Serif Vs Sans-serif

The difference between serif and sans-serif fonts are that sans-serif fonts don't use
flourishes, tails or flags. A serif font uses tails and is generally more decorative. Most
people see the serif fonts as more readable, the reason for this is they see them as similar
to handwriting. Serif fonts as mostly used in the body section of printed works like a
magazine or book.
Most content on the web uses serif-fonts like Arial or Verdana the same can be said for the
header of printed documents. With larger print I think it is best to use sans-serif as they are
easier to read. The main consideration in design is that you want the reader or
viewer to be able to read the message not the font.

Choosing the right font

 

When choosing the right font designers should always have in mind that the purpose is to

draw the viewer in to the text. Also text shouldn't fade into the background and the
background shouldn't overpower the text. For example red text on a black background
could come across as a design mistake as red and black are seen as dangerous colors.
This could be miss- interpreted or create the wrong mood or atmosphere for the message.
Another common mistake is to choose a font that you like but is hard to read, text is
supposed to be readable. Also the space between each letter is important, tightly packed
words can be hard to read. Similarly it is important to research your target audience as
age can be a factor when choosing the size and font style.
When choosing the right font always have in mind:
• What is the purpose of the font
• What feeling do you want the text to convey
• What level of formality you want

Bitmap Fonts

Bit map fonts also known as raster fonts are fonts made up entirely of pixels or dots.
The very first bit map fonts looked very crude and pixelated in appearance. There are a few studios that still use bit map fonts for flash and web design projects including Atomic Media.

Web design and typography

Currently web designers can choose from thousands of fonts available and use them on
their websites using HTML and CSS. However if the font is not installed on the users
computer the font will render as a default font. There are fonts known as web safe fonts
that most web designers use in their web sites, these are fonts that most people have
installed on their computers. These fonts include sans-serif, serif, monospace, cursive and
fantasy fonts.
Also another big factor for web designers to think about is the color of the text. The easiest
text to read is black text on a white background because it provides the best contrast.
When using type on websites the designer has to be very careful to use the right font and
use them in a right way that does not confuse the viewer. The designer has to take into
consideration the readers field of view which relates to the viewing distance and type size.
The difficulty with web design is that each page will be viewed differently on different web
browsers. Opening a web page and then having to scroll vertically will make it very hard to
read the contents. Web pages should flow from the top to the bottom of the page.
Eye tracking studies show that when people enter a website they usually scan the main
sections of the page to see if its relevant to what they want. In less then three seconds
they make a decision about the page. If they decide to stay their eyes scan from left to
right horizontally.
The biggest mistake that can be made in web design is lack of consistency which is one of
the reasons CSS was developed. CSS knows as cascading style sheets adds the same
colors, fonts, sizes etc to each web page when selected.

Computer typefaces

Typefaces where first designed on a screen around the 1960s, By Dr. Ing. Rudolf Hell
produced a Digiset typesetting system. In the 1970s phototypesettings was replaced by
stored information which was set as a series of small dots.
DigiGrotesk was the first digital type font and was designed in 1968 by Hell Design Studio.
With the production of the first graphic user interface knows as GUI. In 1981 the first
consumer GUI were developed, later Macintosh followed and in
1983 at a cost of 9,950 dollars were very expensive to buy. This
development also helped create the concept of what you see is
what you get (WYSIWYG) printing. Which is the concept of
what you see on the screen is what printed. Which was
developed at the XEROC Park research center by John
Warnock and Chuck Geske who are the founders of Adobe.