Manual de Tipografia Fontshop

Styles, Weights, Widths
Its All in the (Type) Family

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Introduction
A quick note before we start when we talk about typographic terms there is
the ofcial, correct terminology, and then there is the commonly accepted
terminology. Because of the dramatic technological changes that occurred in
the type industry in the previous century, defnitions have shifted. For example
in metal type a font is one single typeface design in one specifc point size,
which means that metal Palatino 12 pt and Palatino 16 pt are two separate fonts.
Yet when phototypesetting started replacing metal typesetting in the 1970, type
became scalable (thus size-independent) and font came to signify a single
type style, disregarding point size. And the terms typeface and font are
now often used interchangeably. A similar thing happens when talking about
typefaces and type families, and styles, weights, and widths.
styles, weights, widths
Aa
Bb
Typefaces and Type Families
The diferent variants in a type family demonstrated on FF Scala by Martin Majoor.
The above diagram illustrates the names for the diferent variations in a type
family. A type family is a collection of related typefaces which share common
design traits and a common name. A type style means any given variant of
this coordinated design and is the equivalent of a typeface. Just like with the
typeface/font debate we understand that some divisions have become blurred.
This explains why the term typeface is not only used to specify a single style,
but also quite often a type family with a number of weights and styles. When a
regular user talks about the typeface FF Scala we understand that he or she
Bold Italic
Regular Italic Condensed
Bold Bold Condensed
weights
styles
widths
Aa
Bb
means FF Scala in its basic variations Regular, Italic, Bold and Bold Italic, and
sometimes even including the condensed widths and sans serif variants.
However strictly speaking the typeface FF Scala designates FF Scala
Regular, and FF Scala Italic is another typeface. This distinction is quite
important. When type foundries, vendors and resellers claim they carry a
certain number of typefaces, they use the strict defnition of the term. So even
if ARS Type for example has 13 type families on sale, they are correct when they
announce to ofer 44 typefaces. And 88 fonts, as all their typefaces are available
in two font formats: Mac PostScript and PC TrueType.
Styles
The concept of coordinated type families consisting of diferent related
typefaces or styles is a fairly recent phenomenon. The two most common styles
are roman (upright) and italic (a diferent, slanted design). The basic shape of
italics is a stylized form of handwriting. It took form in the Renaissance when
Aldus Manutius looked for a space saving alternative to roman faces. Without
going too much into details, originally italics were designs in their own right,
unrelated to roman designs and used independently. Only by the sixteenth
century did the italic assume its current role as emphasis, a variation on the
roman design.
Aa
Bb
Monotype Bembo is generally regarded as one of the most handsome
revivals of Aldus Manutius 15th century roman type, but the original
had no italic counterpart. The story is told that Stanley Morison
commissioned Alfred Fairbank, a renowned calligrapher, to create
the frst italic for Bembo, which was released as metal fonts in 1929.
Alfred Fairbanks design was based on the work of sixteenth-century writing master Ludovico degli
Arrighi. However, Fairbank claimed that he drew it as an independent project and then sold his
drawings to Monotype. According to him, the statment has been made that I was asked to design an
italic for the Bembo roman. This is not so. Had the request been made, the italic type produced would
have been diferent.
Whichever version you believe, it was obvious that Fairbanks designwhile
undenibly beautifulwas not harmonious with Bembo roman. A second, more
conventional italic was eventually drawn and added to the Bembo family.
bembo mt pro roman
bembo mt pro italic
fairbank mt pro
Comparison between Fairbank MT, presumably the original italic design for Bembo MT, and the
eventual Bembo Italic MT. The small caps, oldstyle fgures and alternates featured in the sample above
are incorporated in the OpenType Pro digital fonts.
Aa
Bb
Typefaces and Type Families
Comparison between the Roman and the Italic of FF Nexus Serif, and an artifcial oblique at the same
angle of the Italic.
Both italics and obliques are slanted designs. They both serve the same function
in text, namely emphasis. Italics are primarily found in serif designs, and
obliques originally were mostly associated with sans serifs. Yet there is a crucial
diference. While an oblique looks like a slanted version of the roman weight,
an italic has a diferent design. Most notably the double-storey lowercase a
and g turn into single-storey forms, although some designs preserve the
double-storey g. Because of its origin in hand writing and calligraphy the
position of serifs changes as well, with serifs being preserved on the in- and
outgoing strokes (upper left and lower right), but removed in the opposite spots.
a g e f n x y z
a g e f n x y z
ff nexus serif reg
ff nexus serif italic
ff nexus serif reg obliqued a g e f n x y z
Aa
Bb
furry handgloves &
furry handgloves &
furry handgloves &
furry handgloves &
bookman headline
bookman italic headline
bookman std light
bookman std light italic
Although it is called Italic, the original Bookman actually has an oblique; dont let that swashalicious
ampersand fool you. The Ed Benguiat redesign ITC Bookman on the other hand received a proper
italic. But I largely prefer the original version more bite and lots of attitude.
As the term italic refers to a design trait rather than simply the slant of the
characters it is possible to have an upright italic. Some type designs use the
name Italic when in fact they have an oblique, some call their obliques Slanted,
and typefaces from German-speaking designers or foundries sometimes use
Kursiv.
Aa
Bb
ofcial gym apparel
ofcial gym apparel
Although its slant is almost imperceptible, FF Seria clearly has a true Italic.
Due to the rising popularity of humanist sans serifs nowadays it has become
quite common to have true italics in sans serif families as well, just like the
presence of small caps, hanging fgures and extended ligature is not exceptional
anymore.
Weights and Widths
Any variation in a type family can be called a style. There are two additional,
more specifc terms for certain types of variations: weight and width.
ff seria pro regular
ff seria pro italic
Aa
Bb
The weight on the one hand determines how bold the typeface looks, how heavy
the strokes making up the characters are. The frst related bold weights for text
faces are even more recent than the frst related italic faces. They date from the
second half of the nineteenth century. Just like italics bold weights of text faces
are used for emphasis within the text.
The traditional weights are Regular and Bold, with Light and Black being the
outward extensions on the weight scale, and sometimes a Semibold in between.
Yet currently there are families that feature up to a staggering 15 weights!
AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa
Since its inception Luc(as) de Groots Taz type family has steadily been expanded, and now includes a
large series of distinctive hairline fonts and an Ultra Black for maximum impact on giant posters and in
magazine headlines.
taz type family
Aa
Bb
The width on the other hand determines how wide the characters are. Contrary
to the weights the standard width usually doesnt have a specifc name. The
traditional widths are Condensed and Extra Condensed or Compressed towards
the narrow end of the scale, and Extended to the opposite side, but here as well
certain families nowadays ofer up to six diferent widths.
Bureau Grot Wide
Bureau Grot(esque)
Bureau Grot Condensed
Bureau Grot Compressed
Bureau Grot Compressed
Font Bureaus gorgeous Bureau Grot is a versatile interpretation of the English nineteenth-century sans
by 2007 SOTA Award winner and type design icon David Berlow. It comes in fve weights and fve widths,
ranging from an extremely narrow Extra Compressed to a generous Wide.
Aa
Bb
There is some confusion regarding the exact defnition of a weight. Many users
will call a weight any variation of a type family, be it weights, widths, italics,
small caps et al. Others insist that the term weight only covers the meaning
as outlined above. So although the former group may say Taz III comes in 30
weights, the latter will insist the family has 15 weights with matching italics.
Similarly the former group consider Bureau Grot to be a 25 weight family, while
the latter defnes it as a type family in fve weights and fve widths. This is an
ongoing discussion which is not likely to be resolved just like the distinction
between typeface and font.
Alternate Naming Systems
Now if anyone ever tries to fool you into believing Helvetica is the ultimate
Modernist typeface, think again. Despite it being the preferred choice of the
International Style, and in spite of all the hubbub for its fftieth anniversary in
2007, the concept and structure for Helvetica as a type family didnt match the
Modernist standards. It originally started out as just a couple of weights and
gradually expanded into the larger family we now know. Yet the end result was
far from consistent, even so that in 1983 the entire family had to be reworked
into Neue Helvetica, a family with a more structurally unifed set of heights and
widths.
Aa
Bb
univers
Aa
Bb
univers
univers
univers
univers
53
63
73
93
univers
univers
univers
univers
45
55
65
75
univers
univers
univers
univers
45
55
65
75
univers
univers
univers
47
57
67
univers
univers
47
57
67
univers
univers
univers
39
49
59
Forget Helvetica Univers is the original Modernist face, the frst type family that
exemplifes the International Style.
The original type family to wholly embrace the Modernist principles is Adrian
Frutigers Univers. It is the frst ever family of typefaces designed according to
a rational system of coordinated weights and widths. Remarkable for Frutigers
approach is that he does away with the conventional naming of weights and
widths, and uses numbers to defne them a revolutionary system at the time of
its creation.
Indeed, the conventional names can be interpreted in diferent ways and
sometimes lead to confusion. For example the Book weight intended for
standard text setting is slightly heavier than the Regular/Roman/Normal in
certain families yet lighter in other families. The Medium weight can be either
heavier than the regular weight or actually be the regular weight. And one can
only guess where a weight called News is located in the weight spectrum.
The numbering system on the other hand is perfectly unambiguous. The frst
digit defnes the weight of the family member. As the number increases the
weight gets bolder; the 30s being the lightest and the 80s the boldest in Univers.
The second digit defnes the width, with odd numbers for roman or upright
styles and even numbers for italics or obliques. Logically 5 and 6 stand for the
normal widths, at the centre of the width spectrum. Decreasing the second digit
makes the design wider, and increasing it makes it more narrow. This allows
the user to immediately know that Univers 73 is two increments wider and three
increments heavier than Univers 48, and that Univers 48 is an oblique design
and Univers 73 an upright one. Frutigers numbering system and variations
thereof have become quite common for larger type families.
Aa
Bb
Abbreviations
Type styles often are abbreviated in application menus and such. Here is a
handy overview:
Rm Roman
It Italic
Obl Oblique
Sl Slanted
Th Thin
Lt Light
Rg Regular
Nr Normal
Bk Book
Md Medium
Dm Demi Bold
Sm Semi Bold
Hv Heavy
Bd Bold
Blk Black
Com p Compressed
Cond Condensed
Nar Narrow
W Wide
Ext Extended
Ex, X Extra
Ult Ultra
Aa
Bb
About FontShop
Founded by Erik Spiekermann and
Neville Brody in 1989, FontShop is
the original independent retailer
of digital type. We ofer more than
100,000 fonts from dozens of
expert-selected foundries, including
our house brand: FontFont.
FontShop Education
FontShop is more than a shop
that sells fonts we want to help
you do great work too. Get more
typography tips and tutorials at
fontshop.com/education.
2010 fsi FontShop International. All rights
reserved. All Trademarks named herein re-
main the property of their respective owners.
The contents of this publication may not be
repurposed or duplicated without express
prior written permission.
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
This document is set in
ff Meta
ff Meta Serif
ff Dingbats 2.0
Further Reading
FontShopFundamentals2
Alternatives to Helvetica
ErikSpiekermanns
TypoTips
TheRightFontfortheJob
TypeAnatomy
What is OpenType?
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Introduction
OpenType is a modern font format developed by Adobe and Microsoft to
provide users with an accessible and advanced typographic toolset. OpenType
improves on PostScript and TrueType just as the DVD trumped the video
cassette. When deciding what format to choose, using the latest technology
simply makes sense, but lets dig a bit deeper and explore the ways OpenType
makes life easier for typographers and graphic designers.
what is opentype?
open
Type
what is opentype?
One Style = One File
The PostScript format is limited to 256
characters per fle. Metrics information
and extra characters often need to be
stored in additional fles. This becomes
especially unwieldy in a Windows
PostScript font where a single typeface
family can require hundreds of pieces.
Based on Unicode, an OpenType fle can
contain up to 65,535 characters or glyphs.
This allows for extensive language support
and makes room for advanced typographic
features like ligatures, various fgure
styles, fractions, stylistic alternates,
swashes, small caps, ornaments, borders,
and so on. All these extras can live in
one fle instead of many. A single OpenType fle contains all the information
required for a typeface style: metrics, kerning, outline, hints, and bitmaps.
Embrace the
power of
OpenType
open
Type
tt tt tt tt
ps ps ps ps
tt tt tt tt
ps ps ps ps
a
d
ot
Mac and PC Compatible
Best of all, OpenType is a truly cross-platform
format. You can use the same font on Mac or
Windows machines without converting the font
or fearing that refow. Everywhere you use an
OpenType font, it is the same typeface, same
kerning, same line breaks.
