From Merriam-Webster:
font (fänt):
1a: a receptacle for baptismal water
b: a receptacle for holy water
c: a receptacle for various liquids
2: SOURCE, FOUNTAIN
a font of information
3: an assortment or set of type or characters all of one style and sometimes one size
History and Etymology for font
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin font-, fons, from Latin, fountain
Noun (2)
French fonte, from Middle French, act of founding, from Vulgar Latin *fundita, feminine of funditus, past participle of Latin fundere to found, pour — more at FOUND
Malcolm Gladwell’s distinctive book covers use the Caslon font. The Declaration of Independence — Caslon. Finally taking on his David and Goliath, I’m reflecting on font — how it mirrors essence when a design expression is unified.
Gladwell’s literary artistry brings the timeless into new ways of seeing and beholding. So does his print identity, and indeed, almost everything about his visual presentation, if you look closely. There’s an intriguing combination of minimal modern and old-school that’s consistent. That consistency almost feels like a brief digital handshake, pointing to the real instead of only the virtual.
Looking ahead to font trends in 2020, I’m seeing something called “humanizing serifs.” “Classical influence,” too. Though it reminds me of the endless corridors of millennial “folk” and “provisions” storefronts lining my life, I like the feel. Maybe our fonts — and their sources — will humanize in the coming year.
