- [Instructor] There is an international standard
of type classification
which is based on an initial definition
by Maximilien Vox back in 1954.
But as it requires a lot of historical context and more
what we're going to do is use some simpler,
basic type classifications
so you have an idea of the different kinds
of typefaces that exist.
We'll begin with Serif typefaces,
which have the small extensions at the end
of some of their strokes.
Known as Serifs, these are good typefaces to use
in body text for print, as the Serifs help to guide the eye.
Sans Serif letterforms do not have any extensions.
And this will probably make sense when you learn
that Sans Serif actually means without Serif.
Sans Serif typefaces are particularly good for screens
which is why you'll see them used on lots of websites
and in apps.
Slab Serifs are heavier, bolder Serifs,
which make for great headlines and poster text,
which is, I believe, where their origins lie.
Lesser forms that are based on calligraphic strokes
are known as Script,
and have some that are formal and others less so,
which are referred to as casual.
Script fonts are used in several different contexts,
but never as the main text of a document.
Blackletter letterforms are based
on some of the earliest printing typefaces,
and they themselves were based on the decorative lettering
of medieval scribes.
Although through time, many versions
have become highly stylized.
Monospaced typefaces
have characters that are all equally spaced,
just as the output from typewriters would have been.
All characters in a font are actually designed
using a box that is invisible to us,
and it varies between letters.
These are known as proportionally spaced,
but with monospaced fonts, this is not the case.
You'll find these fonts used a lot in technical situations
such as displaying code, for example
Handwritten typefaces are designed to emulate
hand-drawn letterforms to varying degrees.
And finally, decorative letterforms are mostly
designed to be used as large display fonts.
They may share some of the characteristics
of other classifications, but often pushed to an extreme.