Typeface: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'typeface' when referring to the design of a set of characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols. It's often used in discussions about graphic design or typography.

• Choosing the right typeface can significantly impact the readability of your document.
• Modern typefaces often blend traditional elements with innovative features.

Use 'font' when describing the specific size, weight, and style of a typeface. It is frequently mentioned in digital design, web development, and print media.

• Make sure to use a readable font size for your website content.
• She prefers italic fonts for her design projects.

Use 'lettering' when referring to the art of drawing letters, especially in a decorative or hand-crafted manner. It's often used in contexts involving graphic design, signage, and custom artwork.

• The wedding invitations featured beautiful hand-drawn lettering.
• He's taking a course in decorative lettering.

Use 'script' to talk about styles of writing that resemble handwriting, cursive, or calligraphy. It is often used in contexts where an elegant or personal touch is important, such as invitations or logos.

• The café's logo use a stylish script that makes it stand out.
• Scripts are often used in formal documents and personal letters.

Used in design and typography to refer to a set of characters that share a common design. It encompasses the entire set of characters including letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols.

• The chosen typeface for the book gives it an elegant and classic look.
• Designers often spend hours choosing the perfect typeface for a project.

A specific size, weight, and style of a typeface. It is the concrete means by which text is printed or displayed.

• She changed the font to a larger size to make the text more readable.
• The menu was printed using a decorative font that matched the restaurant's theme.

A broader term that refers to the overall appearance of text, including font choice, size, color, and formatting elements like bold or italics.

• They wanted a formal style for the wedding invitations, so they chose elegant fonts and a classic layout.
• The programming guide includes several coding style recommendations.

Usually refers to the physical reproduction of text or images using a printing process. It can also refer to text as it appears on a printed page, as opposed to digital formats.

• The quality of the print on this brochure is outstanding.
• After editing the document on the computer, she decided to make a print copy for the meeting.

Refers to the design of the characters, often used in graphic design, typography, and publishing.

• The company’s new branding uses a modern typeface.
• Choosing the right typeface is crucial for readability.

Represents a grouping of related typefaces that share a common design, often used in design and web development.

• The website uses the Arial font family for all text elements.
• She prefers to work with the Helvetica font family.

Refers to a collection of characters that a particular type of software or hardware can represent and process. Commonly used in computer programming and digital communication.

• The ASCII character set includes letters, digits, and symbols.
• This software supports the UTF-8 character set.

A collection of distinct visual symbols or shapes that represent characters in a typeface. Often used in software development and typography.

• This symbol is missing from our current glyph set.
• The glyph set includes all the variations of the letter ‘a’.