I don’t know about you, but whenever i want to describe a certain design of type i always use the word “font”. I’ve heard other people using the word “typeface” but that’s OK, these two terms mean the same thing, right?
Wrong! Even though they are used interchangeably in our everyday conversations, they actually mean different things. In fact, what most of us call “fonts” are actually “typefaces”.
Here’s how it goes. (the article continues after the ad)
TYPEFACE
A typeface is the collective name of related fonts (such as Helvetica, Times New Roman etc) that share similar design features – they belong to the same font family. It’s the actual design of the lettering. So, what is a font?
FONT
A font refers to the styles, weights and widths – things like bold, italics, condensed, semi condensed etc. Each typeface has different fonts (that’s why typefaces are called “fonts families”). For example, it can have light, bold and extra bold (weights), condensed, semi condensed and narrow (widths) as well as roman, italic and oblique (styles).
Interestingly enough, historically, italics were initially distinct typefaces. It wasn’t until the early 16th century that their popularity started to decline and gradually became a font of a typeface rather than a typeface in its own right.
And now you know!
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: This Is The Difference Between ‘Weight’ And ‘Mass’
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Sources: What’s The Difference Between A Font And A Typeface? | What’s the difference between a font and a typeface?