We will be using the following five typefaces in many of our exercises and assignments. Each one of these typefaces represents a specific style and a point in the history of type design, allowing us to closely study the design properties that make these type designs distinct.
Focusing on a small number of typefaces at the beginning of your typographic education will also make it easier to concentrate on other aspects of typographic design without being overwhelmed by the multitude of available typefaces. One designer who preached the merit of a limited palette of typefaces was the celebrated modernist designer Massimo Vignelli,
Learn more about each one of these typefaces.
There are several variations of each of these typefaces. Below I indicated which ones we will use in class, all available on Adobe Fonts.
Garamond: Adobe Garamond.
Baskerville: Baskerville URW.
Bodoni: Bodoni URW.
Century: Schoolbook
Helvetica: Neue Haas Grotesk, which is a digital revival by type designer Christian Schwartz of the original Helvetica design.
