First determine what type of image you want to project and who your target audience will be:

• Sophisticated?
• On the cutting edge?
• Professional?
• Modern?
• Old Fashioned?
• Romantic?

Take a look at some of the letters that are different from font to font: g's, y's, a's, W's. If you'll be emphasizing a certain letter, make sure you look for that letter.

A font for body text
The bulk of what we read is body copy. It's the novels, magazine articles, newspaper stories, contracts, and Web pages we read day after day. Body type or a body face is the typeface used for body copy.

• Choose a typeface that is readable at body copy sizes (14 point).
• In the US at least, serif faces are the norm for most books and newspapers making them familiar and comfortable.
• Choose a body face that blends in and doesn't distract the reader with oddly shaped letters, or extremes in x-height, descenders, or ascenders.
• In general (with many exceptions) consider serif faces for a subdued, formal, or serious look.
• In general (with exceptions) consider sans serif faces for a crisper, bolder, or more informal tone.
• Avoid monospaced typefaces, they draw too much attention to the individual letters distracting the reader from the message.
• Avoid script or handwriting typefaces for body copy. Some exceptions: cards and invitations where the text is set in short lines with extra line spacing.
• Fanciful or unusual typefaces are best used in headlines, logos, and graphics.

Tips:

• Don't rely solely on an on-screen display or a small sample. Print out the fonts you're considering at body copy size in paragraphs of varying size.
• Remember fonts suitable for print do not always translate well to the display screen for Web use.

Basic Classifications for Font/Types - Just a few highlights
Some types make better text copy than others, and some type is better for headlines. Some type work well for low resolution printing, and some would fall apart when faxed.

Old Style

• Old style fonts have the following characteristics:
• Old Style typefaces were designed to imitate handwriting. They are good book type, being highly legible.
• Font in this category: Bembo, Palatino, Trajan, Garamond, Caslon
• Example available of Palatino
• Example available of Garamond

Transitional

• The transitional typefaces bridged the Old Style and Modern periods, and took design elements from both styles.
• Baskerville introduced the transitional typefaces in 1757.
• Transitional typefaces are often used in text-heavy designs.
• Fonts in this category: Baskerville, Caslon, Times
• Example available of Baskerville
• Example available of Times

Modern

• Modern typefaces are distinctive: they employ strong vertical elements and very fine hairlines for a very contrasting look.
• Modern roman typefaces were introduced in the 1780s.
• Modern typefaces are well suited to headings and title pages.
• Fonts in this category: Bodoni, New Century Schoolbook
• Example available of Bodoni
• Example available of New Century Schoolbook

Slab Serif

• Slab serif typefaces use heavy, squared off finishing strokes — hence the name "slab" serif.
• This makes slab serif typefaces ideal for low quality printing: faxes and newsprint. They also read well on screen, and look good in presentations.
• Fonts in this category: Clarendon, Courier, Memphis, Rockwell
• Example available of Courier
• Example available of Rockwell

Sans Serif

• It is hotly debated whether or not sans serif is suitable for text. Most will say that it isn't, because it's the serif that leads the eye and makes type readable. Others will argue that sans serif type, when properly set, is perfectly suited to text.
• Fonts in this category: Franklin Gothic, Univers, Helvetica
• Example available of Franklin Gothic