Difference between a typeface and a font
Friday’s Creative Review for Graphic Designers
How many times have we heard the question: “what font is that?” We are asking the wrong question! We are supposed to ask “What typeface is that?”
Nowadays, the two terms are used interchangeably. However, in the past, these were two very distinct terms.
Origins of type
To really understand the difference between the two, you need to know a little bit of history behind creating type.
Way, way back, typefaces were created using little pieces of metal. These pieces had to be individually placed on a tray to create your layout and printed on a printing press. So, when you were referring to “fonts” you were talking about that single piece of metal with one style and one size of font.
So, fonts were of a particular face, and size and style. Back then, if you were talking about Arial 14 point or Arial 24 point, you were in fact talking about 2 different fonts.
And then everything changed… And confusion set in.
With the advent of computers, “fonts” and “typefaces” became synonymous. So interchangeable the two terms are, most computer programs have a “font” menu. And, they also have “font styles” where you can click and bold or italicize your letters.
Even in the digital age, the one thing that has not changed throughout type history is that creating type is a two-part process. A type foundry creates the fonts and we as designers use the typefaces in our documents.
When you are dealing with printers or service bureaus, you quickly see the difference between the two. To them, the terms cannot be interchanged.
Example: We frequently think that by clicking bold or italics, our file will print correctly. Printers prefer when you send the actual bold font of your typeface (for instance, Helvetica Bold) NOT that you simply bold a typeface. In this case, you have to send the printer font to them to ensure the file prints correctly.
C O N C L U S I O N :
Font is supposed to be a physical thing. It is what is needed to display the typefaces. Whether it is the computer code, photographic film, or metal plates.
Typeface is the shape of each character in a group of characters. It’s the letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation, etc…
Family is a group of typefaces designed to work together. It’s basically all the possible variations of a single typeface. Each is a separate file.
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