If You Were a Typeface…

2008 Jul 24
Comments 60
Published In Design
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Before I left for TypeCon last week I jokingly twittered about people dressing up as their favorite typefaces. But then I got to thinking, what would I dress up as? Well, someday we should all get together and do that, but for now, let’s do the next best thing. With a nod to Barbara Walters (even if not entirely accurate):

If you were a typeface, what would you be?

Before you answer, consider this for a bit more fun: You could answer with your most-favorite or most-used typeface, but let’s make this more interesting. Answer with the typeface whose qualities best resemble your own. Plus, give some good biographical info on the typeface—year, designer, background, etc. Fun and informative! I’ll go first:

Trade Gothic was designed in 1948 by Jackson Burke, a book and type designer from California. The typeface is a simple grotesk that remains a common choice for books, magazines, and newspapers due to its spacious counters and legibility. It portrays a wonderful character and sturdiness, especially in condensed weights.

I associate with it most, not just for its loveliness, but for how honest it is. Trade Gothic is sturdy and simple with little flourish or fuss. It’s dependable, industrious, plays well with other typefaces, and can often be the anchor for structure to be spun from in a design.

OK, your turn.

Comments 60
Design Tags Black, Blue, Trade Gothic, White
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60 Comments

Permalink for this comment JD Graffam says: July 24, 2008

I am Avenir. Avenir was designed by Adrian Frutiger and released by Linotype-Hell AG in 1988. I feel like Avenir when I am organized, and my life is in order. I feel clean and crisp. Not so much when my desk is a mess.
Permalink for this comment Adam says: July 24, 2008

I am FF Scala Sans and Serif (I’m a Gemini, so I’m allowed). Two great tastes that taste great together.

“FF Scala is an old style, neohumanist, serif typeface designed by Dutch typeface designer Martin Majoor in 1990 for the Vredenburg Music Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Like many contemporary Dutch serif faces, FF Scala it is not an academic revival of a single historic typeface but shows influences of several historic models.” (Wikipedia)

I feel like Scala when I’m healthy, satisfied and a little on edge (but in a good way). And when I’m paying attention to all the details but know when something is finished.

I do have to say that I also have a healthy obsession with both Avenir and Trade Gothic, and use both of those more often than I get to use Scala.
Permalink for this comment Jonathan Dobres says: July 25, 2008

I am Futura, skinny, but minimalist, precise, and dependable. Futura was designed in 1927 by Paul Renner.

If I had my way, everything would feature some hammered metal decorative flourishes.
Permalink for this comment David says: July 25, 2008

I am Comic Sans. I should really not be allowed out in public. People who like me have highly questionable taste.

(I wanted to say “Futura” but the last guy beat me to it. I’ll hit my font book and be back. Consider yourself warned…)
Permalink for this comment Samantha Warren says: July 25, 2008

I am Mrs. Eaves
Mrs. Eaves was designed by Zuzanna Lickoin 1996 and is a contemporary revival of Baskerville. With a thicker stroke weight than other revivals it reads well on screen and mimics the unpredictability of the letterpress even in digital form. A family that includes petite caps and italic ligatures, Mrs. Eaves is incredibly versatile and can be dressed up or down depending on its application.

The name “Mrs Eaves” has a fantastic story that is derived from the history of John Baskerville and his housekeeper, and then wife… Sarah Eaves.

I relate to Mrs. Eaves because:
According To Zuzannna Licko “Mrs Eaves was a mix of just enough tradition with an updated twist. It’s familiar enough to be friendly, yet different enough to be interesting.” (wikipedia)

This pretty much sums up my approach to design… and even my personality.
Permalink for this comment Keith says: July 25, 2008

I am FTN Farao. Designed by Peter Bruhn, Farao is a bold and quirky display typeface that has a really nice, sort of rough hand-drawn feel. It was inspired, if I remember right, by travel postcards and kids books.

I associate with it because it’s young and fresh, because of its slightly random nature, its human qualities and because it rocks. :)
Permalink for this comment Another Keith says: July 25, 2008

I am Kepler by Robert Slimbach. A lovely serif font. From Linotype’s description,

Named after the German Renaissance astronomer, Kepler is a contemporary type family designed by Robert Slimbach in the tradition of classic modern 18th century typefaces. Modern typefaces are known for their cool intellectual quality, but Slimbach’s Kepler multiple master captures the modern style in a humanistic manner. It is elegant and refined with a hint of Oldstyle proportion and calligraphic detailing that lends it warmth and energy.

A true workhorse, with 168 variants, it can get the job done.
Permalink for this comment Jonas says: July 25, 2008

Oh man, I wish I could say I am Clarendon. Beautiful, useful and versitile.

But I have come to the insight that I am in fact Bello from Underware. Though popular, very fluent, fun and have that handmade feeling around me, I suffer greatly from people not knowing when to use me.

I’m an expensive headliner, man :-)
Permalink for this comment Chris says: July 25, 2008

I guess i’d be Optima designed by Hermann Zapf. Generic at a fast glimpse, but so full of details when you look closer. Oh and people still get confused about my sans-serif classification. My bold variants are the neglected red headed stepchild of the family. Leave them alone.
Permalink for this comment joel says: July 25, 2008

not sure where the meme started, but reminds me of the short video, “Font Conference” from CollegeHumor: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766/
(PG-13, some language)
Permalink for this comment joel says: July 25, 2008

(man, i wish i could read! you started the meme! Sorry!) :)
Permalink for this comment Erik Vorhes says: July 25, 2008

Requiem is what I think I’d be. The Roman face was designed by Jonathan Hoefler beginning (I’m pretty sure) in the 1990s, around the same time I started becoming typographically aware, and has grown into something far more complex and fascinating. I love early printed materials, am relatively adaptable, and enjoy imagining impossible things.
Permalink for this comment M. Jackson Wilkinson says: July 25, 2008

Haven’t quite thought about it before, but I think I’d be Syntax, by Hans Eduard Meier (1968, updated for Linotype in 2000).

Meier, Swiss of course, had his roots firmly grounded in calligraphy and humanist historiography. He worked with Stempel in the 1960s before going into a long career in academia, teaching typeface design in Switzerland for more than thirty years.

Out of this calligraphic, humanist thinking came a rather unique sans in Syntax, at once conveying the classicism of renaissance letterforms as well as the modernism of a monoline sans-serif.

It suits me because of its interest in both the classic and the contemporary, which shows its ability to both borrow and innovate. It’s readable, yet has a distinct character, especially in its M and W glyphs — which happen to be two of my initials. It’s a typeface that isn’t afraid to engage in a tough conversation.
Permalink for this comment Chris K says: July 25, 2008

I am PMN Caecilia, designed by Peter Matthias Noordzij in 1991. It’s modern with a classic flair. There’s a sturdiness with it being a slab font, but with its own uniqueness to add some softness and playfulness. It’s diverse enough to work as both a headline font (heavy) or copy (light and roman).
Permalink for this comment Natalie Jost says: July 25, 2008

I’m Delicious, because well, do I really have to explain? :D

Delicious is one of those free fonts that was raved about a couple of years ago, along with Diavlo, another free font from designer Jos Buivenga, but much more popular.

Delicious is a font I designed because of my admiration for typography. It got a bit out of hand and in two years it resulted in a complete font family.

It suits me because I’m new to the scene but have timeless qualities, and I’m an unsung gem who has some far-reaching uses that largely go unnoticed.

I try to remain on the straight and narrow but occasionally curve in directions you might not expect. I don’t look like anything fancy at first glance but once you’ve been around me awhile you’ll find I it right in.

I have uppercase and lowercase days just like any other typeface, but I work well in either. I love working with others, but sometimes I work best by myself, without any other typefaces to distract me.

And… I have a brilliant creator who loves me and wants to see me shared with the entire world, for the improvement of the world, but would never want me to be sold or distributed to others.

:D
Permalink for this comment Arthur Turnbull says: July 25, 2008

I’m Myriad (Pro).

It sets a tone for focus and calm in layout. While blending in with almost any style of design, it retains its character. (No pun intended.)

Myriad was designed for Adobe in 1991 as a Multiple Master font and was reissued as Myriad Pro in 2000 as an OpenType font by Adobe. Apple uses it almost exclusively in its printed materials and website headers.
Permalink for this comment Reese Spykerman says: July 25, 2008

Love the art direction on this entry :)

I’d be Archer, which admittedly is pretty new to the scene but destined to be a versatile classic. Its foundry, Hoefler, details how it approached this slab: “A slab could be personable, straightforward, and credible, though it would take special effort to also make it pretty, hard-working, and frank.” Which reflects how I approach business, life in general and, when I’m on a roll, design.
Permalink for this comment Jim says: July 25, 2008

I live as Rockwell. A slab serif that is geometric and used for display.