OpenType is Powerful
OpenType fonts will work in nearly any application on any modern operating
system, but when you use a truly OpenType savvy application the formats
power is unlocked. Applications that support advanced OpenType features
include Adobe InDesign CS, Illustrator CS, Photoshop CS, and newer versions
of Quark XPress. These apps provide easy access to typographic features, so you
can convert fgures and lowercase to true small caps, all without changing the
font. Many features kick in automatically, like ligature substitution. As these
transformations are made, the raw text stays untouched. You can spellcheck
or paste the text into other applications and the original copys integrity is
maintained.
what is opentype?
open
Type
lz
Whats Inside?
Each OpenType font can include a variety of features. Some fonts have more
extras and language support than others. Some foundries use the labels Pro
and Extra to describe the feature-rich versions of their fonts. Unfortunately,
there are no industry standards to defne these terms, so weve made it easy
to see whats included in any OpenType font by listing those goodies in the
gray sidebar on Font Detail pages and showing corresponding glyphs in the
Character Set viewer. Here are the most common OpenType features:
what is opentype?
abc
ABC
(C-SF)
ffi
st
abc
ABC
(C-SF)
f
s
small caps
small caps from caps
case-sensitive forms
standard ligatures
discretionary ligatures
lining figures
oldstyle figures
fractions
ornaments
1234567890
1234567890
12 34
@ f V 5 }
open
Type
ff scala by fontfont
sabon by linotype
museo sans by exljbris
tycho by fountain
ff unit by fontfont
flex by bold monday
flex by bold monday
alto by ourtype
magneta by typetrust
About FontShop
FontShop Education
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
ff Meta
ff Meta Serif
ff Dingbats 2.0
Further Reading
ErikSpiekermanns
TypoTips
TypeAnatomy
Figuring It Out
OSF, LF, and TF Explained
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Introduction
Numerals (or fgures) can take various forms. The fgure 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 fgures (OSF) and lining fgures (LF). Each can come in tabular and
proportional widths. See some examples above.
Oldstyle Figures
Oldstyle fgures are Arabic
numerals varying in height and
position. Some sit on the baseline
while others descend beneath the
baseline. The 6 and 8 are commonly
the tallest fgures and the 3,4,5,7,
and 9 descend below the baseline,
while the 0, 1, and 2 are roughly
the same height of the lowercase
letters. This feature allows them
to harmonize with other words on
a page of text without becoming a
distraction to the reader. So oldstyle fgures are most appropriate in books or
any running text. Oldstyle fgures are also known as non-aligning fgures, text
fgures or oldstyle numerals.
figuring it out
OSF, LF, and TF explained
By the year 1996, Roman Catholic nun
Mother Theresa ( September 5, 1997)
was operating 517 missions in more than
100 countries.
123
123
Lining Figures
Oldstyle Figures
By the year 1996, Roman Catholic nun
Mother Theresa ( September 5, 1997) was
operating 517 missions in more than 100
countries.
better
Lining Figures
Lining fgures are derived from oldstyle fgures. They are a modern style with all
fgures at a common size and position and even height as the uppercase letters
(but sometimes smaller and lighter than the capitals). Today, most fonts use
these as default. Lining fgures sit on the baseline as opposed to oldstyle fgures
that appear at diferent heights and positions. They optically align along a
height line and the baseline. The best applications are business reports, forms,
tables or any place where alignment is crucial. Lining fgures are also known as
regular numerals or titling fgures.
Oldstyle Figures
7 scallions, thinly sliced
19 large shrimps or prawns
23 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 12 cup canola oil or cooking oil
Lining Figures
7 scallions, thinly sliced
19 large shrimps or prawns
23 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 12 cup canola oil or cooking oil
figuring it out
123
123
better
Tabular Figures
Tabular fgures are mono-width, they align
vertically and thus appear in documents that
compare numerical data in columns. Each fgure
shares the same width and space on both sides.
Proportional Figures
Proportional fgures are diferent in their total
character width. They are spaced to ft together
more like letters. For instance, the fgure 1 is
very narrow like the letter l and takes up less
width than the number 6. Because their spacing
appears more even, these fgures are best in
texts and headings where columnar alignment
is not necessary.
Now that you know the diferences between the two fgures styles and their
two widths, you know what to buy for your particular needs. Fortunately, some
foundries make it simple by including each available fgure style for a typeface
in a purchasable package. OpenType, though, makes it even simpler. Most
OpenType fonts include all available fgure styles within a single font. So theres
no switching between fonts to get to the right fgures.
$ 4219.82
$ 23.11
$ 257.00
$ 4219.82
$ 23.11
$ 257.00
figuring it out
123
123
Tabular Figures
Proportional Figures
About FontShop
FontShop Education
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
ff Meta
ff Meta Serif
ff Dingbats 2.0
Further Reading
ErikSpiekermanns
TypoTips
TypeAnatomy
xscruurk
The upward verlical slem on some
lowercase lellers, such as h and b, lhal
exlends above lhe x-heighl is lhe
ascender.
xrrktukr
The aperlure is lhe parlially enclosed,
somewhal rounded negalive space in
some characlers such as n, C, S, lhe
lower parl of e, or lhe upper parl of a
double-slorey a.
xxIs
An imaginary line drawn from lop lo
bollom of a glyph bisecling lhe upper and
lower slrokes is lhe axis.
sxsrtIur
The imaginary line upon which lhe lellers
in a fonl appear lo resl.
scWt
The curved parl of lhe characler lhal
encloses lhe circular or curved parls
(counler) of some lellers such as d, b, o,
0, and 8 is lhe bowl.
skxckrt
The brackel is a curved or wedge-like
conneclion belween lhe slem and serif
of some fonls. Nol all serifs are
brackeled serifs.
