. This transition began around late XVII century. A feature of this style is the increased contrast of the main and additional strokes. The axes of the ovals become vertical or have a slight slope, and the serifs are smooth. There are not so many such fonts; the most famous are Baskerville, Joanna, Melior, Clearface. Sometimes the Caslon typeface is included in this group, since in these fonts one can trace signs of a transitional serif, but usually it is classified as an old-style serif.

  

• New style (Modern Serif)
  In the middle of the 18th century, the trend characteristic of the transitional serif found its logical conclusion in the form of the new serif. As you may have noticed, this “new” style is already more than 250 years old, but this name has stuck quite firmly to this type of serif. The contrast between the main and additional strokes (as well as serifs) reaches its apogee in them, in other words, it becomes “hair-thin” "or hairline. The silhouette of the letters is clear and formal. The new style serif is very suitable for headings and is considered display (read what this means below). Therefore, it is not recommended to use it for typing large blocks of text.

  The most prominent representatives of this type are Bodoni and Didot. Also included are Basilia, Aviano, Walbaum, Ambroise and Scotch Roman.

  

• Slab Serif, Egyptian
  This type of font is very easy to distinguish by unusual shape his serifs are rectangular. The contrast is insignificant. As usual, there are some exceptions to this rule; in some classifications they are considered a separate type of antique. For example, the Clarendon typeface, which looks “lighter” due to increased contrast and slightly rounded serifs. Examples: Baltica, Bruskovaya, Grenader, Xenia.

  

Sans Serif (Grotesque, Sans Serif, Chopped)

The time of birth of grotesques - early XIX century. As again it is not difficult to guess, their main distinguishing feature is complete absence serif. They are divided into geometric (based on regular figures, and the thickness of the strokes does not change, for example, Helvetica) and humanistic (have little contrast between the strokes and are more calligraphic compared to geometric ones, for example, Optima).

Grotesques are simplicity and practicality. These include Helvetica, Arial, Futura, Century Gothic, Gill Sans, etc. As mentioned earlier, such fonts are great for writing continuous text, especially for web pages.

Handwritten

The first such fonts were developed in the VXII-XVIII centuries. Some of them were based on the handwriting of famous masters. These fonts are very elegant. They are not suitable for continuous text, but look great in headings.

The second common type of classification is based on the role of the font.

According to this criterion there are text (or typesetting), display (heading, highlighting) and decorative fonts.

Text fonts are intended for typing continuous text (large blocks), therefore their most important characteristic is readability. At the same time, it is necessary not only to ensure the ease of reading each individual letter, but also the ease of perception of words and phrases.

Display fonts designed for the use of large pins. Their second name “header” makes it clear the scope of application of such fonts. Legibility in this case fades into the background (but remains important), and attracting attention comes to the fore. At the same time, the font should not be too “aggressive” so as not to completely distract attention from the main text.

Role decorative fonts somewhat similar to the role of headlines - they should attract attention. But if headings attract attention for the purpose of further reading the text, then decorative fonts should divert all attention to themselves. It's like a one-man show.

Be sure to “taste” each type of font: feel their mood, their expressiveness and mood, as well as their combinations with each other.

A font is perhaps one of the most significant and interesting, but at the same time, the most complex tools in a web designer’s arsenal. A font is used on every website, and therefore its very existence, as well as its combination with other fonts on the page, must obey a certain logic. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to understand what groups of fonts exist, what are their distinctive features in the style, and also consider in what cases it is appropriate to use one or another font. In this article, we propose to consider serif fonts and their subgroups, as well as serif, handwritten and decorative fonts.

1. Serif font

In general, Serif is translated from English language as a serif or small projection, a short stroke at the base and top of a letter or symbol. Serif fonts are a fairly large group that includes old modern and Egyptian style fonts.

Old style

The old font style is based on the cuneiform writing technique. This can be seen in the characteristic serifs of lowercase letters, which are always positioned at an angle, and all curved lines of letterforms have a transition from a thick stroke to a thin one. You can do a little experiment - if you draw a line through the thin parts of the rounded stroke, it will always be diagonal.

Such fonts are considered the best option for typing long text. Firstly, they have very few distinctive features that interfere with reading, and secondly, the eye seems to cling to the serifs, which makes the reading process easier.

Modern style

Modern style or so-called Modern, as well as Didone. Appearance modern style It is distinguished by a certain aloofness of the fonts. There is no longer such an obvious imitation of cuneiform writing. Modern style fonts have horizontal and thinner serifs, as well as a pronounced, contrasting transition from thick to thin lines and an obvious vertical pressure.

Modern style fonts look very good when written in large font sizes. However, due to the abrupt transition from thick to thin lines, they are not convenient for long-term reading. Therefore, they are best used for headlines and logos.

Egyptian style

The Egyptian style is sometimes called Claderon, after the name of the first typeface of this group. Their distinctive feature- a barely noticeable transition from a thicker line to a thin one, and often its absence at all. The serifs of lowercase letters in these fonts are horizontal and thick. Another name for this group is Slab Serif, which translated from Latin means rectangular.

Because the strokes of this style of font are denser and more uniform, it is ideal for long texts. But it should be borne in mind that in general, the entire page will look darker. This style is widely used in typesetting children's books.

2. Chopped font

The word sans means “without” in French, so the name of this group translates to “sans serif.” In sans serif font there is virtually no pressure when going from a thicker line to a thinner one, making it more uniform in thickness.

In general, it is believed that serif fonts are easier to read, but when it comes to web design, there is no clear consensus. This is mainly due to the technical features of the monitor. But everything is left at your discretion.

3. Handwritten font

Creation technique Handwritten fonts involves writing text by hand, with a special brush or calligraphy pen. Such fonts are not suitable for writing long texts, especially if the text consists only of capital letters. But no matter what, they look very beautiful, typed in large fonts, and as a decorative element in design they are simply irreplaceable.

4. Decorative font

Decorative fonts include most fonts that do not fall under other parameters. This is a very large and diverse category of fonts, and their number is increasing day by day. Due to their extravagance, they should be used very dosed and carefully. These can be logos, headings or individual inscriptions.