How to Identify a Typeface

Many typefaces are available to the graphic designers. Gating to know them has always been a problem, especially for the beginner. Adding to the problem is the ability of digital systems to distort a basic alphabet into hundreds of variations. Aside from obvious differences of basic styles (roman, italic, sans serif, script, etc.) certain key characters and their parts should he carefully studied.

Most differences are in the lowercase letters. The one letter that is most often different in different alphabets is the lowercase g.
• Shown on the above image is the variety that exists in twenty-four typefaces.
• Note the subtle difference in the Garamond, Jenson, and Times Roman
• Also note the Caslon 540 and Caslon old face: they are not the same, but the casual observer might think that they are.

Characteristics of other letters are also shown to give the reader some clues for further recognition.

There are three basic groups of sans serif types:
1. grotesque or gothic
2. geometric
3. humanist.

Grotesque (often shortened to Grot) and Gothic are 19th century designs with nearly uniform proportions See Helvetica and News Gothic. Sans serif types, like Futura, are very mechanical. Humanist designs follow classic proportion of Roman Capitals and Renaissance lowercase. Many have thick/thin stress and calligraphical elements. An example is Optima.


Here are many varieties of lowercase t. The tops are flats or curved or pointed, and the bottoms are either flat or curved, parts to be observed in identifying a typeface style.

Observe the variations on the letter e set in different typefaces. The cloister has an angled crossbar. Baskerville blends gracefully from thick to thin. The Garamond has a freehand look, with a high loop and crossbar. The Bodoni changes abruptly from thick to thin and has a straight curve. The curve of Caslon 540 has weight towards the bottom.

Here are five varieties of serifs on the letter u. Serifs are not the only way to identify type, but you will become more sensitive to such subtle changes as these when developing a better understanding of letter forms.

In any alphabet more differences in form will be found in these letters than in any others

Hope this post will help you in understanding different typeface types.

Parts of typeface

In typography, a typeface is a coordinated set of glyphs designed with stylistic unity. A typeface usually comprises an alphabet of letters, numerals, and punctuation marks; it may also include ideograms and symbols, or consist entirely of them, for example, mathematical or map-making symbols. Described here are the correct names with definition and example for the parts of type characters. One should always use them whenever referring to the parts.

STEM: The stem is the main, usually vertical stroke of a type character. It also known as "stroke". The vertical, non-curved portions of L, l, d, B, and p are examples of stems. H, N, and M have two stems each. Some letterforms such as y and A may have a sloped or diagonal stem.

CROSSBAR: The horizontal stroke across the middle of a type character is called crossbar. It also known as bar, arm and cross stroke. The cross bar connects the diagonal strokes of an uppercase A or the vertical stems of an H. In contrast, the cross stroke intersects the stem of a lowercase t or f while the arms of an uppercase F connect to the stem only at one end.

ARM: The arm of a letter is the horizontal stroke on some characters that does not connect to a stroke or stem at one or both ends. The top of the capital T and the horizontal strokes of the F and E are examples of arms. The arms of an uppercase F connect to the stem only at one end and the arm of an uppercase T sits at the top of the stem and doesn't connect at either end.

EXTENDER: An extender is that part of a letter that extends above the x-height or below the baseline. An ascender and a descender are extenders.

TAIL: The descending, often decorative stroke on the letter Q or the descending, often curved diagonal stroke on K or R is the tail.

BOWL: The curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts of some letters such as d, b, o, D, and B is the bowl. Some sources call any parts of a letter enclosing a space a bowl, including both parts of a double-storey g and the straight stem on a D or B.

EYE: The eye refers specifically to the enclosed space in a lowercase e. It also known as counter.

EAR: Typically found on the lower case g, an ear is a decorative flourish usually on the upper right side of the bowl. Similar to a serif, the ear can be a distinctive, identifying element of some typefaces.

SPUR: Similar to but generally smaller than a serif or beak, a spur is a small bit at the end of certain curved portions of a character such as the end(s) of a C or S or the middle of G. It also known as barb, cat's ear.

BEAK: A beak is a type of decorative stroke at the end of the arm of a letter, connected to the arm by the terminal. Similar to a spur or serif, it is usually more pronounced.


Other parts of typefaces are shown below: