TYPEFACE CATEGORY SPECIMENS WHERE TO USE Use when you want to make your Humanist Adobe Jenson composition look traditional or Elizabethan. 1470s – 1590s Centaur Humanist fonts can sometimes have • slanted stroke axis an unintended rusticism to them as • slanted bar on lower-case e (above set in Adobe Jenson) well, due to the slanted axes and • heavy weight and color heavy color. Evokes the Baroque or Neoclassicist Old Style Roman Garamond periods 1530s – 1750s Caslon Use an Old Style, particularly Caslon, if you want to create something • contrast between thicks and thins patriotic, classic, and gently authori- • medium weight and color Bembo tative. • capitals shorter than ascenders (above set in Cormorant Garamond) If you want your design to look Transitional Baskerville mechanical, but still elegant, then 1698 – 1790s transitional faces are the way to go. Georgia They may have less personality than their forefathers, but they fill an • vertical axis important need: they are unoffensive • horizontal foot serifs (above set in Baskerville URW) and effective, while still conveying a • bracketed serifs sense of class. Today Moderns are associatedpage most 1 of 2 Modern Roman Didot closely with the fashion world. 1784 – 1830s Bodoni However, if faced with creating something that evokes the 1790s, • extreme contrast in thicks and thins this is THE font to use. •Semiotics very fine, horizontal of different serifs typefaces (above set in Linotype Didot) •explained terminals rounded through historical reference. TYPEFACE CATEGORY TYPEFACETYPEFACE CATEGORYCATEGORY SPECIMENS SPECIMENSSPECIMENS WHERE TO USE WHEREWHERE TOTO USEUSE Slab serifs have strong associations Slab Serifs ClarendonUse when you want to make your withUseUse whenthewhen American youyou wantwant Old toto makeWest.make youryourUse Humanist Adobe Jenson composition look traditional or HumanistHumanist AdobeAdobe JensonJenson heavycompositioncomposition slab serifs looklook any traditionaltraditional time you oror want 1820s – 1900s Elizabethan. 1470s – 1590s1470s1470s –– 1590s1590sCentaur Memphis toElizabethan.Elizabethan. convey a sense of ruggedness. • unbracketed square serifs Humanist fonts can sometimes have • slanted stroke axis CentaurCentaur Lighter slabs such as Memphis add a an unintended rusticism to them HumanistasHumanist fontsfonts cancan sometimessometimes havehave • slanted bar on lower-case•• serifsslantedslanted e same strokestroke width axisaxis as stems(above set in Adobe Jenson) Robotowell, Slab due to the slanted axes andlight-heartedan an unintendedunintended nature rusticismrusticism to content, toto themthem and asas • heavy weight and color•• sometimesslantedslanted barbar referred onon lower-caselower-case to as “Egyptians” ee (above(above setset inin AdobeAdobe Jenson)Jenson) heavy color. arewell,well, often duedue foundtoto thethe inslantedslanted food and axesaxes home andand •• heavyheavy weightweight andand colorcolor (above set in HWT Slab Antique) designheavyheavy color. color.magazines. Evokes the Baroque or Neoclassicist Old Style Roman Garamond periods Grotesques are so void of emotion GrotesquesOldOld StyleStyle RomanRoman HelveticaGaramondGaramond andEvokesEvokes symbolism thethe BaroqueBaroque that they oror NeoclassicistNeoclassicist create a 1530s – 1750s Caslon Use an Old Style, particularly Caslon,symbolismperiodsperiods all their own. Use when 1820s – 1950s if you want to create something you want something to be clear, • contrast between thicks and thins 1530s1530s –– 1750s1750s Universpatriotic, classic, and gently authoriUseUse- anan OldOld Style,Style, particularlyparticularly Caslon,Caslon, • medium weight and color CaslonCaslon emotionless, corporate, and/or • no serifs whatsoever Bembo tative. ifif youyou wantwant toto createcreate somethingsomething • capitals shorter than ascenders•• contrastcontrast betweenbetween thicksthicks andand thinsthins informational. • curled leg in capital “R” patriotic,patriotic, classic,classic, andand gentlygently authoriauthori-- •• mediummedium weightweight andand colorcolor(above set in Cormorant Garamond)Franklin Gothic • slight squareness to the curves BemboBembo tative.tative. •• capitalscapitals shortershorter thanthan ascendersascenders Grotesques have strong associations (above set in Helvetica) with International Style, and the time (above(above setset inin CormorantCormorant Garamond)Garamond) periods associated therewith. If you want your design to look Associations with the Cold War, the Transitional Baskerville mechanical, but still elegant, thenNuclear Era, & big corporations. 