Font Classification

Font Classification: Was developed over the course of the twentieth century in order to have an organized system of growing collection of typefaces.  Fonts are classified by their variation in stress, variation in thick and thin strokes, and variation in the serif.  

Old Style: This font originated in Renaissance Humanism.  Characteristics of Old Style include low contrast with diagonal stress, and cove or "bracketed" serifs.  Also, it is based on handwriting.  Examples include Bembo, Calson, and Palatino.  

Transitional: This is a refinement of Old Style forms and represents the transitional time period from Renaissance style to a more modern style.  Characteristics include a stronger contrast between thick and thin strocks, a slight diagonal stress, bracketed serifs, and a tall x-height. Examples of Transitional font are Baskerville, Caslon, and Perpetua.

Modern: This classification is not influenced by handwriting, and is technically exact.  It is also known as Didone after the designer Giambattista Bodoni.  Characteristics include no horizontal stress and extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes. Bodoni, Bauer Bodoni, and Walbaum are examples of this classification.

Slab Serif: This classification is typically classified within serifs.  What sets Slab Serif apart, however is the thick, square ended serif.  Slab Serif became increasingly popular with the need for advertising.  Examples include Serifa, Rockwell, and Memphis Clarendon.

Sans Serif: Sans Serifs are stripped to the bare minimum and are very malleable.  There are many different classifications of San Serif including humanist, geometric, and grotesque.  Examples include Futura, Gill Sans, and Frutiger.

Script: Script letterforms is just like handwriting, and have been around since humans could write, making it hard to classify this type.  Examples include Sinclair, Bickham Script, and Mistral.

Blackletter: Black Letter has been around for over 600 years and is used often in newspapers, labels, and tattoos.  It was also used often in religious scripture and is believed to have Judaic origins.  Examples include Lucida Blackletter, Linotype, and San Marco. 

Grunge: This classification came about in the 1980's during the postmodernism era.  Characteristics include scratchy, amalgamated, and quirky typefaces.  These came about and are named after the Grunge musical movement.  Examples include Template Gothic, Fallen Thyme, and Escalido Streak. 

Monospaced: This classification is inspired by type from typewriters, and all letters conform to a specific physical width.  Letters look best expanded or condensed.  Examples include Orator, Courier, and OCR B.

Undeclared: This classification, as the title alludes to, are for those that do not fit into any category.  Examples of this are  Optima and Copperplate Gothic, because of their flared serifs attached to san serif structures.