Monday 7 September 2009

Font of all goodness

I freely admit that in some things, I'm a nerd. I'm proud to say that I love, and care about, typography.

So here's a bit of titillation, and a link to IKEAgate. Verdana indeed.

This blog, by the way, uses Georgia. I also love Gill Sans (especially Roman), and would love Johnston Sans (designed for the London Underground). Helvetica, of course, is the most progressive and lovely font outside these two (now a major motion picture). Do you have a favourite typeface?

(By the way, for the purists, I know that the title of this post is inaccurate. Fonts and typefaces aren't the same. But I was desperate for a good pun).

6 comments:

Benjamin Judge said...

Interesting. Genuinely interesting. A pity that Guardian article couldn't offer a before and after photo as my knowledge of fonts is not good enough to offer an opinion.

I don't have a favourite font. It is all about fitting the purpose for me which is why the IKEA thing has importance I suppose. These things do matter, it is more than just a geek thing yes?

And I don't bully you. I just point out when you slide towards intolerance. Or to be more accurate when you give the impression of sliding toward intolerance, as you are quite a tolerant Vole really.

The Plashing Vole said...

It's a fascinating world alright.

I can be intolerant, and in some circumstances it's important to be intolerant!

intelliwench said...

Cancellaresca Bastarda wins, for prettiness and awesome name. (Yes, I had to look at ALL of the typefaces at 100types.com)

In the '80s I tried to get an apprenticeship with a press -- but the cretin in charge wouldn't hire a woman.

Lou said...

I'm a Philistine about such things and I like Trebuchet MS or even Tahoma at a push.

Lou said...

PS Very interesting vid. I shared it with a Facebook friend who's a printer and very interested in traditional typography and presses.

The Plashing Vole said...

I haven't come across Cancellaresca - must check it out. My PhD is in Georgia, but I'm starting to wonder if it's not a little backwards looking. Then again, my favourites are all products of the late Arts and Crafts movement's engagement with progressive modernism in the 1930s.

So there's philosophy and politics behind every typeface, but IKEA's move is a bit disappointing because their existing face reflected their values of simplicity and style, whereas choosing Verdana is more prosaic: it was designed solely to look legible on a screen. No romance, no modernism.