1Y ANA1oMY
Quick Reference
Basic parts
of a typeface
a
Typeface
Anatomy
Handglovery
8racket
Lrossbar
Stem
1erminaI
Lounter
loo[lobe
Axis
link[Neck
8owI fye
Aerture
1aiI
0escender
Serif ShouIder
Ascender
far
0vershoot
ckr-uccu1
x-uccu1
akscLuc
www.IoufsIoI.co foLL IaLL rf 888 II Ioufs 415.252.1003
cxr urIcut
The heighl from lhe baseline lo lhe lop
of lhe uppercase lellers (nol including
diacrilics).
ccuutrk
The enclosed or parlially enclosed circular
or curved negalive space (while space) of
some lellers such as d, o, and s.
ckcsssxk
The (usually) horizonlal slroke across lhe
middle of uppercase A and F is a
crossbar.
urscruurk
Any parl in a lowercase leller lhal exlends
below lhe baseline, found for example in
g, |, p, q, y, elc. Some lypes of
descenders have specific names.
rxk
Typically found on lhe lower case g, an
ear is a decoralive flourish usually on lhe
upper righl side of lhe bowl.
rvr
Huch like a counler, lhe eye refers
specifically lo lhe enclosed space in a
lowercase e.
tIuk]urck
The slroke, oflen curved, lhal connecls
lhe bowl and loop of a double-slorey g.
tccr]tcsr
In a double-slorey g, lhe loop is lhe
enclosed or parlially enclosed counler
below lhe baseline lhal is connecled lo
lhe bowl by a link. The enclosed or
parlially enclosed exlenders on cursive
p, b, l, and similiar lellers are also
called loops.
txIt
The descending, oflen decoralive slroke
on lhe leller , or lhe descending, oflen
curved diagonal slroke on K or R is
lhe lail.
trkMIuxt
The end (slraighl or curved) of any slroke
lhal doesnl include a serif.
x-urIcut
The heighl of lhe lowercase lellers,
disregarding ascenders or descenders,
lypically exemplified by lhe leller x. The
relalionship of lhe x-heighl lo lhe body
defines lhe perceived lype size. A lypeface
wilh a large x-heighl looks much bigger
lhan a lypeface wilh a small x-heighl al
lhe same size.
1Y ANA1oMY
Quick Reference
a
Fent5he ducatien
wilhoul lraining lhe besl lypefaces can
only go so far. Thals why IonlShop is
more lhan a shop lhal sells fonls we
wanl lo help you do greal work loo. el
more lypography lips and lulorials al
fonlshop.com[educalion.
2010 FontShop International. All rights reserved.
All Trademarks named herein remain the property of
their respective owners. The contents of this
publication may not be repurposed or duplicated
without express prior written permission.
Abeut Fent5he
Iounded by Lrik Spiekermann and Neville
8rody in 1989, IonlShop is lhe original
independenl relailer of digilal lype.
we offer more lhan 1uu,uuu fonls from
dozens of experl-selecled foundries,
including our house brand: IonlIonl.
Le|ehen
This documenl is sel in II Hela Serif for
lilles, and II unil for caplions and lexl.
Further keadin
FontShop Fundamentals 2
Erik Spiekermann's Typo Tips
Type Glossary
Type Anatomy
0n|ine keseurces
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Type Selection: Beyond the Look of the Letter
The Right Font
for the Job
F
Type Selection
Beyond the Look of
the Letter
A
Why do some fonts cost more than others? Why are there so
many versions of the same typeface? These are good questions.
Fortunately, we have answers. Introducing the frst edition of
FontShop Fundamentals, an educational series dedicated to type tips
and design ideas. Lets go beyond form and dig into font function.
Below are four main ways fonts can difer, even if most of their letters
look the same. Save, bookmark, or print this document and ask
yourself these questions the next time youre choosing type.
How do I know which
font is right for the job?
The font has the right form.
What about the function?
A few years ago, you had to make a decision between TrueType or
PostScript and Mac or Windows. Today, the choice is usually fairly simple:
OpenType is the most convenient and full-featured font format, compatible
with all modern screen and print workfows.
All the extras that are commonly spread across multiple PostScript or
TrueType fles can live in one OpenType fle. Best of all, OpenType is a
truly cross-platform format. You can use the same font on Mac or Windows
machines without converting the font or fearing refow.
Regular
Regular for
Windows
Ornaments
Oldstyle
Figures
Swashes
Small
Caps
Expert
Fractions
Superscript
Subscript
Central
European
Cyrillic Greek
Regular
Mac &
Windows
Ornaments
& Borders
Figures
Oldstyle/Lining
Proportional/Tabular
Fractions
Ordinals
Superscript
Subscript
Ligatures
Alternate Glyphs
Swashes
Small Caps
OpenType is the best choice for graphic designers working in updated
versions of Adobe CS and QuarkXPress. Its often the best choice for
non-designers as well, such as users in the corporate environment who
want cross-platform compatibility or who set type in Greek, Russian, or
other Eastern European languages.
postscript font opentype font
1.
If you use applications like Microsoft Ofce and QuarkXPress 6.5 (or
older) which dont support OpenTypes advanced features, and you need
access to extras like small caps and alternate glyphs, you may need to
stick with legacy formats for now. Or check out Ofce FontFonts which are
OpenType fonts created specifcally for MS Ofce.
Does it include all the features I need?
Most fonts contain the basic characters you need for setting a line of text,
but often its the extras that set one version of a typeface apart from the
others. Additional glyphs have the power to save you time, or make your
work look great, and read well. Heres how.
Height in Kilometers
Typographic Features. Some fonts come with one style of capitals and
one kind of fgure set (numbers). That will work fne for most headlines
and display work. But if youre setting body copy or columns of data you
may need small caps and appropriate fgures such as oldstyle fgures for
text, tabular fgures for tables, and proper fractions. Most professional
fonts have all these extras.
arnhem
2.
ff unit
suomi hand script
berranger script
Written by Seamus Smith
Ligatures and Contextual Alternates. Sometimes you can get by with
a basic handwriting font, but to truly replicate the natural fow and
variation of a pen on paper, an advanced script employs ligatures and
glyphs that change according to their position in a word.
Stylistic Alternates. A single typeface can take on a completely diferent
favor simply by using alternate letterforms. When you buy a font like
FF Unit that has a large set of alts its almost like youre getting several
typefaces in one.
Does it speak my language?
Nearly every commercial font contains all the characters you need for
Western European languages, such as English, Spanish, French, German,
Italian, and those of Scandinavia. Fonts that support Central (ce) and
n n
n n
n
Natural Ligatures Avoids duplicate letterforms
Authentic letter connections
3.
Eastern European languages like Czech, Polish, Hungarian and sometimes
Russian and Greek are often called Pro fonts and can cost a bit more for
the beneft of reaching a broader audience.
Plan ahead: select fonts that
support all the languages you might
want to speak to in the future. If
theres ever any question about
whether a font has the characters
you need, you can always check
its glyph set in the Specimen tab
found on every Single Font page at
FontShop.com. Western European
characters are always on the frst
page with other character sets
represented in the pages that follow.
OpenType Features Hover over a feature to learn more. Click a feature to filter Character Set view.