1698 – 1790s transitional faces are the way to go. Georgia They may have less personality thanIfIf youyou wantwant youryour designdesign toto looklook TransitionalTransitional BaskervilleBaskervilletheir forefathers, but they fill an mechanical, but still elegant, then • vertical axis mechanical, but still elegant, then important need: they are unoffensive • horizontal foot serifs (above set in Baskerville URW) Thesetransitionaltransitional fonts facesfacesare appropriate areare thethe wayway when toto go.go. Sans16981698 ––Serif 1790s1790s Humanist Gill Sansand effective, while still conveying a • bracketed serifs GeorgiaGeorgia yourTheyThey content maymay havehave deserves lessless personalitypersonality a friendlier, thanthan sense of class. theirtheir forefathers,forefathers, butbut theythey fillfill anan •• verticalvertical axisaxis more personable approach. Sans 1900s – present importantimportant need:need: theythey areare unoffensiveunoffensive •• horizontalhorizontal footfoot serifsserifs Frutiger(above(above setset inin BaskervilleBaskerville URW)URW) serif humanists are excellent for children'sandand effective,effective, textbooks, whilewhile stillstill as conveyingwellconveying as ads a a •• morebracketedbracketed personality serifsserifs than Grotesques andsensesense articles ofof class.class. that want to feel • variation in thicks and thins Calibri Today Moderns are associated mostapproachable. Modern Roman• modeled after HumanistDidot serifs closely with the fashion world. (above set in Gill Sans) These fonts also have a history with 1784 – 1830s Bodoni However, if faced with creating something that evokes the 1790s,airportToday Modernsand railway are signage. associated most • extreme contrast in thicks and thins Today Moderns are associated most ModernModern RomanRoman DidotDidot this is THE font to use. • very fine, horizontal serifs (above set in Linotype Didot) closelyclosely withwith thethe fashionfashion world.world. • terminals rounded 17841784 –– 1830s1830s However,However, ifif facedfaced withwith creatingcreating BodoniBodoni Geometrics have strong associations somethingsomething thatthat evokesevokes thethe 1790s,1790s, Sans•• extremeextreme Serif contrastcontrast ininGeometric thicksthicks andand thinsthins Futura with the myriad avant garde move- thisthis isis THETHE fontfont toto use.use. •• veryvery fine,fine, horizontalhorizontal serifsserifs (above(above setset inin LinotypeLinotype Didot)Didot) ments of the 1920s, giving them a 1920s• terminals – rounded present Slab Serifs• terminals rounded Clarendon Century SlabGothic serifs have strong associationsprogressive, innovative feel. • letters based on geometric shapes with the American Old West. Use These fonts work well for art • strokes are uniform thickness heavy slab serifs any time you want 1820s – 1900s Avenir to convey a sense of ruggedness.brochures, alternative energy • smaller x-height Memphis • unbracketed square serifs materials, or anything trying to feel (above set in Futura)Lighter slabs such as Memphis add a • serifs same width as stems freshSlabSlab serifsyetserifs grounded, havehave strongstrong youthful associationsassociations yet Slab SerifsRoboto SlabClarendonlight-hearted nature to content, and • sometimes referred toSlab as “Egyptians” Serifs Clarendon knowledgeable.withwith thethe AmericanAmerican OldOld West.West. UseUse are often found in food and home heavyheavy slabslab serifsserifs anyany timetime youyou wantwant 1820s1820s –– 1900s1900s(above set in HWT Slab Antique) design magazines. MemphisMemphis toto conveyconvey aa sensesense ofof ruggedness.ruggedness. •• unbracketedunbracketed squaresquare serifsserifs LighterLighter slabsslabs suchsuch asas MemphisMemphis addadd aa •• serifsserifs samesame widthwidth asas stemsstems RobotoRobotoGrotesques SlabSlab are so void of emotionlight-heartedlight-hearted naturenature toto content,content, andand •• sometimessometimes referredreferred toto asas “Egyptians”“Egyptians” Grotesques© 2019 The Concept Spot,Helvetica LLC || www.theconceptspot.com and symbolism that they create aareare oftenoften foundfound inin foodfood andand homehome (above(above setset inin HWTHWTsymbolism SlabSlab Antique)Antique) all their own. Use whendesigndesign magazines.magazines. 1820s – 1950s you want something to be clear, Univers emotionless, corporate, and/or • no serifs whatsoever informational. • curled leg in capital “R” • slight squareness to the curves Franklin Gothic GrotesquesGrotesques areare soso voidvoid ofof emotionemotion Grotesques have strong associations GrotesquesGrotesques(above set in Helvetica) HelveticaHelveticawith International Style, and the timeandand symbolismsymbolism thatthat theythey createcreate aa 1820s1820s –– 1950s1950s periods associated therewith. symbolismsymbolism allall theirtheir own.own. UseUse whenwhen UniversAssociations with the Cold War, theyouyou wantwant somethingsomething toto bebe clear,clear, UniversNuclear