In everyday life, we cannot escape from digesting words. For example, when we look at our cell phones, google, or are at a restaurant, there are always words that we read. These words can then directly or indirectly influence our decisions about several things. Well, it turns out that behind this series of words there is a role of typography. Typography itself is often used for printing or promotional purposes.
What is Typography?
In the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), typography means the science of printing or the art of printing. Meanwhile, more broadly, typography is the art of arranging letters and text so that the results can be read clearly and attract the reader's attention visually. Typography includes choosing font style, appearance and structure, which aims to evoke emotions and convey certain messages.
Why is Typography Important?
Basically, good typography will form a strong visual hierarchy, which is a principle of layout of design elements by placing important parts first and followed by additional things. By applying the right typography principles, various benefits will be provided in printing and promotional activities, such as:
- Typography can build brand recognition.
- Typography can attract readers' attention.
- Typography can influence reader or consumer decision making.
Types of Typography
Previously, there were three basic types of typography that were often used in the world of graphic design, namely serif, sans-serif, and decorative. Even so, various other types of typography also developed. The following are five types of typography that you can use in printing and promotions.
1. Serif
In Serif Typography, the type of letters generally consist of thin lines and have hooks at the ends of the strokes. Referring to various sources, Serif typefaces are also often referred to as Roman letters because they were first used by the Romans.
Serif typography is considered easier to read for long type. Therefore, this typography is often used in books, magazines and newspapers.
Several types of fonts in Serif typography include:
- Old Style Serifs: Adobe Jenson, Goudy Old Style, and ITC Berkeley Oldstyle.
- Transitional Serifs: Times New Roman, Americana, and Baskerville.
- Glyphic Serifs : Albertus, Friz Quadrata, and Cartier Book.
- Clarendon Serifs: Clarendon, Bookman, and Nimrod.
2. Sans-Serif
The word sans in French means 'without', while serif means 'hook'. Therefore, Sans Serif typography refers to types of letters that do not have hooks at the ends of their strokes.
This type of typography can convey a minimalist and modern impression. Several large companies even use this font for their logos, such as Gojek, Google, Spotify, and Netflix.
There are several font groups in Sans-Serif typography including:
- Neo-Grotesque: Helvetica, Roboto, and San Francisco.
- Grotesque: Monotype Grotesque, News Gothic, and Venus.
- Humanist: Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, and Trebuchet.
- Geometric: Gotham, ITC Avant Garde, and Avenir.
3. Decorative
Decorative typography is also referred to as display type. Fonts of this type are usually used for titles or for large amounts of text, such as on greeting cards, logos and posters.
Some decorative typefaces are hand-drawn or computer-generated with designer modifications to suit specific purposes. Therefore, it is natural that this type of font has many variations that are very different from each other.
Some fonts that fall into decorative typography include:
- Disney Fonts
- Joker
- Magneto
- Art Deco
- Mojita
- Swashington
- Vallely
- Outistyle
4. Scripts
This type of typography looks as if it was written with a pen, brush or marker. Quoting from Threerooms, Script typography is divided into two, namely:
- Formal Scripts: This type has an elegant and more traditional appearance so it is often used for invitations and other announcements.
- Casual Scripts: This type consists of informal forms combined with a touch of handwriting. Casual Scripts are quite interesting and are often used in various media and certain brand identities.
Some popular fonts for this typography are Liesel, Amarone, and Bayamo.
5. Slab Serif
As the name suggests, Slab Serif contains a bold serif (linked) font. The base of this font can be blunt and angular or rounded.
With its characteristics of being thick and easy to read from a distance, Slab Serif typography is widely used on billboards, advertisements, posters and pamphlets. Some popular font types include Memphis, Rockwell, Karnak, Beton, Rosmini, City, and Tower
Those are the five types of typography that you can use when designing for various purposes. Remember, adjust the type of typography to the product you want to produce. Because if you choose wrongly, your intentions and goals may not be conveyed optimally.