Show All Characters
Fractions
Mathematical Greek
Proportional Features
Tabular Figures
Access All Alternates
Kerning
Numerators
Stylistic Alternates
Case-Sensitive Forms
Standard Ligatures
Oldstyle Figures
Stylistic Set 1
Stylistic Set 2
Kerning
Oldstyle Figures
Stylistic
A B C D E F G H I J
All Glyphs (255 of 411 glyphs) Pages:

1 2 [Next }
Display Sample Text Sample Character Set
24pt
fontshop.com character set viewer
language support comparison between ff din ot and ff din pro
ff clan
Is it all in the family?
For some uses, a basic set of weights (regular, italic, bold, bold italic) is
all you need. For more intensive work, such as a publication or corporate
identity, investing in a comprehensive family or suite of related typefaces
makes sense both stylistically and logistically.
Weights and Widths
A font family with a wide range of weights and widths gives you
extra fexibility for setting type in any kind of situation whether
its a twenty-foot billboard or a tiny footnote while maintaining
a consistent style throughout.
a
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a
a
a
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Compressed
Condensed
Narrow
Regular
Wide
Extended
L
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B
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N
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M
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B
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B
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4.
ff nexus serif
ff nexus sans
ff nexus mix
ff nexus typewriter
rumba
Optical Size Variants
A type family with Optical Sizes ofers sturdy, readable cuts for text,
and showy titling styles for the big stuf, yet all recognizable as a single,
cohesive type design.
hhh
Superfamilies and Suites
Families with complementary serif, sans, and/or slab versions extend a
typographic palette even wider and answer the age-old question, what
typeface works well with this one? Many sans/serif companions are
available as a single package for a reduced price. Its a one-time investment
that can pay dividends for years down the line.
Hamburgerfontsiv
Hamburgerfontsiv
Hamburgerfontsiv
Hamburgerfonts
Small Large Extra
About FontShop
FontShop Education
Without training the best typefaces
can only go so far. Thats why
reserved. All Trademarks named herein remain
the property of their respective owners.
repurposed or duplicated without express prior
written permission.
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
ff Meta Headline for titles,
ff Meta Serif for text, and
ff Unit for captions.
Further Reading
ErikSpiekermann's
TypoTips
TypeGlossary
TypeAnatomy
The Typographers
Glossary
Common Type Terminology
r
-

the typographers glossary
Aa
type glossary | abcdef ghi j kl mnopqr st uvwxyz
Aa
A as in Ascender
accents
See Diacritics.
alternates
Diferent shapes (or glyphs) for the same character in a typeface, for example
small caps, swash characters, contextual alternates, case-sensitive forms, etc.
When alternates are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older) operating
systems and applications will not be able to access them.
fonts used:
ff meta
ff dingbats 2.0
ministry script
alternates example:
Handglove
Aperture
The aperture is the partially enclosed, somewhat rounded negative space in
some characters such as C, S, the lower part of e, or the upper part of a
double-storey a.
a n e
Y
Y
Y
ascender
Any part in a lowercase letter that extends above the x-height, found for
example in b, d, f, h, k, etc. Some types of ascenders have specifc names.
aperture example:
ascender example:
font used:
leitura news
axis
An imaginary line drawn from top to bottom of a glyph bisecting the upper and
lower strokes is the axis.
fonts used:
amplitude
ff dingbats 2.0
Y
Y
Bb Bb
B as in Baseline
balt (baltic)
(appended to a font or volume name) Language support; includes all necessary
accents and characters for Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian (also included in
CE for Mac only). The supported languages may vary a little depending on the
foundry.
baseline
The imaginary line upon which the letters in a font appear to rest.
baseline example:
font used:
bree
body
Originally the physical block on which each character sat, in digital type it is
the imaginary area that encompasses each character in a font. The height of the
body equals the point size; its width is related to the width of the character.
Y
Cityscape
bowl
The curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts
(counter) of some letters such as d, b, o, g, D, and B is the bowl.
bracket
The bracket is a curved or wedge-like connection between the stem and serif of
some fonts. Not all serifs are bracketed serifs.
Cc Cc
C as in Cap height
cap height
The height from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters (not including
diacritics).
case-sensitive
The position of a number of punctuation marks like hyphens, brackets, slashes
etc. is centred on the x-height of the lowercase letters. Fonts with case-sensitive
punctuation also have slightly raised alternates of these characters that are
centred on the cap height (the height of the uppercase).
When case-sensitive forms are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older)
operating systems and applications will not be able to access them.
fonts used:
museo
case-sensitive off
case-sensitive on
cap height and case-sensitive example:
(Spider-man)
(Spider-man)
Mog Ci pocaowa?
Hov valsi n?
Jednolkov
central european (ce)
accents and characters for Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Finnish,
Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, and
Sorbian (lower and upper).
character
Any letter, numeral, punctuation mark, and other sign included in a font. Some
characters can be represented by more than one glyph.
com
Linotypes Communication (or Com) fonts have been optimised for
international communication and for use with Microsoft Ofce applications.
They are TrueType-favored OpenType fonts and are compatible with Mac and
Windows operating systems.
contextual
Feature-rich OpenType fonts with contextual alternates can detect certain
characters or character combinations before and/or after specifc characters and
substitute them with alternate glyphs or ligatures according to the context.
font used:
ff meta
central european example:
polish
hungarian
czech
counter
The enclosed or partially enclosed circular or curved negative space (white
space) of some letters such as d, o, and s is the counter.
crossbar
The (usually) horizontal stroke across the middle of uppercase A and H.
cyrillic (cyr)
(appended to a font or volume name) Language support; includes the Cyrillic
alphabet and all necessary accents for the Cyrillic languages.
The supported languages may vary a little depending on the foundry.
font used:
ff din
cyrillic example:

yukon gold
Dd Dd
D as in Diacritics
descender
Any part in a lowercase letter that extends below the baseline, found for
example in g, j, p, q, y, etc. Some types of descenders have specifc names.
font used:
co headline
descender example:
Y
Y
diacritics
A diacritic is a ancilliary mark or sign added to a letter. In the Latin alphabet
their function is to change the sound value of the letters to which they are
added; in other alphabetical systems like Arabic or Hebrew they may indicate
sounds (vowels and tones) which are not conveyed by the basic alphabet.
fonts used:
tanger serif
diacritics example:
display
A category of typefaces designed for decorative or headline use. As opposed to
text typefaces, display typefaces are usually meant for larger settings.
