Articles
Pairing typefaces
17 September 2005
Rarely does one select only one typeface or font-family for use in a project. Even the most meager typographic needs require two fonts—a serif and a sans-serif. Over the years I’ve developed three primary approaches to pairing fonts, so I’d like to share them and see if anyone else out there uses a similar process.
The first method is simply choosing fonts that are similar or harmonious in structure. These are fonts that share similar characteristics such as x-height, width, and basic form (like humanist or geometric). FTF Stella and Adobe Minion are shown below as a demonstration for pairing humanist forms. If one wanted to pair geometric forms, you may consider Futura and Bodoni. It is not uncommon now for a serif type family to be designed along with a sans family—one such example is Scala Serif and Scala Sans.
A more common method is perhaps contrast. Types that are from opposite ends of the spectrum can often bring out the best in each other. A chunky, fat sans-serif can accentuate the delicate lines in an old-style serif. Publication designs often incorporate bold sans or slab designs as headlines opposite serifed text. Maple and Tribute are used to demonstrate this below.
Sometimes a broader typographic palette is required, so a more eclectic approach is needed. Beyond the basic serif and sans-serif there are slab-serifs, scripts, blackletters, and others that can be carefully combined to create rich typographic layers. Eclectic type combinations can easily produce documents that can stand up without photography or illustration. The following sample incorporates Monotype Grotesque (two width variations), Clarendon, and Adobe Caslon. Hopefully, I will later post a full-page sample that better demonstrates this approach.
These three approaches sum up my experience in selecting types for different jobs, and each is certainly more suited to specific applications. But I would like to hear other thought processes on pairing typefaces. Are they similar to what I’ve mentioned, or do you have your own approach? Please share…
