Types of fonts. Basic Classification.

Any font is a complete set of characters that have a single stylistic solution. A well-established classification that combines different types of fonts allows users to quickly and easily understand their variety.

The history of fonts goes back to ancient times, when people first began to use symbols to convey their thoughts. Since then thousands of designs have appeared and today we have the opportunity to use masterpieces of typographic art that have been shaped and honed over the years.

Today fonts are actively used in book printing, web space, printing, outdoor advertising, clothing, etc . It is difficult to find a field of activity in which modern man would not be confronted with the processing of text information.

Fonts play a big role in the design of sites, because with his help, providing a comfortable reading of texts, highlight important elements, sometimes forming the artistic concept of the page. Therefore, every person who is concerned with the web-development, should be able to effectively use different types of fonts.

Font types

There are two types of fonts according to their purpose:

  • Text. Used in text blocks, they are legible and easy to read.
  • Title. Predominantly large fonts used in headings and subheadings. In most cases, the size of the header starts with 14 points, and regulated by the proportionality with respect to the main part of the text.
  • Accidental. At its core, these are decorative, unusual fonts that always have a unique artistic solution. The main purpose is to attract the attention of the audience.

Font types, the fonts are different in character and graphic layout (shape and size of serifs, as well as contrast):

  • Chopped fonts (Grotesque) - low-contrast fonts, no serifs. Characters of such fonts have the same thickness and are well readable in both small and large sizes. Today they are widely used in the design of websites.
  • Medieval. Characterized by moderate contrast and the presence of small serifs that gracefully match the main strokes. Characters and letters in such fonts have a predominantly oblique axis and rounded volumes.
  • Bold Fonts.. They have a small contrast and are characterized by long thickened serifs, which have the shape of bars. The shapes of bar fonts are characterized by smooth transitions from thick strokes to thin lines with a slight rounding. They, in turn, are divided into several separate types: Egyptian, modern and old fonts.  
  • Common fonts. Characterized by pronounced contrast and oblong even serifs that are perpendicular to the main elements.
  • New low-contrast fonts. This group is distinguished by long rounded serifs that connect smoothly to the symbol base. They are used when working with large amounts of text, such as in newspapers and magazines.
     

There is a separate group called "additional fonts" - it includes fonts that do not belong to the above types.

Other types of fonts are also classified:

  • by historical origin (Gothic, Arabic, Slavonic, etc.) ;
  • by way of outlining - vector and raster;
  • in character width (monospaced and proportional).

When choosing a font, you should pay attention not only to the attractiveness, but also to its compactness, legibility and versatility. Universal font groups are considered sets that contain from 3 to 12 different outlines, and can be used effectively in both headings and typesetting plain text.

On our site you can choose a font online for any purpose, and download it in one click.


Updated:

2016-07-17

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Types of fonts. Basic Classification.
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