Ee Ee
E as in Ear
ear
Typically found on the lower case g, an ear is a decorative fourish usually on
the upper right side of the bowl.
embedding
Including font information in a digital document, to ensure that the text is
rendered with the font specifed by the author. Some EULAs restrict embedding.
eot (embeddable opentype)
File format developed by Microsoft to enable TrueType and OpenType fonts to
be linked to web pages for download, to ensure that the text is rendered with
the font specifed by the author. Some EULAs restrict using EOT fles.
g
fonts used:
ff nexus serif
ear example:
Y
eula (end user license agreement)
As with most software, fonts are licensed to individuals and organisations.
The EULA defnes the terms and provisions for use of the font software. The
EULA also indicates the number of CPUs or concurrent Users the fonts may be
installed on. The number of CPUs/Users for which a font is initially licensed can
vary depending on the manufacturer/foundry.
expert set
A font that contains special characters, such as small caps, fractions, ligatures,
extra accents, and alternate glyphs. Because TrueType and PostScript only
support a limited number of glyphs, some characters that are not used as
frequently come in an expert font. OpenType fonts on the other hand, have the
capacity for thousands of glyphs, so one font can include all these extras plus
other alphabets etc.
eye
Much like a counter, the eye refers specifcally to the enclosed space in a
lowercase e.
e
fonts used:
ff amman sans
eye example:
Ff Ff
F as in Font
family
A collection of related typefaces which share common design traits and a
common name. A type style means any given variant of this coordinated design
and is the equivalent of a font or typeface.
Super families are very extensive with a very large number of weights and
widths. Type systems are collections of related type families that cross type
classifcations.
font
A collection of letters, numbers, punctuation, and other symbols used
to set text (or related) matter. Although font and typeface are often used
interchangeably, font refers to the physical embodiment (whether its a case of
metal pieces or a computer fle) while typeface refers to the design (the way it
looks). A font is what you use, and a typeface is what you see.
foundry
A company that designs and/or distributes typefaces; a type manufacturer.
FontShop.com carries fonts from over 80 foundries.
Hh Gg
G as in Glyph
glyph
Every character in a typeface, (e.g: G, $, ?, and 7), is represented by a glyph. One
single type design may contain more than one glyph for each character. These
are usually referred to as alternates.
greek
(appended to a font or volume name) Language support; includes the Greek
alphabet and all necessary accents for Greek.
hanging figures
See Oldstyle fgures
hybrid figures
An intermediary style between oldstyle fgures and lining fgures, hybrid fgures
are somewhat smaller than the capital letters and have a consistent body size,
yet some parts extend slightly upwards and downwards.
When the diferent fgure sets are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older)
operating systems and applications will only be able to access the default
fgures.
Ll Ii
I as in Italics
italic
A (mostly) slanted type style which takes its basic shapes from a stylised form
of handwriting, and is usually narrower than its roman counterpart. Italics are
commonly used for emphasis in text. They are primarily found in serif designs,
while obliques originally were associated with sans serifs.
leading
The vertical space between lines of text (baseline to baseline). Also known as
linespacing.
ligatures
Special characters that are actually two letters or more combined into one. In
cases where two adjacent characters would normally bump into each other, a
ligature allows the letters to fow together more gracefully. This usually makes
word shapes more aesthetically pleasing.
wae irons
font used:
garage gothic
ligature example:
lining figures (LF)
Numbers that rest on the baseline, and are usually the same height as capital
letters. Lining fgures may be tabular or proportional.
loop/lobe
In a double-storey g, the loop is the enclosed or partially enclosed counter
below the baseline that is connected to the bowl by a link. The enclosed or
partially enclosed extenders on cursive p, b, l, and similar letters are also
called loops.
lowercase
The small letters in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the
small letters were kept in the lower part of the type case.
font used:
ff tisa
lining figures example:
lining figures old style figures
1984 1984
Mm Mm
M as in Monospaced
monospaced
A font in which every character has the same width, and no kerning pairs.
This allows for neatly setting columns of text and tables, for example in
programming code, accounting, etc.
Transfgure
Transfigure
fonts used:
the sans
the sans mono
monospaced example:
proportional spaced
monospaced
Oo Oo
O as in Oldstyle Figures
oblique
A font that is slanted. Oblique fonts are diferent from italic fonts, in that they
are mechanically sheared, then slightly adjusted. Italic fonts, on the other
hand, are designed diferently from upright or roman versions. They are usually
narrower than their roman counterparts, and refect more of a calligraphic
sensibility than lowercase oblique fonts.
offc
FontFont ofers a TrueType-favored OpenType format called Ofc (or Ofce).
Ofc fonts are ideal for users of Microsoft Ofce and other word processing and
spreadsheet applications. They are style-linked so as best to take advantage of
the applications style selection options. Ofc fonts also ofer full compatibility
across platforms.
Swag, Swag
font used:
urw antiqua
oblique example:
italic oblique
oldstyle figures (osf)
Numbers that have diferent heights, some aligning to the baseline, some below.
Oldstyle fgures harmonize well with lowercase letters. Using oldstyle fgures
helps keep the numbers from standing out too much and disturbing the overall
fow of the typography on the page.
opentype
The most recent font format emerged at the beginning of the new millennium.
OpenType was initially developed by Microsoft. In a few years time it has
become the new standard format for digital fonts. The biggest advantages
shared by all OpenType fonts are their single fle structure, cross-platform
compatibility, and advanced typographic functionality. This means any single
OpenType font fle will work on both Mac and Windows systems, and some
OpenType fonts include expanded character sets and special features like
automatic ligatures and alternate glyphs. OpenType is the best format for most
purposes.
optical size
Some type designs come in diferent versions optimized for use in specifc
point sizes. Subtle variations in weight, contrast, and proportion make them as
legible in small text as they are beautiful in big headlines.
font used:
ff tisa
oldstyle figures example:
lining figures old style figures
1984 1984
Pp Pp
P as in Pica
petite caps
Slightly smaller than small caps, petite caps are capital letters that are exactly
as high as the x-height of the lowercase letters.
pica
A typographic unit of measure corresponding to 172nd of its respective foot,
and therefore to 16th of an inch. The pica contains 12 points. The standard in
contemporary printing (home computers and printers) is the computer pica
(172nd of the Anglo-Saxon compromise foot of 1959, i.e. 4.233 mm or 0.166 in).
