Resources
Links to articles and videos about: How-to, Font Management, Selecting & Pairing Type, History of Type, Classification, Anatomy, Identification, Education, Conferences, Literature, Online Resources, Who to Follow
Software How‑to
Links to various tutorials and sources of information on how to style, modify, and work with type (typography).
Adobe Photoshop
18 Hidden Tips About Type Tool
Photoshop tutorial from Tutvid.com. More about manipulating text than about setting it, but very informative (don’t use the “faux” bold or italic icons in the Character panel!).
Create Type
Tutorial with illustrations; type layers, point & paragraph type.
10 Tips for Great Type in Photoshop
Using the Glyphs palette in Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Using the Text Tool
Adobe Photoshop Elements tutorial with illustrations.
Affinity Designer
Artistic Text Tool — Steve Elliott
For use on a painting done in Procreate; kerning on a path; for iPad.
Advanced Typography
OpenType layout features; for iPad.
Frame Text Tool
Basic text setting in Affinity Designer; for iPad.
Art Text Tool for iPad
Adding scalable decorative text to your design.
Quick Tip: Flip Text on a Curve — Tobias Steiner (FrameHaus)
Quick tip to gain better control of your text on a path.
Create an Offset Path — Jenco Designs
Outlines as separate objects.
Importing Fonts
Installing fonts from the cloud.
Layer Effects
Adding layer effects nondestructively.
Adobe Illustrator
Type on a Path — Teela Cunningham
How to type on a path in Illustrator.
How to Create a Vintage Text Effect in Illustrator — SpoonGraphics
Highly illustrated tutorial.
Special Characters & OpenType Layout Features
Includes contextual pop‑up for selected character and the Glyphs panel; tutorial with illustrations.
Create a Hatched Drop-shadow Effect — Teela Cunningham
One‑off text effect (as shapes, not editable text).
How to Create Custom Type — Eric Vasquez
Advantages of commercial fonts; OpenType features; editable text.
How to Create Decorative Text — Hikeart
Basic conversion of text to shapes, then decorating them.
Add Text to Your Designs
Tutorial with embedded videos and sample files: add a line or paragraph of text, then format it, place it on a path, and reshape it.
How to Create Custom Type Designs — SpoonGraphics
Customizing type from an existing font and using OpenType layout features (complements the “vintage effects” video).
Microsoft Office
Using styles in Word (video)
Using quick styles.
Customize or create new styles in Word
Tutorial page with illustrations.
Change the look of text (video)
Basic text manipulation.
OpenType Ligatures in Office 2010
Tutorial on using ligatures and other OpenType layout features.
How can I use different numerals in Microsoft Word?
Explanation of where to find OpenType layout features such as old‑style figures and ligatures.
Other
Design Your Own Fonts: From Paper to Screen — Natanael Gama
Skillshare class using paper and Glyphs app. Intro is public; full class requires a free trial.
Non‑Latin Typefaces
Seven rules for perfect Japanese typography — Eiko Nagase
The long, incredibly tortuous and fascinating process of creating a Chinese font — Nikhil Sonnad
Interview with Aleksandra Samulenkova
Interview about her workshop on designing Cyrillic typefaces.
Interview with Dr. Mamoun Sakkal
On the design of the Shilia typeface, a streamlined, geometric Arabic typeface designed to work with sans serif Latin typefaces.
Font Management
Links to various useful applications for managing your font library.
PopChar (Windows)
Application for viewing and accessing all the characters in a font.
PopChar (Mac)
Application for viewing and accessing all the characters in a font.
Suitcase Fusion
Powerful commercial font‑management application.
NexusFont
Free font‑management application for Windows.
FontBase
Free font‑management application for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
RightFont App
Commercial font‑management application for Mac.
Typeface 2
Commercial font‑management application for Mac.
AnyFont
Inexpensive application for installing fonts on iOS devices.
Ultra Character Map
Commercial character‑map application for finding glyphs and comparing typefaces; Mac only.
Selecting & Pairing Type
These links give recommendations on how to choose type families that work well together.
Font Moods
Chart of different categories of typeface and words describing the moods they might express or evoke.
(Note: the typeface shown as “Modern Serif” is actually Trajan, Carol Twombly’s digital version of the letters on the Trajan column in ancient Rome: the ultimate old‑style type.)
Questions to consider when choosing type
Basic questions to consider when choosing type, primarily for the web, with examples.
Interview with Jessica Morla on type selection
Article/interview on San Francisco designer and AIGA medalist Jessica Morla, focusing on her innovative use of type, with illustrations from the Letterform Archive.
