Cursive Style

Cursive, also known as joined-up writing, joint writing, linking, or

running writing, is any style of handwriting in which the symbols of

the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner,

generally for the purpose of making writing faster.

Serif StyleIn typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. Serif fonts are widely used in traditional printed material such as books and newspapers. Numerous studies have been done on the readability of serif vs. sans serif typefaces. Studies indicate that serif typefaces may be more readable in print. Studies of on-screen use are more ambiguous, suggesting that low screen resolutions make serifs more difficult to discern, with a resulting erosion of readability compared to sans serif fonts.

Serif StyleYou can break Serif type in three types: Oldstyle, Modern, and Slab. OldstyleTypefaces created in the Oldstyle are based on the hand lettering of scribes – imagine the wedge-tipped pen held in the hand. Oldstyle always has serifs and the serifs of lowercase letters are always at an angle (the angle of the pen). Because of the pen, all the curved strokes in the letterforms have a transition from thick to thin. If you draw a line through the thinnest parts of the curved strokes the line is diagonal. This is called the stress. Oldstyle type has a diagonal stress.

GOUDY

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

BASKERVILLE

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

Serif StyleModern In the 1700’s, smoother paper, more sophisticated methods of printing, and a general increase in mechanical devices led type to also become more mechanical New typefaces no longer followed the pen in hand. Modern typefaces have serifs, but the serifs are now horizontal instead of slanted, and they are very thin. Like a steel bridge, the structure is severe, with a radical thick/thin transition in the stroke. Their stress is perfectly vertical. Moderns tend to have a cold, elegant look.

TIMES ROMAN

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

BODONI

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

Serif StyleSlab SerifAlong with the industrial revolution came a new concept: advertising. At first, advertisers took modern typefaces and made the thicks thicker. Slab serifs have little or no thick/thin transition. This category of type is sometimes called Clarendon, because the typeface Clarendon is the epitome of this style. They are also called Egyptian because they became popular during the Egyptomania phase of Western civilization; many typefaces in this category were even given Egyptian names so they would sell (Memphis, Cairo, and Scarab). ROCKWELL

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

BLACKOAK

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

San-Serif StyleIn typography, a sans-serif is one that does not have the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. The term comes from the French word sans, meaning "without". In print, sans-serif fonts are used for headlines rather than for body text. The conventional wisdom holds that serifs help guide the eye along the lines in large blocks of text. Sans-serifs, however, have acquired considerable acceptance for body text in Europe. Sans-serif fonts have become the de facto standard for body text on-screen, especially online. Sans-serif fonts are sometimes, especially in older documents, used as a device for emphasis, due to their typically blacker type color.

San-Serif StyleSan serf typefaces are almost always “mono-weight," meaning there is virtually no visible thick/thin transition in the strokes. The letterforms are the same thickness all the way around.

While most San serif typefaces are mono-weight, a few are have a slight thick/thin transition. These typefaces are difficult to match to sans serif because of their similarities to serif typefaces with their thick/thin strokes, but at the same time their lack of serifs make it just as difficult not to categorize them as San serif typefaces.

LILY UPC

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

LUCIDA SANS UNICODE

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

Comic StyleA comic, (from the Greek κωμικός, kōmikos "of or pertaining to comedy" from κῶμος - kōmos "revel, komos", via the Latin cōmicus), denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual (non-verbal) and verbal side in interaction.

Script StyleThe Script category includes all those typefaces that appear to have been hand-lettered (scripted) with a calligraphy pen or brush. This category could be easily broken down into scripts that connect, scripts that don’t connect, scripts that emulate traditional calligraphic styles, and so on. But, basically we should be able to group them all into one family.French ScriptABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890Palace ScriptABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

Decorative StyleDecorative fonts are easy to identify – if the idea of reading an entire ad in this font make your eyes go blurry, you can probably put it into the decorative category. Decorative fonts are great; they’re fun, distinctive, easy to use, and there is a font for every whim you wish to express. But, because they are so attractive, their powerful use is limited.

