CLASSIFICATION

Here we will explain the classification of fonts. Apart from classic and popular fonts, there are many fonts that even the most knowledgeable person does not know the names of. Fonts are available from foundries of all sizes all over the world and can be easily purchased on the Internet. The myriad of fonts can be roughly characterized in terms of appearance by knowing the basic classifications. Although there is no unified standard for font classification, such as an academic classification or a typeface manufacturer’s own, we have created our own classification system to provide a general classification that is basically used when purchasing fonts and in applications.


SERIF

A typeface with claw-shaped serifs at the ends of the strokes.Also known as Roman typeface, this style of capitalization was established in ancient Rome and has existed in Western history for a long time as it was used for inscriptions.It has been used as a typeface since shortly after the invention of printing and has been refined over its long history, and is still the most standard typeface in use today.This typeface is usually used for the text of literary works and other publications. Aside from its venerable and persuasive character form, It is particularly favored because the horizontal force of serifs helps the eye to carry the text, ensuring stable readability on paper.

OLD STYLE オールドスタイル

The triangular serif (bracket) process and the organic shape of the curves were established and used until the 16th century, and the organic shape of the curves, which still retains traces of calligraphy, is familiar to the human eye. It is still widely used today in everything from official documents and literary works to restaurant’s menus.

TRANSITION STYLE トランジション

This typeface has characteristics that are in between the old style and the modern style. While retaining the organic shapes of the old style, the details are more carefully processed to create a sharp contrast of lines.It is called “transition” because it was designed in the period that bridged the gap between the classical and modern styles and set the direction of the geometric approach.

Modern Style モダンスタイル

This style is characterized by straight serifs and a strong contrast between vertical and horizontal lines.This style of typeface designed by type designers who tried out new forms as paper and printing presses evolved, incorporating beautiful hairlines from copperplate printing and other methods.A style of typeface designed with a more geometric approach in search of a more ideal form. It is widely used in modern media from newsprint to magazines.


SANS SERIF

A typeface without serifs. The French word ‘sans’ means ‘without serifs’.It is a typeface with a modern form that we usually see in our daily lives.The success of sans serifs and modern styles has tended toward a simpler, more geometric approach, eliminating serifs and arriving at a rational form. It is often used in a variety of situations as a typeface that meets the rational and systematic demands of modern times with its simplicity of form, good legibility, and the development of different weights.

Grotesque Sans/ Gothic グロテスク・ゴシック

An early sans serif style designed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is influenced by the framework of modern serifs and transition serifs, as well as by the tradition of sign writing. hard and dark, it retains warmth in its irregular, slightly sweet curves and the intensity of the stroke width.

Neo Grotesque Sans ネオグロテスク

The grotesque style of the mid-20th century was redesigned to be more rational and regular. It is characterized by a more regular impression, with the straight parts emphasized by a reduction in the contrast of the strokes. The basic sans serif used today with the most neutral impression.

Humanist Sans ヒューマニストサンズ

The sans serif has the skeleton of the old Roman typeface and contains organic forms by retaining calligraphic-derived features. This style is a perfect blend of the rational orientation of modern design and the human-derived aesthetic sense. It is the most readable of the sans serif styles and is suitable for use in body text.

Geometric Sans ジオメトリックサンズ

It began with the rational orientation of modern design, such as Bauhaus, which have a geometric approach with a framework of straight lines, circles, and other combinations,The most contemporary style that satisfies the visibility and rationality required in modern design.


SLABSERIF / EGYPTIAN

This typeface is characterized by exaggerated line widths and straight serifs.The modern approach to serif typefaces in the 19th century brought about a change in the serif style, and a trend toward simpler, straighter, and thicker designs emerged. With the beginning of the industrial age, typefaces with catchy and impactful designs were demanded for inexpensive commercial printed materials for advertising, resulting in styles with extremely thick serifs and extreme line widths.

Geometric Slab ジオメトリックスラブ

Geometric slab is a style designed with linear serifs and a geometric, streamlined approach. It has excellent visibility and is used in a wide range of applications, from text to display purposes.

Clarendon/Ionic クラレンドン/イオニック

Clarendon/Ionic is a style of slab serifs that has features such as bracket serifs and ball terminals, and is characterized by a balance of geometry and organic curves that retain the ruggedness of the 19th century.


SCRIPT

This is a script typeface that replaces the writing style with type. Unlike other typefaces, this typeface has a design feature that reproduces the flowing handwritten style of writing, with the letters before and after the typeface being made to connect by continued writing. Various tastes exist, including those that reproduce beautiful hairline copperplate (copperplate printing) and signature painters’ brushes.

Capperplate Script カッパープレートスクリプト

A script typeface with an ultra-fine hairline and smooth, thick strokes. Also called English Roundhand, it is a writing style derived from calligraphy. The rhythm of the smoothly changing line widths is impressive.

Brush Script ブラシスクリプト

A typeface that has the look like drawn with a brush. This typeface is modeled after the script typefaces used by sign makers and hand-painted price tags, which were written using brushes, and has characteristics in line width and line removal. Some have contrasting upstrokes and downstrokes, and others are characterized by the use of round or flat brushes.


BLACK LETTER

An square typeface with many flat pen strokes and a strong black tinge. It was used in Europe in the Middle Ages for Christian manuscripts and has a stylistic connection with Gothic architecture. Gutenberg, who invented the art of printing, first created this typeface Black letter.


Display

Display typeface is a typeface created for the purpose of making short words stand out on posters, packages, etc. Various expressions exist, as they are created for the purpose of eye-catching without assuming the text of the advertisement or headline.

Inline インライン

This is a decorative method that divides a single line into outline and inline by adding a center line to the stroke of the letter to create a complex line expression.

Shaded シェイデッド

This is a method of decoration that creates a three-dimensional expression by shading the strokes of letters at an angle to create evenly displaced shaded areas.

Decorative デコラティブ

Illustrative ornamentation is applied to the strokes of the letters. Many wood types incorporate intricate expressions.

Engravedエングレーブド

This is a method of decoration in which the strokes of letters are expressed three-dimensionally in relief using engraving techniques.

3D スリーディー

A decoration in which the strokes of letters or the letterforms themselves are expressed three-dimensionally. There are geometric three-dimensional expressions such as bevels and illustrative expressions.

TUSCAN トスカン

This style is often used in wood type and other styles, and is characterized by decorative accents on branching serifs and strokes.