Fonts, Typefaces and Typography

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Your guide to fonts, typefaces and typography:

What is Typography?

Typography is the art and techniques of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing) and letter spacing.

Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.

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What is a typface? 

In typography, a typeface is a coordinated set of glyphs designed with stylistic unity. A typeface usually comprises an alphabet of letters, numerals, and punctuation marks; it may also include ideograms and symbols, or consist entirely of them, for example, mathematical or map-making symbols. The term typeface is typically conflated with font, which had distinct meanings before the advent of desktop publishing. These terms are now effectively synonymous when discussing digital typography. One still valid distinction between font and typeface is that a font may designate a specific member of a type family such as roman, bold or italic type, possibly in a particular size, while typeface designates a visual appearance or style, possibly of a related set of fonts. For example, a given typeface such as Arial may include roman, bold, and italic fonts.

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Are You a Fontaholic? 

Show the world just how much you are addicted to fonts with these great t-shirts.

What The Font? 

Ever wanted to find a font just like the one used by certain publications, corporations, or ad campaigns? Well now you can, with myfont.com's WhatTheFont font recognition system. Upload a scanned image of the font and instantly find the closest matches in their database. If WhatTheFont can't figure it out, you can submit your image to the WhatTheFont Forum where cloak-draped font enthusiasts around the world will help you out!

Do You Love Type? 

Show the world how much you love type and typography with these great t-shirts.

Font Management Software 

Suitcase Fusion 1U Box

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009)Buy Now

Suitcase Fusion is the next-generation professional font manager for your office or studio. It fuses the power of Font Reserve with the award-winning usability of Suitcase, giving you more reliable font management -- no matter how many fonts you use, how many documents you work with or how demanding your workflow.

Read Graphic Design USA's reader survey on type. 

GD USA's third reader survey on type finds that 85% of it's readers report being actively involved in the specification and purchasing of fonts and font collections. It also finds that "Communicating the message" is the most important factor in deciding to purchase fonts and font collections.

Download a copy of the survey here.

Great Stuff on Amazon 

Typography Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Type in Graphic Design

Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

The Complete Manual of Typography

Amazon Price: $34.65 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Typography 29

Amazon Price: $43.80 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Detail In Typography

Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Typography Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type

Amazon Price: $26.40 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Really Funny YouTube video 

Watch this hysterical video on the ultimate fight of Sans Serif vs. Serif

FUNNY! Enter the Serif

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Tsquid wrote...

Great typography synopsis! But if you're tired of other people's fonts why not try making your own? Take a look at http://www.fontlab.com for font editors that let you design your own fonts.

ReplyPosted April 28, 2008

by debbie1

I'm a professional freelance graphic designer with clients in various industries including scientific instruments, laboratory testing, healthcare and... (more)

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