Fontography term or pretentious blather?

Raymond Chen

Fontography is like wine. The connoisseurs speak in a language that only superficially resembles English.

Here’s a list of words. Which of them are terms used in fontography, and which are just pretentious blather?

• aloof
• assertive
• cold
• cuddly
• humanist
• international
• neutral
• no-nonsense
• open
• quirky

If you aren’t familiar with font speak, here’s a sample I stole from an old article on the evolution of the Internet explorer logo:

In The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst, “this typeface is described as a heavy un-modulated line and tiny aperture (which) evoke an image of uncultivated strength, force and persistence.”

Bonus link: Cheese or Font?

Raymond Chen

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