This article is excerpted from the December 2008/January 2009 issue of InDesign Magazine (#27). Buy the issue or subscribe to the magazine at www.indesignmag.com.
Choosing typefaces for a project can expose deep-rooted vulnerabilities within even the most stout-hearted designers. Font doubt may give rise to self-esteem issues and the malady that design educator and author Ellen Lupton calls “typochrondria.”
If you’ve ever suffered from this affliction, you’re not alone. As a designer, you know the basics: Don’t mix typefaces that are too similar to each other but don’t combine those that are too discordant, don’t confuse styles and eras, and don’t buy poor-quality fonts. But beyond that, what’s the right way to choose type?
To hear what the experts have to say and to see samples of good type choices, click on this link to box.net or on the image below to download the PDF.
Although this article was written for InDesign Magazine, its advice is applicable no matter what software you use.
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This article was last modified on August 19, 2021
This article was first published on May 11, 2009
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