The typeface was designed at the Monotype foundry’s in-house design studio in 1934 and was supervised by Frank Hinman Pierpont.
Permalink for this comment Jamie McCue says: July 25, 2008

I’m Gill Sans, I’ve used this as my screen name as well as my dj name for years. I love the heavy weights and I also enjoy the lighter side as well.

Gill Sans is a humanist san serif typeface designed by Eric Gill in 1927, and released 1928. Gill was a well established sculptor, graphic artist and type designer, and the Gill Sans typeface takes inspiration from Edward Johnston’s Johnston typeface for London Underground, which Gill had worked on while apprenticed to Johnston. Eric Gill attempted to make the ultimate legible sans-serif text face. Gill Sans was designed to function equally well as a text face and for display.
Permalink for this comment Kyle Weems says: July 25, 2008

Like David up above, I sadly am probably best represented by Comic Sans. Comic Sans was designed by Vincent Connare and released in 1994 by the Microsoft Corporation. It is classified as a casual, non-connecting script, and was designed to imitate comic book lettering, for casual use in informal documents.

Even at my best, I’m definitely ‘casual’ in my behavior and frequently my friends regret inviting me to a more formal setting. Furthermore, I’m rarely taken seriously and serve more as comic relief to my peers than anything else.
Permalink for this comment frank says: July 25, 2008

<a href=“http://www.dafont.com/qlassik.font>Qlassik</a>
Clean and versatile, yet modern with a slight edge. I am starting to see it here and there – not sure if that’s a good thing..maybe I should try to be another typeface…Dimitri Castrique desinged Qlassik.
Permalink for this comment Matt Munsey says: July 25, 2008

I would have to be Century Schoolbook.

It was designed in 1919 by Morris Fuller Benton, for American Type Founders. It is classified as an Old Style typeface, but as elements of the Didone classification as well.

It is a strong but simple font that plays nicely with others. It is both classic and modern at the same time.

I relate to it for its down to earth simplicity and its accessibility. It is fairly neutral, but not lacking personality. It is strong without being overbearing.
Permalink for this comment Jason Santa Maria says: July 25, 2008

Wow, lots of good stuff here, including a few typefaces I’m not so familiar with. I’m actually a bit surprised that two people associate themselves with Comic Sans. We need to find you guys some different casual and light-hearted typefaces ;)

Also, I went back into all of the comments and linked up the typefaces for visual reference.
Permalink for this comment Dan Mall says: July 25, 2008

I am Bodoni. Black and white, never middle gray. Thick and thin, never medium. Hot or cold, never lukewarm. Always precise. Always on one end of the spectrum.

Bodoni was designed in 1798 by Giambattista Bodoni as an evolution—or reaction—to softer, transitional serifs. It’s probably the one of the most commonly used modern serifs (along with Didot ). It has recently become very popular again, especially within the fashion industry.

(Sidenote: this post reminds me of FontShop’s I Am campaign from a few years ago.)
Permalink for this comment Kyle Weems says: July 25, 2008

@Jason – Well, if I wanted to get down to the honest nitty gritty, I’d have compared myself to Village Idiot, a comic font by Nake Piekos of http://www.blambot.com, for all the comically appropriate reasons. Comic Sans just has a certain pedigree of infamy that was too good to pass up.
Permalink for this comment Drew Shapter says: July 25, 2008

I’m Georgia designed in 1993 by Matthew Carter, mainly because I’m an analogue man caught up in a digital world, much like the font which use text figures rather than lining figures like most computer age serif fonts.
Permalink for this comment DJ says: July 25, 2008

I’m Papyrus – people who like me aren’t quite as questionable as those who like Comic Sans, but damn close.

Credit: Chris Costello
Permalink for this comment Steve Kuhn says: July 25, 2008

I am Papyrus. Everyone hates me cause I’m ugly.
Permalink for this comment Eftu says: July 26, 2008

Is it this Trade Gothic that you are using for your webtitle? Cool.
Permalink for this comment Steph Mineart says: July 26, 2008

I’m Franklin Gothic. I think it’s more personable than Futura or Century Gothic, which seem more cold to me. I’m a fan of the Franklin Gothic lowercase g.

