If you’re an entrepreneur or a writer, you know that at some point you need to pick a font for your brand, your website or your book cover. And there are lots of articles and online resources to help you do that. 

But what if we told you that talking only about fonts was wrong? Indeed, when we speak of design, what you need to choose first is not a font, it’s a typeface! Because our mission is to educate as much as we can, in this article we’ll be using the right terminology to help you understand the difference between a font and a typeface. In the second part of this article, we’ll present the main typefaces categories so that you know what you’re doing, next time you look for “fonts”

Typeface vs. font: what’s the difference?

A simple definition: a typeface is a specific set of glyphs and characters that share a common design. A font on the other hand, is a given declination of this typeface: the weight (thin, light, regular, medium, bold) the style (condensed or regular, italic), the size (12pt, 14pt, etc). So, is Times New Roman a font or typeface? That’s right, it’s a typeface. So is Helvetica, Futura, or Roboto, to name just a few.

Typeface vs. font: does it matter?

Like many other design topics, understanding what is a typeface and how it is different from a font belongs to the typography basics. Even if the word “font” is widely used to refer to both the actual “typeface” and its “font” variations, the terms have a strong historical difference. Back in the printing press times, this difference was very important because actual pieces of metal were used for printing. The typeface referred to a specific collection of metal pieces with a given design. Then for each typeface, the printer had other metal pieces of that same design in all sorts of weight, style and sizes. These were the fonts. You first needed to know which set of glyphs (typeface) you’d be using, and then to pick a font as a subcategory of that typeface design. So, you had to think typeface first, and font second.

Nowadays, in the world of digital design, it’s just as easy and immediate to change the typeface and the font in any operating system. So commonly, the difference becomes obsolete and today, we mostly talk about fonts to refer to both typefaces and fonts.

Now that you know the difference between a font and a typeface, what do you do? Well, you can have a savvy discussion with your printer and your designer. Or you can spot the irony of online courses and masterclass on graphic design that teach you graphic design yet mix up typefaces and fonts

Jokes aside, let’s dive even deeper in the typography basics and look at the type classification. 

What are the four main typeface categories?

Script typefaces

As the name suggests, they imitate handwriting and calligraphy. They give a unique, elegant and authentic look to any content, as long as it is relevant to the brand positioning and the genre. This sophistication makes them good to use for titles, branding, stationery products or special contents such as quotes or dedications. Like it’s often the case with handwriting, they are not the most readable, so don’t use them in long body texts, unless you’re working on your wedding invitations 😉

Serif typefaces

They are easy to recognise with small strokes – the extensions called “serifs” –  visible at the end of the longer strokes of the characters – the terminal. They were the first typefaces to be created, so they are usually seen as the most classic and traditional. Still, you can find a lot of serif typefaces that look very modern. Serifs are particularly appreciated in print products because they are perfect and very comfortable to the eye. That’s why you’ll often see them used in fiction books, magazines and newspapers.

Sans-serif typefaces

These characters don’t have any extensions at the end of the letter’s terminal. Consequently, they look modern, minimal and clean. That makes them the ideal typefaces to choose for design products, posters, website design or mobile design.

Display typefaces

Their name says it all. Decorative and bragging in style, the display typefaces are meant to be seen from afar. Often used for large size headings, headlines, signage and billboards, they challenge the audience and create a frank emotional response through their design. They can be both serif or sans-serif but unlike these two categories, they shouldn’t be used for body copy because of their very relative readability.

Well done, now you know what a typeface is and how it is different from a font! Remember, next time you’ll have to choose fonts for your brand or your book, you’ll be actually choosing a typeface first, before choosing a font. That makes you even more ready to pick the right ones for your next design project.

Psst. If you want even more inspiration for choosing and combining typefaces, another article just for you will be out in the next weeks! Stay tuned!

Do you have any questions about design, fonts and typefaces? Our Bright Lines designer Francesca is happy to answer your questions, so feel free to book your free 15 min call.