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Mixing Typefaces
TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces mixing TYPEFACES TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces To mix, or not to mix? Mixing fonts is never a requirement — it’s an option. You can get plenty of mileage out of one font using variations based on point size, bold or italic, small caps, and so on. Building a palette is an intuitive process but it can be quite daunting. Understand your subject matter, the stylistic significance of your type and the optical characteristics of the letter-forms and how they relate to one another. With this in mind, you can experiment until you pin down a beautiful combination. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces A palette with wit Use typefaces with complementary moods to evoke an upbeat, energetic air. Gotham Rounded Tungsten It’s the interplay between fonts that gives them energy. The more distant the moods in a typographic palette, the friskier the design will be. Here, three fonts with distinctive silhouettes have been chosen for their contrasting dispositions: the unabashed toughness of Tungsten is a foil for both Archer’s sweetness, and the cheekiness of Gotham Rounded. Gotham Rounded Archer TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces A palette with energy Mix typefaces from the same historical period whose families have different features. Sentinel Four type families with nineteenth century roots, thrown together in a cheerful typographic riot. Choosing type families with different features helps prevent redundancy: here, the brawny variations of The Proteus Project are reserved for headings, Sentinel’s six weights of romans and italics recommend it to text, and Knockout’s nine different widths helps the sans serif fill in the cracks. Finally, our type is rounded out with a splash of Ziggurat Black and Saracen Black. Saracen Black Ziggurat Black Knockout TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces A palette with poise Mix typefaces with a similar line quality if they offer different textures. Vitesse Verlag What do a neoclassical modern, a suave sans serif, and a sporty slab have in common? All are meditations on precision, though each has a different texture. HTF Didot achieves its crispness through the thinnest possible serifs, Verlag through its insistently geometric motifs, and the Vitesse typeface through its pairing of machined edges and racy curves. Together, these three mechanical faces create a dramatic typographical tension. HTF Didot TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces A palette with dignity Mix typefaces with similar proportions and give each a different role. Hoefler Titling A clever way to combine typefaces with similar proportions is to assign each a different purpose, and to limit each to a specific range of sizes. Here, two hardworking typefaces are assigned supporting roles: the serifed Mercury serves for text, and the sans serif Gotham furnishes all the annotations. The star of the show is the sophisticated Hoefler Titling, which preserves its spotlight by appearing only occasionally, and always in large sizes. Gotham Mercury Mercury TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces VIDEO developing a typeface palette TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Size Matters Typeface sizes are not created equal and can vary wildly depending on a fonts x-height. Generally, a larger x-height allows for greater legibility. When pairing typefaces that need to appear similarly sized, you must visually match the x-heights. You cannot simply rely on using the same point size. It makes sense to pair fonts with similar x-height characteristics. All of these fonts are set at the same point size to demonstrate how x-height varies between different typefaces. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces LEFT: These sans serif fonts evoke very different personalities and their combination creates a conflict of mood. Trade Gothic is nononsense while Bell Gothic embodies a lighter, fun and more dynamic mood. RIGHT: Replacing Bell Gothic with the typeface Sabon focuses the mood. The result is bold clarity with highly-readable glyphs due to their tall x-height. Sans Serif & Serif TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces LEFT: Slab serif typefaces tend to dominate, thus using two slab serifs can create an unsightly tension. There is not enough contrast by setting the headline in Clarendon Bold and the body in Officina Serif. RIGHT: By combining Clarendon Bold with a neutral typeface such as Baskerville, each section can occupy a distinct space on the page. Instead of competing, they now compliment. Avoid similar classifications TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces One way to combine multiple fonts from several typefaces is to assign roles to each font. In this example… Akzidenz Grotesk Bold author slug Rockwell Bold article heading Bembo body text Akzidenz Grotesk Med second level heading Each role assigned to a font is fixed and is clearly defined in the typographic hierarchy. Assign Distinct Roles TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces In addition to size, variations in