“Franklin Gothic is a realist sans serif typeface designed by Morris Fuller Benton (1872–1948) in 1902. Franklin Gothic was originally designed as a typeface with a single weight and only two variations in width. Franklin Gothic has been used in many advertisements and headlines in newspapers. The typeface continues to maintain a high profile appearing in a variety of media from books to billboards.”
Permalink for this comment liquid06 says: July 26, 2008

I think if I were a typeface, I would be Diavlo. New to the scene (designed in 2007), free, unique, interesting and graceful.
Permalink for this comment tomw says: July 26, 2008

I’m Helvetica.
Permalink for this comment Todd says: July 27, 2008

I am Bell Gothic.

“C.H. Griffith was commissioned by the American telephone company Bell to design a typeface which would be particularly suited to small, compressed sentences and inferior paper quality.

Bell Gothic font was intended for use in the company’s telephone books. Griffith had already had experience with the conception of newsprint fonts and was interested in legibility issues. In 1922 Griffith created the ‘Legibility Group’, which contained particularly legible fonts predestined for newspapers.
Bell Gothic font has all the typical characteristics which optimize a font’s legibility. The modern heir of Bell Gothic is Bell Centennial, designed by Matthew Carter in 1974 in celebration of the Bell Company’s 100th birthday.”
Sort of fits my personality, “small, compressed sentences”, but I fit superior paper quality and some days, I feel like I am 100 when my body aches from playing sports too much.
Permalink for this comment Maaike says: July 27, 2008

I would like to be Versa Sans .

Versa Sans was designed by Dutch type designer Peter Verheul for Ourtype in 2004 (I think). It’s a humane and charming typeface, but it’s got a strong personality as well. Of course it’s very versatile and it’s part of a great family :-)
Permalink for this comment Simone says: July 27, 2008

I would be Matrix II A little bit of pretty a little bit of dark/funky. Plus it even looks like it has its own arty side with a background in print (the slab look) Already used it in some of my self promo material.

Loved thinking about this! I have been inspired to maybe get around to designing my own typeface again. We will see how long that lasts…
Permalink for this comment Julie says: July 27, 2008

I am Janson. Kinda basic and boring at first glance, but a little bit quirky when you take a closer look.

“In the 1930s, Janson Text replaced Caslon as the face of choice for fine bookmaking. Its strong design and clear stroke contrast combine to create text that is both elegant and easy to read.”
Permalink for this comment Johno says: July 27, 2008

I’ll be Monotype Fournier. Originally cut in 1925-26, it’s a revival of a type cut by Pierre Simon Fournier (Fournier le Jeune). It’s of light and even colour on the page. On good paper (not glossy, and not too white), it’s sublime. Every time I see it used well, it sends a shiver down my spine.
Permalink for this comment kat says: July 28, 2008

I’d probably be Rockwell bold… It seems like a funloving font, doesn’t go for refined curves on its serifs (gets out there and does things, not beating around the bush!) and is just a really strong-willed font.

At the same time as it’s a loud font, it’s also a well-known and well-used font. At the end of the day, it likes to stay within the realms of mainstream.
Permalink for this comment Seth Nickerson says: July 28, 2008

I am Quadraat Sans .

Deep, strange, unique. Forward-looking but deeply rooted in the past, and loaded with charming quirks. Not beautiful, but can do lots of jobs without much complaining.

Quadraat (serifed) was designed by Fred Smeijers in 1993 for FontShop. The unserifed version was released in 1997. They are rigorously designed postmodern fonts strongly rooted in Dutch Baroque tradition. (Taken from The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst.)
Permalink for this comment Eric Meyer says: July 29, 2008

I am Andalé Mono .
Permalink for this comment Christine Rondeau says: July 29, 2008

hip hip hooray for comic sans. I hate that font, but this video changed my mind….
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766
Permalink for this comment AJ Kandy says: July 29, 2008

I am Adrian Frutiger’s Univers, because I was born in Montreal between Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympics; for years it was the virtual official typeface of the city, and thus Univers runs in my blood. (Along with Otl Aicher-style pictograms.) They have since switched to Rotis for the city logo (ugh, but also designed by Aicher, oddly enough.)
Permalink for this comment Adam says: July 29, 2008

I am Klavika. Klavika was designed by Eric Olson for Process Type Foundry in 2003.

It’s brand spankin’ new, steeped in tradition, but not afraid to break the rules. And it’s getting too popular for it’s own good.
Permalink for this comment amanda says: July 29, 2008

Lipstick (otf) By Canada Type. Predictably unpredictable.

