Graphic Design - Typography Choices

Graphic Design
For a graphic designer, the choice of a font has a critical impact on the feel of the project. The font chosen for a website, magazine cover, or for a building inscription must be carefully considered.

What font would you, as a graphic designer, choose for the inscription on the marble slab at the base of the Freedom Tower, now under construction at the destroyed World Trade Center site? This is not a trivial decision. One might begin by looking at, and photographing building inscriptions all around New York City. You must consider the feel, the impact, the context, and the readability of the lettering. You must respect the situation. Actually, the font that was chosen was a Gotham typeface designed by Tobias Frere-Jones. This typeface can be seen on many office buildings in New York City, including the Port Authority Bus Station. This Gotham font will bring a sense of place and context to the inscription.

Some basic terminology may be of assistance in first investigating the question of typography choice. A font is a large and complete set of all of the characters and symbols that comprise a particular typeface. A typeface (sometimes used interchangeably with font) is the appearance or visual style of the type. Kerning is the spacing between characters.

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