weight create clear distinctions and help guide the readers eye. LEFT: There is decent contrast in size but not enough contrast in weight. The hierarchy should be stronger, giving it more visual authority. RIGHT: The hierarchy does not waiver and it’s clear which text is intended to be read first. Contrast with Weight TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Clever use of typographic color reinforces the visual hierarchy of a page and reinforces the intent of the message. LEFT: High probability that the message will be lost due to a lack of contrast among the typographic elements. RIGHT: Varying the size, weight and spacing creates definitive zones for text blocks. Typographic Color TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces The spirit of the French Market, an annual event in Washington, D.C., is evoked through the use of faces that emulate the style of type popular during the Victorian era. Principal Typefaces: Knockout, Bodoni, Serifa Black TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces A book about hilarious visions of the future from the past demands a certain look, partly achieved by the illustration style but also supported by the bevy of retro style typefaces. Principal Typefaces: Ed Interlock, Ed Gothic, Cincinnati Poster TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces This handlettered poster by Saul Bass perfectly indicates what Ed Benguiat aimed to achieve with his clever headline typeface “Ed Interlock.” Principal Typefaces: Handlettered & Trade Gothic TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Branding and identity work for a prestigious annual event, the Houston Symphony Ball, using a typeface combination which portrays both seriousness and flamboyance. Principal Typefaces: Trajan, Almibar Pro, Fedra Sans, Odile TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces conveying MOOD TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Gender: Female The Devil Wears Prada HTF Didot is a delicately nuanced modern serif featuring 7 optical sizes that thin down strokes and serifs as the optical size increases. This ensures that its delicacy is maintained as sizes increase. An elegant Didone requires and elegant partner and Sentinel is up for the job despite its slab serif classification. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Renaissance: Naturally Readable FF Clifford combines both Humanist and Transitional serif characteristics and in three optical sizes: 6, 9, and 18. This attention to detail is perfect for evoking a period atmosphere. The Humanist serif Centaur MT is a little more hardedged and works best as a headline when combined with FF Clifford. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Industrial: If you build it… Solano Gothic was designed for the city of Albany's signage system and feels suitably architectural and workmanlike. It pairs nicely with Armada, a face inspired by nineteenth-century architecture designed by Tobias Frere-Jones. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Sporty: The grid-iron Vitesse is geometric slab serif that would look great on the back of a football jersey. Its round letter-forms utilize a modified super-ellipse and slightly curving sides. Gist Upright is an inline slab serif with a retro feel. The geometric slab cousin of Vitesse is Quadon which makes for a nice modern pairing. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Whimsical: At the circus Core Circus comprises 20 different styles that can be overlaid to create various settings of different elements including dots, fine inline rules, drop shadow, and outlines. It's intended for display use alone with complex effects being achieved very quickly. Pairing it with a playful script like Sign Painter House Upright will conjure up a circus handbill feel and a chunky Grotesque slab like Giza will only add to the fun. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Vibrant: Irradiated Face The vibrancy of Pimlico lies in its Humanist geometry and inspired by brush-writing. It comes in 3 weights including italics, as well as Pimlico Glow with its hinted details. Pair it with something unusual like a Humanist slab like Freight Text. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Tranquil: Type that whispers The exquisitely refined SangBleu family features 2 weights, Hairline and Light, and with or without serifs. An aging cousin Optima may feel a bit dated against this contemporary typeface but its tranquil beauty fits quite nice. Idlewild backs both with a quiet robustness that never shatters the placid silence. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Commercial: Road to somewhere Interstate was developed to look and feel like highway signage throughout the U.S. and many other parts of the world. In addition to use on signage, it works well as a headline and paired up with Whitney. Both typefaces were developed by Tobias Frere-Jones. TYPOGRAPHY 1 mixing typefaces Provincial: The Daily Commute Try combining the highly recognizable Transitional serif Times New Roman and the workhouse sans serif Franklin Gothic. You will likely conjure up the once upon a time sea of newsprint on a crowded subway as suburbanites commute to the city for the daily grind.