But If I’m a dating-type font, I’d be American Typewriter? Not sure.

just for fun- check it out:
http://blog.extensis.com/typecaster/
Permalink for this comment Jim Kidwell says: July 29, 2008

I would be Chalet Comprime. Classy and versatile.
Permalink for this comment Keith says: July 30, 2008

Am I the only one who feels like Courier) ? After all, it has loyally served countless important organizations for over half a century, and yet, just like its designer, never get any respect it deserved, even by fellow typographers.

Speaking of feeling like a font, I wonder how long will it take for someone to create comic characters based on fonts, like the OS-Tan or the Toyboxarts iMac Girl.
Permalink for this comment Daniel says: July 30, 2008

I’d be Gill Sans Ultra Bold, because my eyes simply do not work.
Permalink for this comment pat Taylor says: July 30, 2008

I am Domm Casual. Can’t give out anymore info
than that. I don’t want people coming to my door
and asking for samples.
Permalink for this comment Nick Mun says: July 31, 2008

I’d be Arno Pro. It’s literary but contemporary at the same time. It offers great flexibility with 5 optical sizes. Designed by Robert Slimbach (2007).
Permalink for this comment Alexis says: July 31, 2008

I am Univers.

A solidly reliable but versatile type designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1957 and released by Deberny & Peignot.

This straightforward and well-travelled type can always be relied upon when the more extravagant types have lost their charm. Reliable and hard-working, fits in well with others and is at home online or print.
Permalink for this comment Marty says: July 31, 2008

I am Bioprosthesis.

I look amazing, but I am of absolutely no practical use whatsoever.

Designed by Tsuyoshi Nakazako in 2000, Bioprosthesis is a dingbat font with each character resembling part of a robotic kit of parts.
Permalink for this comment jeremy says: July 31, 2008

I am Ed Script. (not Edwardian Script)

I’m loose and casual but not so loose as to be construed as frivolous. I clean up real nice when I need to. I am… believable. I can pitch, just by being myself. Put me up next to a heavy gothic and I am still heard.

Ed Script was designed (I believe) as a collaboration between Ed Benguiat and House Industries in the early 2000’s.
Permalink for this comment Antonio says: July 31, 2008

I am Helvetica . Enough said.
Permalink for this comment Maia says: July 31, 2008

I am Bryant, by Process Type Foundry.

http://www.processtypefoundry.com/typefaces/bryant2/index.html

No pretenses, sturdy and orderly, round at the edges, open and friendly.

Although some days I may dress as Scotch Roman, I am not truly sharp enough to be a modern (and definitely never condensed). I think I’m really Bryant on the inside.
Permalink for this comment vibranium says: July 31, 2008

I am Dead History. Confused, rarely appropriate… yet somehow compelling.
Permalink for this comment Leslie says: August 01, 2008

I am Deepdene.
http://www.p22.com/lanston/deepdene.html

Designed by Frederick Goudy in 1927 for his own foundry, Village Letter Foundry. It’s traditional but quirky.
Permalink for this comment Rob Mientjes says: August 01, 2008

I am Whitney — I am varied, focused on information and clearly conveying of said information.

Tobias Frere-Jones designed Whitney in 2004 for the New York Whitney Museum. It is a clear, no-frills sans-serif that looks great in all kinds of information display and comes with some delicious numeral sets. It has very refined ampersands (even though I do not normally like this approach much, it looks great; regularly, I dismiss typefaces for having shitty ampersands, so there).
Permalink for this comment Louije says: August 01, 2008

I’m Avenir. I strive for a discreet look and can be quite shy, by my ‘e’s are open and receptive. The heavy heritage I bear, I change it into something new and personal.

I could be dating Baskerville. ‘Specially on italics.
Permalink for this comment Daniel K says: August 08, 2008

Blambot.com’s Krakhead.
Permalink for this comment Kevin Mercer says: August 13, 2008

I am Belizio. I am inspired by history, but like to bring my own experience and sensibilities into what I do. I am capable of bold statements as well as calm utterances.
Belizio is based on Aldo Novarese’s Egizio, designed in 1955 for Nebiolo. It was first prompted by the popularity of Haas Clarendon designed by Hoffmann and Eidenbenz, an impeccably Swiss revival of the traditional English letterform. Aldo Novarese was among the first to investigate a true italic designed in the Clarendon style.