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As there are thousands and thousands of fonts available right now, It gets a little confusing to learn the characteristics of each of them while learning about typography. However, all of these fonts come from five types of font families. Learning about them could help you to understand further the different kinds of fonts and the usage of each of them.
Serif Fonts are the oldest font ever used. Serifs were first used in printed media such as newspapers and books in the 15th century. Its unique feature is the small embellishment at the top and the bottom of each letter. They are the epitome of timelessness, yet they can manage to be very versatile. Hence why to this day, serifs are still popularly used.
The slab serif is the branch of the serif font family. While they still maintain the general look of serifs, slab serifs appear to be blockier and squared off. This alteration makes slab serifs look bolder and striking. Slab serif exudes confidence while still looking as classy as serifs. It explains why many big brands, namely Honda, Sony, and Volvo, use them for their logo.
The word “sans” is borrowed from a French word that means “without”. As the name suggests, sans serif fonts are known for their lack of small embellishment on the top and the bottom of the letter. Sans serifs are considered more modern than serifs as they began to spread out in the 19th century. The lack of embellishment makes them look clean and sophisticated. Simple and practical, many brands use them as headlines or in display advertisements. Companies that are associated with modern technology usually use sans serifs quite a lot.
Script fonts mimic the look of calligraphy. As they look exquisite and classic, many high-end brands utilize them to emphasize their brand’s elegance further.
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You have to be careful about using this font, as too much of it would make your text look way too casual. Furthermore, it is not advised to use them as body text as the cursive of the fonts could make the writing unreadable.
This font family, in general, resembles script fonts. However, they take the liberty of mimicking the look of different handwriting in different cursives and strokes. They dare to play around with textures and curves. Compared to other fonts, they are considered to be more recent. As they appear to be more playful than the other four, handwritten fonts are perfect for posters or designs full of creativity and artistry.
In reality, the difference between each typeface can be a little blurry as many of them combine all of these different types. However, by learning the basics like this, you can ensure that you’re choosing the right font the right way. If you’re interested in having unique fonts that could represent your work well, check out the work of Pollux of Geminorum.
