语言教学 | 普渡大学写作教学系列General Writing 88-Using Fonts with Purpose(1)

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1、Using Fonts with Purpose

Does Type Font Matter?

It is easy to think that type font doesn’t matter. We read text all the time and have become very accustomed to focusing on the content or message of the words themselves and not what the words look like visually. In reality, the visual appearance of words themselves can (and should) have just as much effect on how a document is received as the content itself. Fonts can create mood and atmosphere. Fonts can give visual clues about the order a document should be read in and which parts are more important than others. Fonts can even be used to control how long it takes someone to read a document.

The professional printing industry has recognized this fact for a long time. Since the 1500s, they have used text called a “Lorem Ipsum” to demonstrate what a font will look like without having the reader become distracted by the meaning of the text itself. Although the term resembles ancient Latin, it is not actually intended to have meaning.

Above is a font that is probably quite familiar to you - Times New Roman. Especially in academic circles, Times New Roman is so popular that you almost have to use a Lorem Ipsum to actually see the curves and spacing characteristics of the font itself.

Here is another popular font called Arial. Looking at the Times New Roman and Arial fonts together it’s possible to see some subtle differences. Perhaps the choice to use Times versus Arial won’t make the most drastic of differences; however, there are so many different fonts to choose from that the point becomes much clearer once we move beyond more traditional choices.

Chalkboard

Above is a lesser known font called Chalkboard. This font is so different that it shouldn’t be hard to realize that a page full of text in Chalkboard would look and feel very different from the more traditional Times or Arial.

Understanding how type fonts work involves learning some new terminology and thinking about the cultural codes behind words themselves. However, once you do so, font choice becomes another highly effective way to fuse your documents with additional meaning and rhetorical effectiveness.

2、Font Features

Graphic designers have developed a large vocabulary of terms to discuss the makeup of a font. Fortunately, learning just a few of these terms will greatly aid you in making choices about how to use a font to communicate additional meaning beyond just the words themselves.

Font Types

1. Serif Fonts

One of the primary distinctions between font types is Serif fonts versus Sans-Serif fonts. Although the exact derivation of the word “serif” is unknown, it may be easier to grasp the concept if you think of them as feet. Since “sans” comes from the French for “with out” you can see fonts as having feet or being with out feet.

Above, the circled sections highlight some of the serifs in the font type called Georgia. The serifs are little lines (or feet) at the end of particular line strokes.

Popular serif fonts include:

2. Sans-Serif Fonts

If serif-fonts have lines (or feet) at the end of particular strokes, then non-serif fonts are marked by the absence of these features.

Above is one of the most well known non-serif fonts. Notice how in comparison to the serif fonts, the line strokes end cleanly without any additional flair.

Popular Sans-Serif Fonts include:

3. Decorative Fonts

Sometimes called script, novelty, or ornamental, decorative fonts stand out for their unique shapes and personalities. These tend to have a stronger personality or character than traditional serif or sans-serif fonts.

Some examples of decorative fonts include:

Tips

• Research has found that the difference in readability of serif vs. sans serif fonts is negligible in print sources. However, in electronic or virtual contexts, sans-serif is a little easier to read. Consider the rhetorical situation (purpose, audience, context of use) of your communication when you choose your fonts.

• Sans-serifs are most typically used for headings and titles. In this use, they provide a nice contrast with the serif font used for the extended text below them. Like all conventions, this advice may change based on your audience. For example, European countries seem to have a higher tolerance for sans-serif fonts in long blocks of text on paper.

• It’s a good rule to never mix two, different types of the same font category. In other words, do not use a Times New Roman title over a text block of Palatino. Both are serif fonts and will not mix well. The ideal situation is to pair one serif font with one sans-serif font.

• Although there is no official rule, too many different fonts on one page can appear chaotic and distracting. Figure out what message you’re trying to convey and decide how to accomplish it with limited fonts.

• Use decorative fonts sparingly. Their unique features definitely make them unsuitable for extended reading. They work well for headers and titles or to add a bit of emphasis to a piece of text.

• When emailing or using fonts on the web, remember that not all computers will contain the same font sets as yours. Either use more popular fonts or set up alternate fonts in the page’s coding.

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