FONT, FAMILY, TYPEFACE
edited by: Olivera Stojadinović
November 2006

translation into English: Danijela Tomazović
November 2009

Typography is the graphics discipline, founded by the movable type emerging. Font is the basic category when talking about typeface.

On a computer, the font is defined with one file in case of TrueType, that is OpenType format (TTF and OTF extensions), while the fonts in PostScript format are defined with two files with the same name but in different formats (PFB and PFM). Therefore, the computer font consists out of vector definitions of a set of outlines belonging to letters, numbers, punctuations and other characters, including the widths and kern (metrics) which define their interposition during typesetting. Regarding different sizes, they are achieved by proportional reducing or enlarging the given geometrical shapes.

At the time when typography was emerging, Gutenberg developed the process of manufacturing metal types for hand composition, which did not significantly change until the emergence of machine technology. The process would start by cutting the punches in hard metal, on which the mirroring letter shape in actual size was cut. By striking in the softer metal, one would get the strike to create the matrix through width adjustment. It was fitted in the mold of adjustable width. A special alloy was poured into the mold, and so after removing surplus, the letter (type) was made.

Out of one punches set, one could strike the matrixes several times. From them, as many letters as needed was founded. The set of letters founded in the same style and size was called the font. It defined one shape and one size of the particular typeface. The word font itself meant the result of founding process (found, fount, font ). The letters were placed into cases – upper for the caps and lower for the lowercases.

The family defines a group of fonts which belong to one typeface (shaped in the same way). Garamond was the first one to create a family consisting out of roman and italic in a harmonic relation between them. Before this, these designs were used independently. Following Garamond’s example, the latter printers formed the families of fonts consisting out of different sizes of the same typeface . Since each size was cut separately, the differences in details were inevitable, so some punches were considered more successful than the others.

Contemporary standard book family includes roman and italic fonts in two weights (plain, bold), that is, includes 4 fonts. Extended families can include larger number of weights, then small capitals with lowercase figures, special fonts with ligatures, alternative characters, ornaments etc. Heading fonts can also be added for typesetting in larger sizes, as well as initials. Some families consist out of several sets which can exchange the letters between them and vary the layout in a way similar to handwriting.

Sans serif families often include a large number of weights, from the lightest ones to extremely dark ones. Italic is often shaped like slanted normal (oblique). The families further expand by varying the letter width, so the groups of extended and condensed fonts are formed. A large number of fonts originating in one basic shape are suitable for appliance in graphic design.

Superfamilies or the systems consist out of several families of the same style which belong to different kinds. This is how one design can be done in serif, sans serif and script version or, for example, half-serif or half-sans serif families can be added to the basic serif and sans serif families.

The face represents a system of characters enabling preservation of human thoughts or their transmission through space and time. Today the faces are divided into scripts and typefaces.

Typeface, the letter used for typeset in the system of movable type, represents a group of characters (letters, punctuation and special characters) shaped in the same style. It can be designed as one font only, but also as an expanded family of fonts. The typeface name indicates particular design, so the font name always includes the name of the typeface, and then the further determinants which describe other characteristics. The typeface name and its digital files are protected by copyrights.

When it's about the reconstruction of the old typefaces, their look depends on the sample taken as a base (particular cut or printed sample), as well as on the interpretation of a designer. Such reconstructions were systematically done during transition to mechanical typeset, at the end of the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century. This is how some famous typefaces have different interpretations, differing in their look and characteristics. Each one of them, besides the name of the basic design, has the addition (the name of the author or a company performing the reconstruction) which distinguishes it from the others (different versions of Garamond, Bodoni, Caslon).