Styles, Weights, Widths — It’s All in the (Type) Family

In a previous Type Basics we examined the difference between a typeface and a font. Both terms refer to a single manifestation of type. In this episode we will look at how individual typefaces/fonts relate to each other.

Tutorial: Festive Engraved Type

This tutorial shows how to create delicate shadow lines and shaded engraved type.

NYU Researchers Discover Defining Factor for Legibility

The study “The uncrowded window of object recognition” advances the thesis that character spacing is the defining factor for legibility.

Questions About All Caps Setting

Is all caps setting really so poorly readable that one can’t use it in headlines of let’s say maximum three lines, or is the unfavourable effect negligible?

Font or Typeface?

As we’re collaborating with multiple authors on the FontFeed, we compiled a list of guidelines for ourselves and guest contributors. One of our concerns is that we should attempt to “speak the same language” when using typographic and related terms. Because these terms evolved over a considerable period of time and saw several transitions in [...]

The Magic That Is Letterpress

Some of you digital age kids ;) may not recognize what the images in our introductory post are, so maybe there’s some ’splaining to do. The top image are wood type letters; the bottom one shows metal type. They are used in letterpress, a dwindling printing technique that nevertheless still counts many fervent admirers.

“Letterpress puts [...]

Embrace the OpenType Hype

We love OpenType. It’s not just the latest font technology, but also the most advanced, poised to replace the old TrueType and PostScript formats. This font format brings many more possibilities for typographers and graphic designers.

Figuring It Out: OSF, LF, and TF Explained

Numerals (or figures) can take various forms. The figure style you choose ought to be appropriate to the project you are working on. Readability is key. But which style is best for which purpose? There are two main forms, oldstyle figures (OSF) and lining figures (LF). Each can come in tabular and proportional widths. See [...]