Slab Serifs — Ilene Strizver
Comparison of seven slab‑serif type families sold by Monotype.
Old Style Typefaces — Ilene Strizver
Comparison of seven old‑style type families sold by Monotype.
10 Tips for Great Type in Photoshop
A how‑to on using the Glyphs palette in Photoshop; includes one tip about choosing type.
The Best Brochure Fonts — John D. Berry
Choosing and using typefaces for brochures.
FontJoy
Helps you pair fonts.
FontPair
Helps you pair fonts, especially Google Fonts.
TypIO
Another site for pairing fonts.
History of Type
Useful resources for learning the history of type.
History of European Calligraphy — International Exhibition of Calligraphy
About the origins of writing and the development of the Latin alphabet: the precursor to Western type.
Related Type Families — Peter Biľak
Short article on complementary serif and sans serif type families and multilingual type families.
Demystifying the Copperplate/Spencerian Script Enigma — Dr. Joseph Vitolo
History of Copperplate and Spencerian handwriting styles and the differences between them.
Elegant Script: Spencerian and Copperplate Roundhand — Jake Rainis
Long blog post on these two script styles and distinctions in letter forms between them.
Early Typographers — Design Is History
Brief look at early typographers and type designers.
Early Evolution of Roman Letters (1) — Allan Haley
Overview of ancient Roman writing styles from square capitals to cursive.
Dot‑font: Talking about Fonts — John D. Berry
Links to free download of this book of essays about type and its history.
Classification
Sources and explanations of how type can be classified.
Type Classifications — Allan Haley
Overview of a traditional classification system for Latin typefaces.
TypeTalk: Type Classifications — Ilene Strizver
Another overview of traditional Latin type classification.
Who Shot the Serif? — John Boardley
Introduction to the world of serifs.
The Return of the Serif — John Boardley
Identifying different styles of serif; part 2 of the above.
Italic Subtleties — Toshi Omagari
Explanation of italic styles and fake italic styling.
Type Classification — Design is History
Overview of traditional classification of Latin typefaces.
Anatomy
Links about the anatomy of letterforms in Latin and other scripts.
Anatomy of a Typeface — Typedia
Learn about the anatomy of a typeface.
The A‑Z of Typographic Terms — Fontsmith
Infographic listing type terminology.
Font Anatomy Design Guide — Marc Schenker
Basic explanation of parts of Latin letters, with individual illustrations.
Anatomy of a Character — Ilene Strizver
Definitions of terms for describing Latin letter forms.
A Visual Guide to the Anatomy of Typography — Orana Velarde
Elements of Latin letters, plus type styles and spacing.
Arabic Type Anatomy — Azza Alameddine
Well‑illustrated article on Arabic type design.
Arabic Type Anatomy & Typographic Terms — 29LT Blog
Tackles the problem of typographic terminology for Arabic type.
Devanagari Type Anatomy — Pooja Saxena
Well‑illustrated article on Devanagari type design.
Identification
Resources to help identify typefaces.
Identifont
Search for fonts based on appearance, name, similarity, pictorial/symbol content, or designer/publisher.
WhatTheFont
MyFonts’ browser tool for identifying typefaces by uploading an image.
WhatTheFont – iOS app
MyFonts’ iOS tool for identifying typefaces from images.
Font Matcherator
Fontspring’s tool for identifying typefaces by uploading an image or a URL.
What Font Is…
Tool for identifying typefaces by uploading an image or a URL (requires download).
Education
A few educational programs in typography or graphic design that emphasize typography.
Department of Typography & Graphic Communication
One of the major programs for obtaining a Master’s degree in typeface design.
KABK
Prestigious art and design program in the Netherlands; strong typography and type design.
SVA Design Courses
Undergraduate and Continuing Education courses in graphic design in New York City.
HMCT
At (but not formally part of) ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.
“Created to serve as a home, and catalyst, for the enhanced study of typography and letterform design…”
Cooper Union – Art
Noted art & design school in New York City; home of Type@Cooper.
RISD
Leading design school with several noted type designers among faculty and alumni.
TypeCulture Academic Resource
“A directory, archive and educational aid for design students, educators and professionals who are seeking information about type.”
MECA Graphic Design
Graphic design program with strong typographic knowledge; Portland, Maine.
VCFA MFA Graphic Design
MFA noted for integrating design and writing; Montpelier, Vermont.
UW School of Art
Strong graphic design program with typographic emphasis; Seattle, Washington.