What are display fonts. Design and purpose

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Display fonts are designed for use in large headings. Because of this, they often have a more prominent and eye-catching design than the simple, relatively "understated" typefaces typically used for body text. In German, there is the term akzidenzschrift, which means a commercial or trade font that is used for headings and is not intended for body text. This word just denotes what display fonts are used for. The famous name of the typeface "Access Grotesque", which literally means "commercial sans-serif", comes from this term.

History of Appearance

Display fonts are a way to draw attention to some part of the text, so they can be created not only with ordinary letters, but also with hand-drawn signs, calligraphy and various abstract or drawn styles. For them usuallythe font size is 14 points. The best text fonts are easy to read in long paragraphs. They do not attract much attention and have been designed to work best between 6 and 14 point size.

Display fonts are a relatively recent invention. They are used to draw the reader into the text, create a mood, or announce important information. They were not needed until the end of the 18th century, at which time advertising posters appeared. Until that time, typefaces not intended for body text looked like regular letters.

The advent of posters and the increased use of signage spurred the emergence of new types of fonts. At the same time, new letter designs began to appear in the early 19th century, with serifs but much bolder in design. Sans-serif fonts have already been used in non-standard lettering. But they were hardly used for printing until the 1830s.

The first display typefaces were extremely bold and concise typefaces used to grab attention. In addition, some of them, such as Cochin and Koch-Antiqua, had a special design with a small x-height. Display fonts, whose design was close to these typefaces, were very popular at the beginning of the 20th century.

Modern technologies and their impact

Thanks to the advent of phototypesetting and digital printing techniques that allow typesetting of fonts of any size, it has become possible to use display fonts in situations wherehandwritten inscriptions, for example, on business logos. Many modern digital font families, such as Neutraface, Neue Haas Grotesk, and Arno, include both regular text styles and additional, more concise designs.

Font display styles

Display fonts designed to attract attention may look like lettering with a pattern, for example, using strokes similar to handwriting. They may be darkened or engraved, with spaces in the center intended for embossed three-dimensional letters. Another option is shaded images that appear gray when viewed from a distance.

There are also unusual or abstract redesigns of the alphabet, lettering that appears damaged or distorted, such as Shatter or Electric Circus. Display typefaces also include some super-light and bold adaptations of conventional letterforms, including Cooper Black or Gill Kayo. And with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, you can create an unusual effect.

Design features

Many fonts have a different mood or personality. They can be serious, frilly, playful, elegant. The mood of the font should match the purpose of the designer. For example, a rounded headset with bubbles and balloons would be fine for a kid's birthday invitation, but not for a business newsletter. As is often the case with people, opposites tend toAttractive: "Introverted" and "Extroverted" typefaces go great together. So if a designer has a distinctive typeface with a "strong personality", it can be paired with something more neutral and conservative for a balanced design.

Using typefaces

Display fonts are reverse-contrasted. This means that the contrast of normal writing is inverted in them, and the horizontal strokes are made thicker than the vertical ones. Lettering may include the use of stencil or embossed ribbon fonts for an industrial aesthetic. Restaurants often prefer to "simulate" a typeface designed for a different writing system. A more prosaic style of display fonts are those designed for signage, such as Johnston, Highway Gothic, Transport, and Clearview. They often have features to improve readability. For example, Johnston and Transport have a lowercase folded L to distinguish it from an uppercase i.

User focus

The readability of the typeface is very dependent on the size of the letters. For example, in serif fonts, thin parts become proportionately heavier as they decrease in size. If they were left with the same weight as for large sizes, the contrast between thick and thin strokes would be too great, making text difficult to read. Display fonts are a larger typeface with a distinct personality.

She canhave a sleek handwritten look that complements the design background. Display fonts in Cyrillic differ little in application from Latin ones. Qualities such as size, boldness, and spacing affect how the eye should move around the page and which text should grab attention first.