I want to talk about my current favourite typefaces. But in order to do that, I need to explain how I categorise typefaces. So here goes.
When trying to figure out which typeface(s) to use in a project, the first aspect I consider is the level of formality the body text typeface needs to have. Everything else flows from there.
Levels of formality
I put typefaces into formality categories based on the vibe I get from them. And because the formality level of ‘formal’ can be context dependent, I split that into subcategories.
This gives me six “vibe” categories which are, from least to most formal:
Friendly
Casual
Chill (formal)
Neutral (formal)
Stylish (formal)
Elegant
If this sound a bit like I’m describing fashion, then you’re correct. I think of these formality levels as either dress codes or as the type of pen I’d use to achieve that level of formality.
Applying this to typography, here’s how I’d sort some familiar typefaces into these categories.
No categorisation system is perfect, of course, and many typefaces are versatile enough to be placed in more than one category [1]. But my objective here isn’t to create the perfect categorisation, it’s to give me the language I can use to compare the vibes of two similar typefaces.
Happily, this formality-level approach is surprisingly practical when put into action. For example, I can say things like, “nah, that typeface has features that are too elegant for the vibe I’m trying to set in this situation” or “this typeface is on the chill side of neutral, which means it has the perfect level of friendliness while still being formal enough to use in this project”.
More than that, I can use this system as a whole to help me make typography decisions. Here’s how that works.
Start with neutral
Every time I kick off a new project, I start by considering if a neutral (formal) typeface is what I need. This is what I’d use if I didn’t want the typeface to be noticed. Or if it was noticed, I’d want people to assess it as neutral. Think Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial. Or Novela and Neue Montreal, like in the example below. If we were still in the days of handwriting everything, the vibe I’d be going for is text written with a fountain pen.
If neutral isn’t what I’m after, then I can go in two directions: warmer and friendlier or cooler and more elegant.
If I’m going in the cooler direction, then I’ll look for a stylish (formal) typeface. Something like Sabon or Caslon (both of which you see in a lot of printed books) or Futura. Or Writer and Cooper Hewitt, like in the example below. The vibe here is slightly more fancy/artsy, like text written with a fine felt-tip pen.
If that’s not enough, I’ll look for an elegant typeface. Think Baskerville, Palatino, or Avenir. Or Stempel Garamond and Noah, like in the example below. The vibe here is text written with a calligraphy pen.
But what if I want to go warmer instead?
Moving to the other side of neutral, I’ll look for a chill (formal) typeface. Think Calibri or Georgia. Or Charter and Public Sans, like in the example below. The vibe here is text written with a rollerball pen.
If that’s not enough, I’ll look for a casual typeface. Something like Century Schoolbook (which a lot of older children’s books were written in) or Work Sans. Or Vollkorn and Ideal Sans, like in the example below. The vibe here is text written with a standard ballpoint pen – though with good handwriting.
But if that’s still too formal, then I’ll look for a friendly typeface. Something like Gill Sans (the typeface used in classic, orange-and-white Penguin book covers) or Roboto Slab. Or Bariol Serif and Fira Sans, like in the example below. The vibe here is text written with a marker pen.
A real example
I went through this exact process when deciding which typeface to use in the labels of the graphics above, by the way.
I knew neutral was going to be boring (like DM Sans in the light blue box, below), but I didn’t want to go in the casual direction (like Public Sans in the orange box). I also didn’t want the labels to be too elegant (like Avenir in the dark blue box), so I settled on stylish (like Whitney in the mid blue box). And that’s why all the labels in all the graphics above and below are set in Whitney Semibold and Whitney Medium.
What next?
Now that I’ve explained my typeface categorisation, I can talk about my current favourite typefaces – which I will do so in the next post.
[1] Nudica, for example, I classify as ‘friendly’ because that’s the vibe context I tend to use it in most often. But it could just as easily be classified as ‘stylish’ if you used it in that context.