Typeface vs. Font - What's The Difference - Does It Matter - 99designs

8/22/22, 9:28 PM Typeface vs. font: what’s the difference? Does it matter?
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Typeface vs. font: what’s the

difference? Does it matter?

— 
by Lindsay Kramer 
last year
|
7 min read
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Learn design Design basics
A
typeface is the same thing as a font, right? Not exactly. Although the
words are often used interchangeably, there’s a difference between a
typeface vs. font. And it’s a nuanced difference that can sometimes be
confusing.
Typefaces and fonts are as important in design and branding as they’ve ever
been, and understanding these terms’ historical meanings as well as current
applications enables you to accurately articulate what you want in a design. In
this article we’ll go over the differences between typeface vs. font and what the
terms mean so you can use these terms effectively and look like a pro!
https://99designs.com/blog/tips/typeface-vs-font/ 1/22
8/22/22, 9:28 PM Typeface vs. font: what’s the difference? Does it matter? - 99designs
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Illustration by OrangeCrush
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Typeface vs. font—what’s the difference?
— 

While a typeface is a set of design features for letters and other characters,
a font is the variation in weight and size of a typeface. A font family is a group
of related fonts.
It can get a bit granular. So we’ll go over what each term means.
What is a typeface?
A typeface is a set of design features for letters and other characters, like the
presence or lack of a serif, the letters’ weight and balance, spacing and the
height difference between upper and lowercase letters.
Typefaces are categorized based on their style. Some of the most common
types of typefaces are:
Serif typefaces
Serif typefaces are, as the name implies, typefaces that include serifs. Serif
typefaces and fonts tend to have a sophisticated, classic feel.

Via Post Press
Garamond is a common serif typeface for example.
Via Wikimedia Commons 
Bodoni and Didot are two others.
Via Font Mirror
Via Free Fonts Vault
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Many serif typefaces have long histories, dating back hundreds of years. One
of the oldest typefaces used in the Western world, Roman, was developed by

Nicolas Jensen in 1470 as a way to make printed text easier to read because
until that point, books printed in Europe used a Blackletter typeface based
on
the handwriting found in books.
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Blackletter typeface, based on the calligraphy used to hand-copy books in the Middle Ages. Via Toptal.com
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Jenson’s Roman typeface. Via Toptal.com
Sans serif typefaces
Sans serif typefaces are, in contrast to serif typefaces, typefaces that don’t
have serifs. They tend to communicate a more relaxed, informal presence.
Via Free Fonts Vault
Via Site Point


Helvetica is a well-known sans serif typeface. Others include Verdana and

Futura.
Via Wikimedia Commons
Via downloadfonts.io
Decorative typefaces
Decorative typefaces are fun, eye-catching typefaces that feel a bit more niche
than standard serif and sans serif typefaces. 
T-shirt design by Black Arts 888
Outlaw and Morris Troy are two well-known decorative typefaces.
Via My Fonts

Via Font Mirror 
Outlaw. Via FFonts.net
These typefaces typically aren’t great for body text, not just because they can
be distracting, but because they can be difficult to read. This is especially true
at smaller sizes. While a font in a decorative typeface can be a great attention-
grabber for your headline or outdoor sign, it can be a turn-off for readers when
you use it on a menu or in a brochure.
Logo design by C1k


Script typefaces

Script typefaces are typefaces that look like cursive handwriting. If you want to

communicate that your brand is handcrafted and personalized, a script
typeface can be a great way to do it.