At 100% zoom one computer pica corresponds to 12 image pixels on a computer
monitor display, thus one computer point corresponds with one image pixel.
pixel
Pixel fonts are modular type designs that take advantage of the pixel grid to
render often very small type on screen. They are very popular in web design, but
also became an aesthetic on their own.
point
Type sizes are generally expressed in points. The point is a typographic unit of
measure corresponding to 112th of a pica. At 100% zoom one computer point
corresponds with one image pixel on a computer monitor display.
point size
The point size of a typeface refers to the size of the body, the imaginary area
that encompasses each character in a font. This is why a typeface with a large
x-height appears bigger than a typeface with a small x-height at the same point
size.
postscript
A technology developed and trademarked by Adobe Systems, Inc. On older
systems, PostScript fonts require Adobe Type Manager. On the Mac, PostScript
fonts consist of a printer font and a bitmap suitcase, which should always be
kept together.
PostScript fonts are generally more difcult to maintain, and PostScript fonts
can have compatibility issues with some operating systems like Vista.
pro
OpenType Pro fonts share the same technical specifcations as OpenType
Standard (Std, or simply OT) fonts, but support a broader range of languages.
Standard OT fonts contain support for Western languages, while Pro fonts
include Central European and often Latin Extended, and often Greek and/or
Cyrillic and Extended Cyrillic.
proportional figures
Proportional fgures are diferent from Tabular fgures in their total character
width. They are spaced to ft together more like letters. For instance, the fgure
1 is very narrow like the letter l and takes up less width than the number 6.
Because their spacing appears more even, these fgures are best in texts and
headings where columnar alignment is not necessary. There are Proportional
Lining Figures and Proportional Oldstyle Figures.
Ss Rr
R as in Roman
roman
The (standard) upright type style. The term Roman is also sometimes used to
denote the Regular weight.
small caps
Small caps are capital letters that are approximatively as high as the x-height
of the lowercase letters. When properly designed small caps are absent in the
selected font, many applications can create small caps by scaling down the
capitals. However this makes these fake small caps too light and narrow, and
they dont harmonise properly with the lowercase. Originally small caps were
only available for the roman text weight(s), but nowadays many type families
also have them for the italics and the bolder weights.
When small caps are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older) operating
systems and applications will not be able to access them.
font used:
ff quadraat
small caps example:
Beguiling
spacing
Spacing refers to the distribution of horizontal space on both sides of each
character in a font to achieve a balanced and even texture. Spacing problems in
difcult letter combinations (exceptions) are solved with kerning. Well-spaced
fonts need comparatively less kerning pairs.
std/ot (opentype standard)
(appended to a font or volume name) OpenType Standard fonts support the
basic range of languages. Some foundries use the abbreviation Std, while
others simply use OT. In the latter case OT identifes both the font format and
the language support. Some foundries do include Central European (CE) and
Turkish in their OpenType Standard fonts.
style
Any given variant in a type family; the equivalent of a single font or typeface.
style-linking
Families of fonts that are grouped together under a single item in the font
menu. To access other styles in a style-linked family, use the style buttons in the
application that you are using. Some applications like for example the Adobe
Creative Suite dont support style-linking, yet still conveniently list the fonts by
family.
stylistic set
In OpenType fonts with alternate glyph shapes for certain characters, diferent
character sets can be grouped in stylistic sets. Instead of having to manually
switch individual characters, the user can select the appropriate stylistic set
which has all the desired alternates.
Certain (older) operating systems and applications cannot access the stylistic
sets, making only the default character set available.
glossary | abcdef ghi j kl mnopqr st uvwxyz
swash
An elegant extension on a letter form, either a modifcation of an existing part
or an added-on part.
When swash characters are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older)
operating systems and applications will not be able to access them.
Carmen
Carmen
fonts used:
dear sarah
swash example:
Tt Tt
T as in Typography
tabular figures (tf)
Numbers that share identical character widths (that is, they are monospaced).
Using tabular fgures enables you to set columns of numbers, and have them
neatly line up vertically. This is especially useful for tables, thus tabular.
Tabular fgures are often lining.
When the diferent fgure sets are built-in as OpenType features, certain (older)
operating systems and applications will only be able to access the default
fgures.
tail
In typography, the descending, often decorative stroke on the letter Q or the
descending, often curved diagonal stroke on K or R is the tail.
terminal
The end (straight or curved) of any stroke that doesnt include a serif.
truetype (tt/ttf)
A font format developed by Apple Systems, Inc. and licensed to Microsoft Corp.
TrueType fonts are natively supported by the Windows and Mac operating
systems. On the Mac, both the printer and screen fonts are combined in a single
TrueType font suitcase fle.
glossary | abcdef ghi j kl mnopqr st uvwxyz
turk/tu (turkish)
accents and characters for Turkish.
type system
Also called super families, type systems are collections of coordinated type
families that cross type classifcations, and are designed to work together in
perfect harmony. They can be sans and serif companions, text and display cuts,
or any other combination. The diferent families in a type system or super family
share common character architecture, proportions, x-height, weights, and
pedigree, to name a few.
typeface
An artistic interpretation, or design, of a collection of alphanumeric symbols.
A typeface may include letters, numerals, punctuation, various symbols, and
more often for multiple languages. A typeface is usually grouped together in
a family containing individual fonts for italic, bold, and other variations of the
primary design.
Uu Uu
U as in Uppercase
unicase
Type design with upper- and lowercase letter forms that share the same height.
uppercase
The capitals in a typeface. The name refers to the days of metal type, as the capitals were kept
in the upper part of the type case.
showman
font used:
ingeborg
unicase example:
Wx Vv
V as in Volume
volume
Fonts can be purchased individually, but packages or volumes always ofer the
best value and performance. A font volume is a collection of fonts that are sold
as a unit. This can either be a type family, part of a type family, or a collection of
fonts that are stylistically or thematically related.
weight
A single style or iteration of a typeface. Sometimes, the term weight refers
specifcally to the heaviness of a typeface. However, it is often used as a general
term for any style: Italic, Small Caps, Bold, Light Expert, etc.
western
Language support; includes all necessary accents and characters for Albanian,
Breton, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic,
Irish, Italian, Norwegian (+ Bokml & Nynorsk Norwegian), Portuguese, Rhaeto-
Romance, Spanish, and Swedish.
x-height
The height of the lowercase letters, disregarding ascenders or descenders,
typically exemplifed by the letter x. The relationship of the x-height to the body
defnes the perceived type size. A typeface with a large x-height looks much
bigger than a typeface with a small x-height at the same size.
