Fonts: Origins and History
A font comprises of letters, numbers, punctuation and other symbols which compose a typeface. The term ‘font’ is a cognate of the word ‘fondue’, which has been derived from the French word ‘fonte’, which refers to ‘something that has been melted’. Initially developed as a cast lead type for printing presses, fonts were later digitized as typefaces and used in computers.
Johann Gutenberg designed the first typeface for the movable type press. He envisioned a faster way to produce books that appeared to be hand-lettered. With the advent of printing shops, printers looked at other lettering styles which could be used as models for typefaces.
Font is an important aspect of an effective heading, display, body or caption.
Technological advances have not altered perception of text drastically and the
underlying principles of legibility and readability have remained constant.
Whether or not a document [print or web] is easy to read largely depends on
the use of space [as in typeface] and layout. A thorough understanding of the
principles of typographic design is essential to ensure readability.
Fonts for Web Copy
As a web designer, you will agree that Typography is one of the most important
aspects of your design work. They sure do enrich the visual appearance of web
pages. For web copy, the choice of the right typeface is paramount as it affects
the browser’s perception of the page. With the use of the right font,
you can communicate serious and formal, or friendly and casual messages to your
audience. Before choosing a font for a web page, you should consider the readability
of the font types as well, certain font types are easily readable than others.
Over the years, I’ve discovered typefaces which have retained their character
and appeal [although I don’t use them on a regular basis] and then there
are a few fonts I can’t do without. My favorite 10 are listed in this
article.
Fonts are either serif or sans-serif for web. The serif typefaces are characterized by a font which has curly bits at the top and bottom ends on the letters. They are easier to read on paper, and are widely used in books and newspapers. However, the sans-serif which does not have any "feet" is easier to read on a computer screen.
Neo Sans: Created by British designer Timothy Donaldson, this
font is characterized by condensed letterforms with smooth, soft lines to a
certain extent. It can be set in all cap or cap and lowercase as well.
ITC Franklin Gothic: Designed by Morris Benton, this is a standard
in the newspaper and advertising fields. It is, primarily a redrawing by ITC
that has retained the original strength intact while being a strong typeface.
Trade Gothic: Characterized by a large x-height and narrow
proportions, Trade Gothic has emerged as the leading choice for flyers, datasheets,
catalogues, and advertising. This font is a trademark of Linotype GmbH.
Avenir: Swiss designer Adrian Frutiger has designed the Avenir
font. Available in six font weights, the oblique fonts are a result of electronically
slanted Roman fonts.
Univers: Just as the name suggests, the Univers font can be used for
any kind of activity. It appears to be clean and well placed, adding to its
appeal.
Helvetica: Alfred Hoffmann Max Miedinger developed the Helvetica font.
The font bears lot of influence from the best nineteenth-century style. It also
has its own movie!
Frutiger: Hailed by Wikipedia as ‘the current best-selling typeface
of the Linotype foundry’, Adrian Frutiger created this font specifically
for the newly built Charles De Gaulle International Airport [Paris] in 1968
Other fonts include: Neue Helvetica, Optima, Interstate, Eurostile, and The Sans.
Would love to hear what your favorite sans-serif typefaces are! Do drop a comment
with your Top-10 font list!
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