Know your Typeface

Are you a Typeface Smartypants? Well stick with me and you soon will be.

The key to learning how to identify typefaces is to first understand a bit about it’s history. Don’t be intimidated as it’s quite fun and certainly fascinating. It’s a bit like identifying plants or animals by their characteristics. Once you’re familiar with certain feature, you can then hone down to which family they belong to.

In future I’ll write reviews on specific typefaces and share some ideas about how to actually choose one that’s appropriate for your project. But for now, please enjoy this video by Ben Barrett-Forrest of http://www.forrestmedia.org as a very memorable and concise introduction.

It’s only short so do watch it. Afterwards you’ll know what I mean and you’ll also be well on your way to becoming a typeface smartypants.

Full ups to Ben for creating this awesome quick start guide on the history of Typography (and therefore on how to identify Typefaces). Beautifully planned and executed and an astonishing amount of work; 291 Paper Letters.
2,454 Photographs. 140 hours of work. Even if you’re not a designer, you’ll enjoy learning a bit about typography by watching Ben’s short animated video.