About FontShop
FontShop Education
reserved. All Trademarks named herein remain
the property of their respective owners.
repurposed or duplicated without express prior
written permission.
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
ff Meta
ff Meta Serif
ff Dingbats 2.0
Further Reading
ErikSpiekermann's
TypoTips
TypeAnatomy
Erik Spiekermanns
Typo Tips
Seven Rules for Better Typography
r
-

1
Typo Tips
Small Caps
Ninety JPG fles
on CD-ROM.
She sits AROUND
the house!
Ninety jpg fles
on cd-rom.
She sits around
the house!
better
better
running copy
emphasis
When you need
to use capitals,
for something
like an acronym
or abbreviation,
use small caps.
Use italics for
emphasis rather
than all caps.
A CAPITAL MISTAKE
NEVER use CAPITAL letters to accentuate words in running copy.
They STICK OUT far too much spoiling the LOOK of the column or page.
Use italics instead. If you have to set words in capitals, use proper small
caps with or without initial capitals.
Aa
2
Typo Tips
Connections
Connections
There are three diferent ways to connect or separate words: the hyphen -,
the en dash , a little wider than the hyphen, and the em dash , wider
still. The regular hyphen is easily accessible on any Mac or PC keyboard,
whereas the en dash needs the combination option-hyphen on the Mac.
The em dash is accessed by pressing option-shift-hyphen on the Mac. The
use of these dashes depends on house styles and tradition. The em dash
with no space around it is traditionally used to separate thoughtslike this
onebut I think its length is a distraction in running text. Try using the
en dash to separate thoughts like this one with a character space on
either side. En dashes without space on either side are also used between
numbers and compound words as in: the shop is open 107, while you can
take the New YorkKansas City train or the New YorkBaltimore train only
8am3pm.
open 103
better
en dash
En dashes without
spaces are used to
separate numbers
and compound
words.
open 10-3
better
em dash
Em dashes or, En
dashes with spaces,
are meant to sepa-
rate thoughts.
How nice - to feel full -
and still get full credit for
appearing hungry.
How nice to feel full
and still get full credit for
appearing hungy.

3
Typo Tips
&
&
A dead giveaway for unprofessional desktop typography are wrong
quotes and apostrophes. Quotes can have diferent shapes. They generally
look like this, and can be remembered as beginning and ending quotes
by thinking of 66 and 99. Beginning quotes are found on the Mac by
pressing option-[; closing quotes, option-shift-[. The apostrophe is simply
a raised comma, the shape of a 9 in most typefaces. It is identical to the
closing single quote, while the open single quote looks like a 6. Beginning
single quotes are found on the Mac by pressing option-]; the apostrophe
and closing single quote, option-shift-].
better
When using quotes

remember "66"
and "99". Straight
quotes are often
caused by copying
and pasting text,
and a general
lack of attention
to detail.
real quotes
"hello" hello
4
Typo Tips
Figuring It Out
better
Figuring It Out
Good text typefaces have old style, text, or lowercase fgures
1234567890 instead of lining ones 1234567890. Lowercase fgures
blend in better with the text settings, as the fgures behave like lowercase
letters with ascenders (6 and 8) and descenders (3, 4, 5, 7, 9) and x-height-
only characters (1, 2, 0). While they ft in text very nicely, the good looks
have one disadvantage: each of the fgures have individual widths,
meaning they wont sit directly underneath each other in columns. Their
descenders may also clash with ascenders when the columns sit closely on
top of one another, as happens quite often in tabular settings. Most lining
fgures are "tabular", however, all the same width, making for a somewhat
uneven appearance, as the 1 takes up the same space as the 8, but in
tables, they are much easier to add up. Some fonts ofer tabular oldstyle
fgures, which will allow table setting.
44
oldstyle figures
Oldstyle fgures
blend better with
text settings.
Without fail, now for 365 days
straight, he rose and turned
towards the sun.
tabular figures
Lining fgures are
all the same width
and appropriate for
lists and tables.
Without fail, now for 365 days
straight, he rose and turned
towards the sun.
4129.82
23.16
257.00
better
4129.82
23.16
257.00
5
Typo Tips
Joining Forces
better
Joining Forces
A ligature is defned as the visual or formal combination of two or three
letters into a single character. They consist of letter combinations such as
f, f, f, f. Ligatures keep letters from overlapping and improve legibility.
For example: afuence, confgure, defate, afnity.
f
ligatures
Ligatures improve
legibility by
preventing
overlapping
characters.
affinity
discretionary ligatures
Discretionary
ligatures are
stylisitic and add
character or fair
to text setting. f gi s i t c ee
afnity
6
Typo Tips
Not Justifed
Not Justifed
Avoid fush settings! Most applications create justifed text by hideously
stretching and squishing words and spaces. Note that it takes many hours
of tedious work to typeset justifed text that is truly well-proportioned
and legible. For this reason, professionals prefer to use ragged-right
composition, either with or without hyphenation, depending on how
much line-length variation they wish to allow. This gives the text a more
harmonious appearance and makes it easier to read, since all wordspaces
have the same width.
better
e u
alignment
Auto justifed
text often causes
unsightly rivers
in a block of text.
Try fush right
text instead.
The world at once present
and absent which the
spectacle makes visible is
the world of the commodity
dominating all that...
The world at once present
and absent which the
spectacle makes visible is
the world of the commodity
dominating all that...
7
Typo Tips
Bite The Bullet
Bite the Bullet
Use bullets or centered points instead of hyphens (-) when you list items.
Bullets are part of the standard character set and are located in the
following positions:
option-8 (mac), alt+0149 (windows)
option-shift-9 (mac), alt+0183 (windows
better

bullets
When setting lists
use bullets rather
than dashes.
Bullets are part
of the standard
character set.
- Straight 3 miles
- Left at 22nd
- Soft right at Howard
- 300 feet to destination
Straight 3 miles
Left at 22nd
Soft right at Howard
300 feet to destination
About FontShop
FontShop Education
Without training the best typefaces
can only go so far. Thats why
Online Resources
FontShop.com
FontFeed.com
Spiekermann.com
Colophon
ff Meta Headline for titles,
ff Meta Serif for text, and
ff Unit for captions.
Further Reading
ErikSpiekermann's
TypoTips
TypeGlossary
TypeAnatomy

Manual de Tipografia Fontshop

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