Font Classifications

Old Style (also called Gerald):

– based on handwriting
– contrast between thick and thin strokes is more pronounced
– slight diagonal stress
– shorter x-height
– scooped serifs, sturdy without being heavy

Bembo, Caslon, Garamond, Jenson, Palatino



Transitional (also called Didone)
– contrast between thick and thin strokes is more pronounced
– very slight diagonal stress
– bracketed serifs
– tall x-height

Baskerville, Caslon, Perpetua, Modern Times, Antiqua


Modern
– extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes
– flat unbracketed serifs
– hairline serifs
– no horizontal stress
– mathematical construction /measurements
– no influence by handwriting

Bodoni, Bauer Bodoni, Walbaum




Slab Serif
– mono weight
– square ended serifs
– no stress
– bold machine like (industrial age/industrial revolution)
– uniform serifs
– bold display font (used at large sizes)
– rectangular
– geometric impact

Serifa, Rockwell, Memphis Clarendon, New Century Schoolbook, Egyptienne



Sans Serif


Humanist:
-oval shapes
-variations in stroke thickness
-calligraphic variations in line weight

Gill Sans, Meta, Frutiger, Calibri, Johnston, Lucida Grande


Grotesque or Grotesk:
-upright character
-similar to transitional serif letters
-squareness to curve

Akzidenz Grotesk, Franklin Gothic, Univers, Helvetica, Grotesque



Script

-mimics handwriting
-stroke widths vary
-loose and causal

Kuenstler Script Std, Adobe Wedding Collection, Marigold STD, Monoline Script, Oxford Std




Blackletter

-use letterspacing for emphasis
-tall, narrow letters, as compared to their Carolingian counterparts
-letters formed by sharp, straight, angular lines

Black Forest, Linotext, Goudy Text, Wedding Text



Grunge

-mixture of type
-not systematic
-random markings
-messy

Fall, kreepy krawly, Nobby, Tiza



Monospaced

-letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space
- similar to a manual typewriter
-used for computer codes

Office, OliveGreen Mono, Courier Std, Lucida Typewriter Std, Letter Gothic Std
Orator Std

Undeclared

-may pertain some characteristics of other categories but do not fit within the parameters to be grouped with any category
Trema Cantante, Grasset, Kahana, Braggadocio, Luna



EUROSTILE
Sans Serif
Aldo Novarese 1962
Geometric Sans Serif
The family has 16 fonts in five weights and three widths, with condensed fonts on regular and heavy weights; extended fonts on regular and black weights; complementary oblique fonts on black, bold, heavy, heavy condensed, medium, regular, regular condensed.