The 14 types of letters (typefaces) and their uses.

Ways to use letters to communicate in different ways or to generate visual patterns.

Most of us have probably had to write some kind of paper, evaluable activity, report, letter or computer document at one time or another. And we have probably also had to choose from a large number of fonts the most suitable typeface depending on the situation or even the aesthetic preference: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria...

The fact is that throughout history and since the invention of writing and of the first fonts generated to represent our ideas, a large number of typefaces or typefaces have emerged. a large number of typefaces or typographies, even within the same language.even within the same language. There are so many options that several attempts have been made to classify them, of which in this article we will see two concrete examples.

Types of letters: elements to take into account

When making a classification of typefaces, it is important to bear in mind that there are many factors on which their authors can focus: the stroke, the thinness of the lines, the presence or absence of finials, the shape (more rounded or more (rounder or squarer), the direction of its axis, the maintenance or variability in thickness.

It should also be taken into account that writing, like oral language, also evolves and changes over time, generating new types of spelling and uses for it. In general, it should also be noted that different types of letters may be more or less appropriate in different contexts, although this would refer more to their use than to the type of lettering itself.

Below we will look at two of the most common classifications, although there are a multitude of ways to classify them.. We will focus on the Latin alphabet.

1. Thibaudeau's classification

It is considered that the pioneer in trying to make a classification of typefaces with a unified criterion was Francis Thibaudeau, who classified the typefaces in two groups clearly depending on whether or not it presents serifs or finials.. Later he would include a third group as a catch-all for those that could not be considered within the previous two.

1.1. Serifs

Serifs are understood as all fonts and typefaces that have small ornamental finials, usually at the ends. It is a typeface that generally offers a more elegant look than in the absence of serif (or finials), giving a more professional appearance. One of the most commonly used examples of this typeface is Times New Roman..

It is also possible to subdivide serifs into three groups: old roman (little difference between thick and thin strokes, concave and triangular serifs), modern roman (noticeable differences between thick and thin strokes but more stylized than the previous ones) and Egyptian (machine-like, with strokes of the same thickness and rectangular serifs).

1.2. Sans serif

This group is characterized by not having a serif, being its characters rounded and without any type of ornamentation at the ends. It is a simple a simple and easy to read typeface, with a cleaner and morewith a cleaner and more informal appearance than those with serif. It is also known as a dry stick typeface. One of the best known examples of this typeface is the Arial font.

1.3. Other

This group mainly includes handwritten and decorative letters, which either do not always have a stable and maintained pattern, or their main function is not so much to express at the written level but rather at the image level..

2. Vox-ATypI classification

One of the best known classifications is that proposed by Maximilien Vox, typographer, historian, journalist and graphic illustrator. This man advocated the elaboration of a classification in different typologies of letters, creating the Vox typographic classification in France in 1954. He based it on the classification made by Thibaudeau..

In fact, this classification system is one of the most widely used in all fields and the one accepted as a standard by the International Typographical Association. Over the years, it has been revised, the last one being the Vox-ATypI. This latest revision classifies typefaces into the following groups.

2.1. Human

The name human, humanistic or Venetian is given to a type of typeface similar to that of manuscripts. similar to that of 15th century manuscripts in Renaissance Venice.. They have small caps, with little difference and contrast between strokes (there is no great difference between a broad stroke and a thin stroke) and with wide letter spacing. Some fonts that use these typefaces are Centaur and Jenson.

2.2. Garalds

Garaldas, also called aldinas, are a type of typefaces characterized by a more marked contrast between thin and thick strokes, although their proportions are thinner and more stylized. They owe their name to Claude Garamond and Aldo Manucio, typographers of the 16th century. Another name given to these typefaces is Antique. Examples are the fonts Garaldus and Palatino..

2.3. Royal

Initially born within the Royal Printing House, the typefaces known as royal or transition typefaces are characterized by being almost entirely vertical (the previous ones the axis of part of the letters is more oblique) and have a difference between thick and thin strokes more marked than in the previous ones. It combines characteristics of both classic and modern typefaces, although it is identified with the former.although it is identified with the first group. The well-known Times New Roman is part of this group, as well as many others such as Baskerville or Century Schoolbook.

2.4. Didonas

Didonas owe their name to the French typographer Didot, although their style was later perfected by Bodoni. They appeared around the eighteenth century to differentiate themselves from the typefaces of the old regimes, at the time of the French Revolution. In this typeface the difference between strokes is very marked and there is little separation between each letter. Century and Madison are examples of this type of letters, also called Modern Roman.

2.5. Mechanical

Also called Egyptian, they are typical of the Industrial Revolution and slightly emulate the technological aspect of the time. They have a lack of difference between thin and thick strokes (all strokes look almost equally thick) and rectangular serifs of the same stroke size as the rest of the letter, something that projects a certain image of strength.. Rockwell, Memphis or Clarendon are examples.

2.6. Lineals

The linear group includes a large group of typefaces without serifs or finials. They are cleaner and more informal, and were introduced for commercial and advertising use. Within them we can find four large groups:

• GrotesqueGrotesque: Similar to mechanical letters but without finials, they have a somewhat square appearance and some contrast between strokes. An example would be the Franklin Gothic.

• Neo-GothicLike the previous ones but with less contrast and more stylization. One of the best known today is Helvetica.

• GeometricThese letters attract attention due to their monolinear or clearly geometric appearance. There is little difference between the different letters of the alphabet, having very similar shapes. Bauhaus is one of them, as well as Futura.

• HumanistsHumanist: Partial recovery of Renaissance styles and with some similarity to the classic human and garaldas (although they are different from these, as well as not having finials). An example: the Gill Sans font.

2.7. Incised

This style tends to imitate the letters used in engravings in different materials, being especially important the uppercase letters (in some types, in fact, the lowercase does not exist). They seem to be carved, with a great similar amplitude in all their letters. or with small and compact sarifas. An example of this is the Trajan or Perpetual letter.

2.8. Scripts

Imitation of the letter that arises from the use of writing instruments such as the pen or brush when writing. They are usually in cursive and there may even be no separation between letters when they are joined together. A font of this type is Hyperion.

2.9. Handwritten

Similar to the previous ones, but made with more separation and in an apparently more calligraphic way. More advertising and used to emphasize and make more visual what is written.. Klang or Cartoon fonts are some of the types included in this group.

2.10. Fractured

This group includes Gothic typefaces, which are very ornamental and usually have pointed shapes. Fraktur is an example. In the original Vox classification they are included in the previous ones, but the International Typographical Association decided to separate them.

2.11. Foreign

This last group would include any type of spelling not corresponding to the Latin alphabet. not corresponding to the Latin alphabet. Alphabets such as Greek, Arabic, Chinese or Hebrew would be included in this classification.