AR HERMANNABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

GigiABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890

WeightThe weight of a typeface refers to the thickness of the strokes. Most type families are designed in a variety of weights: regular or plain, bold, possibly demi-bold, extra bold, or light. Don’t contrast the regular weights with a demi-bold – go for the stronger bold. If you are combining type from two different families, one face will usually be bolder than the other, so go for the emphasis. A contrast of weight is one of the easiest and most effective ways to add visual interest to an ad without redesigning anything.Light Plain Bold

UltraLight Plain Bold UltraPlain BoldPlain Bold

LigaturesCompanies of every kind like to sign their names with letters that link. This provides us with an opportunity to use our intuition to blend two or more letters into one. The result is a letterform called a “ligature.” Type that is tied together presents a compact signature for an advertiser that may be easily recognized by one and all.

Ligatures give the artist/designer a chance to have fun and be creative at the same time. They require no special drawing talents, just an ordinary sense of balance, and a playfulness with type. Some letters you will find link naturally, while others do not. Some tie together in one typestyle but not in another. Some can tie together in lower case but not in all caps. Some can be made or force to link while others will not. And, finally, some can be tricked into linking.

Parts of a Type CharacterTypefaces, or alphabets, consist of many different characters. Each character is made up of different parts, all of which have a name. Knowing this terminology, not only makes it easier to communicate about typefaces and their characteristics, but it will educate your eye to see and recognize the underlying structure of various designs and subsequently the differences between them.

Arm A horizontal stroke that is attached on one end and free on the other.Arm/leg The upper or lower (horizontal or diagonal) stroke that is attached on one end

and free on the other.Ascender The part of a lowercase character (b, d, f, h, k, l, t) that extends above the

height of the lowercase x.Bar The horizontal stroke in characters such as A, H, e, f.

Parts of a Type Character cont’dBaseline The invisible line on which most characters sit.Bowl A curved stroke which creates an enclosed space within a character (which is

called a counter).Cap Height The height of a capital letter from the baseline to the top of the caps, most accurately measured on a character with a flat bottom (E, H, I, etc.).Counter The partially or fully enclosed space within a character.Descender The part of a character (g, j, p, q, y and sometimes J) that descends below the baseline.Ear The small stroke that projects from the top of the lowercase g.Hairline A very thin stroke most often common to serif typefaces.Link The stroke that connects the top and bottom part (bowl and loop) of a two-

story lowercase g.

Parts of a Type Character cont’dLoop The lower portion of a lowercase g.Serif The projections extending off the main strokes of the characters of serif typefaces.

Serifs come in two types: bracketed and unbracketed. Brackets are the supportive

curves which connect the serifs to the stroke, creating a somewhat softer look.

Unbracketed serifs are attached sharply, and usually at 90o angles.Shoulder The curved stroke of the h, m, n.Spine The main curved stroke of the S.Spur A small projection off a main stroke found on many capital G’s.Stem A straight vertical stroke or main straight diagonal stroke in a letter which has no

verticals.

Parts of a Type Character cont’dStress The direction of thickening in a curved stroke.Stroke A straight or curved line.Swash A fancy flourish replacing a terminal serif.Tail The descender of a Q or short diagonal stroke of an R.Terminal The end of a stroke not terminated with a serif.X-height The height of a lowercase letter, specially the lowercase x; not including

ascenders and descenders.

Information courtesy of Type Rules by Ilene Strizver, North Light Books, ©2001 

Fun type styles

Smack Type Font Treefrog Type Font

Fun type styles

Texas Hero Type Font

A B C D E FG H I J K L MN O P Q R S T U V W Z YZ a b c d e f gH I j k l m n 0 p q r s t u v w x y z “ “ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 o $ % # ? ! &

Bradley Hand Type Font

Andrea del Verrocchio once voiced the opinion,

“An artist is much more than a craftsman, he does

not imitate, he creates.”