Logo design by green in blue
Script typefaces can be simple or ornate. Popular script typefaces include

Kuenstler Script, Kauffmann and Brush Script.
Via Identifont 
Via My Fonts
Via Fonts.com 
Like decorative typefaces, script typefaces can be difficult to read at small

sizes. Keep these for your logo, headlines or signage and when you have
denser text, let a serif or sans serif font do the heavy lifting.
Notice how the brand name is emphasized with a script font, while the rest of the logo is in a plainer sans serif
font. Logo design by : : scott : :
What is a font?
What is a font?
A font is the variation in weight and size of a typeface. So when a typeface is

roman, bold, italic, condensed, size or any other variable, that’s called a font.
Via StackExchange
Here’s an easy way to see the difference between typefaces and fonts. Open up
Google Docs and hover over the drop-down font menu. See how certain
options have a little arrow to their right? Hover over this arrow and you’ll see
different options like “light,” “semi bold” and “bold.”
The main options are typefaces. The suboptions are fonts.
Via Fonts Market
Via Fonts Market
Meet the font family
A font family is a group of related fonts. For example, Garamond is a typeface,


with its own set of design features for letters and other character. That
typeface has many fonts. It could be italic or bold and size 14 or 16 point. 
The
collection of all these fonts is a font family.

Typefaces and font: a very, very brief history


—
So why are fonts differentiated from typefaces?
It goes back to the days when pages of text were manually printed with block
letters. Specific letter sets were created, each with its own unique look, and
these sets became known as types. Each variation of a type, such as
condensed and bold, had its own box. These variations became what we know
today as fonts.
Via R Hollis 
Beyond typeface and font


— 
Once you start chatting away about text and design with your new or

refreshed knowledge of typeface and font, you’ll probably run also into the
term typography.
What is typography?
Typography is how text is arranged within a design. It’s the process of working
out how to make the text fit in an aesthetically pleasing way that doesn’t
compromise its legibility. With typography, the designer isn’t designing the
actual letters, they’re working with existing typefaces and fonts.
To create a text-based design using typography, a designer chooses the right

font in a size that will fit the piece, then make other tweaks like the spacing
between the letters and the scale between capital and lowercase letters to
create their piece.
Book cover design by Mila.
T-shirt design by YeiM

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Why does it matter? Know what you mean, mean

what you say
Illustration by foggyboxes
Lots of people say “font” when they mean “typeface.” And plenty of people say
“typeface” when they mean “font.”
 it
If you understand what the person’s talking about based on the context, does
really matter which word they use? And does it matter which word you use, or

would sticking to the dictionary definition for each be needlessly pedantic?
We don’t think it’s pedantic at all. In fact, we think it’s necessary, even in 
today’s world where most, if not all, of the writing you do is on a computer.

Being able to accurately tell a designer that you want to use a specific kind of
typeface communicates the general style you want, but gives them room to be
creative and find the perfect font for your project. In contrast, telling them you
want a specific font makes your vision absolutely clear—which you need to
have the vocabulary to do when you have a specific vision for your finished
project.
Looking for a designer who can bring your project to life and express your
unique brand through typefaces and fonts that work? Check out our
community of designers to find the perfect designer for your brand.
Need a font or typeface that inspires?

Our designers can help you create just about anything.
Browse designers

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8/22/22, 9:28 PM Typeface vs. font: what’s the difference? Does it matter?

Typeface vs. font: what’s the

Garamond is a common serif typeface for example.

Via Wikimedia Commons 

Bodoni and Didot are two others.

Via Font Mirror

Via Free Fonts Vault

Sans serif typefaces

Via Free Fonts Vault

Via Site Point

Helvetica is a well-known sans serif typeface. Others include Verdana and

Via Wikimedia Commons

T-shirt design by Black Arts 888

Outlaw and Morris Troy are two well-known decorative typefaces.

Via Font Mirror 

Outlaw. Via FFonts.net

Logo design by C1k

Logo design by green in blue

Script typefaces can be simple or ornate. Popular script typefaces include

Like decorative typefaces, script typefaces can be difficult to read at small

A font is the variation in weight and size of a typeface. So when a typeface is

The main options are typefaces. The suboptions are fonts.

Via Fonts Market

Via Fonts Market

Meet the font family

A font family is a group of related fonts. For example, Garamond is a typeface,

Typefaces and font: a very, very brief history

Beyond typeface and font

To create a text-based design using typography, a designer chooses the right

Book cover design by Mila.

T-shirt design by YeiM

Why does it matter? Know what you mean, mean

Need a font or typeface that inspires?

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