Classifying type
Book production has dominated the history of typefaces; only during the last hundred years did other forms
of printing such as advertising gain predominance. Only in the very recent past was office documentation added to the
collection of printed materials.
Even more recently a new area of documentation has developed. Electronic publishing, or multimedia, has little to do
with print production, yet inherits many of its rules.
Thousands of typeface designs are in use today. New faces are forever being introduced, old faces are revived. Despite
the many different approaches to the classification of typefaces, no method is entirely precise or exact. This is because
the difference in typeface designs can be very subtle.
There are two methods for classifying type.
Type uses: body or display
Typefaces used for lengthy text matter in books, newspapers, magazines, and periodicals as well as short
texts in advertising booklets, catalogues, and other kinds of printing are called body or book faces. All
serif faces with the exception of square serif faces are included. Body typefaces work best in small sizes (from 5 to
18 points).
Typefaces suitable for short blocks of text on title pages, display advertisements, business stationery and other pieces
where large type sizes are needed are called display faces. This category includes sans serifs, scripts, square
serif faces and miscellaneous faces.
Display typefaces tend to be ornate, and are generally not used in sizes of less than 24 points.
Type forms: Serif, Sans Serif and Other
Classification of type using a broader base makes differentiation between typefaces easier. Most typefaces excite an
emotion in the reader. It is easier to make decisions about which typeface to use if you know that Modern typefaces are
colder than Transitional typefaces.
The primary type forms are called "races". A race is a complete collection of families of typefaces that share similar
characteristics.
The major races of type are:
Romans
Typefaces based on the Roman letterforms with a wide variety of serifs and stroke widths.
In this group are all the classic styles that have descended from Jenson, Aldus, Garamond, Granjon and Caslon as well
as original designs of the current century which imitate 15th century calligraphy. It is the largest race, since the
design has been predominant throughout most of European and American type design of the past 400 years.
Square serifs
Typefaces that are revivals of letterforms preceding the Roman groups.
Square serifs are also known as Slab or Egyptian serifs and are characterised by the same monotone letter widths of
sans serifs but with the addition of a serif, which is usually flat. Many of the typefaces in the race are similar to
those of a typewriter.
There are no subcategories in this race with few typefaces by comparison with other races.
Sans serif
Typefaces made in varying weights or degrees of colour, usually with little variation between the strokes of the letters
and without serifs.
Sans serifs are also known as Lineales, Dorics and Gothics, although the latter name is more correctly applied to Black
Letter typefaces.
Scripts
Typefaces made in imitation of handwriting, whether the letters touch or are spread.
The letters of a script typeface appear to join together and resemble handwriting. The style of a cursive typeface is
similar to the italic forms of the Roman race, but with a freeflowing design and a noticeable gap between the letters.
Graphic faces appear to have been drawn and include Old English and Black Letter faces.
Miscellaneous
This is not a real race of type, but a category for all typefaces that do not fall neatly into any other race.
Typefaces in this category may be designed for specific purposes such as logos or trademarks. Other typefaces may be
ornate variations of serif or sans serif families. Still others known as "outrageous" or novelty faces and are typefaces
that do not display any characteristics of any other race.
Typefaces in this category are only ever used for display work.
Races are further divided into subcategories, called "families". Most typefaces belonging to one family have been designed
during the same period of history, although this is not always true.
- Old Style
- Transitional
- Modern
- Square Serif
- Geometric Sans Serif
- Grotesque Sans Serif
- Humanist
- Flowing Scripts
- Cursive Scripts
- Graphic Scripts
- Modified Serif
- Modified Sans Serif
- Novelty
Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
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