Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Choosing from Categories of Fonts
When deciding on a typeface to use, there are categories of
fonts, each with their own ideal use. You have display (headline)
and body text choices. Traditionally bold
sans serif
fonts such
as Arial, Helvetica, and Futura are a poor choice for setting
body text, except for web pages, where research has proven that
sans serif fonts are more easily read onscreen. Conversely,
serif
fonts such as Times, Garamond, Clarendon, and Bookman are
too spindly to use as headline text, but rather are used for body
paragraphs.
A
serif
is an embellishment added to the end of a stem
(a stroke) in an individual character. Serifs come in many
styles: for example, ITC's Latino family is recognizable by the
triangular shape of the serif, while Linotype's Charlemagne
(a variation of Charlemagne is used for the Harry Potter
signatures) uses a squared-off serif with a slight dimple.
A character without a serif is
sans
(without) serif. Sans serif
typefaces can be commanding in tone: you'd probably use
Helvetica Condensed, for example, to warn consumers not to
drop a hair drier in the bathtub.
To divide the category of typefaces further, there are Roman
and Gothic styles, and a font can be Roman in structure with or
without serifs. A Roman font is composed of both thick and thin
strokes in the character's structure, while a Gothic typeface uses
either identical stroke widths or
nearly
identical.
Then there are typefaces that depart from Roman/Gothic
categorization:
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Handwriting fonts
These typefaces can look like
script or cursive handwriting, ranging from the elegant
and expressive to Okay Crayon (by OkayCat), which
looks like a child's handwriting rendered in textured
crayon.
Script fonts
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You'll definitely want to install at least
one or two script fonts if you're designing wedding
invitations, logos for dress shops, or other signage that is
supposed to look classy. Brussels (AKA Brush Script) is
a nice blend between script and handwriting, and Muriel
(Murray Hill) comes on the Xara install CD; however, if
you want extremely elegant scripts with characters that
have swashes that interlink, you'll need to invest in one
or two. At the inexpensive and serviceable end, Cursive
is available at BuyFonts.com for $2, and if you're willing
