Pairing type can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned of designers. Proper combinations can make a design, while poorly chosen pairs can break it.

H&FJ, creators of the now ubiquitous Gotham and typographers extraordinaire, have put together a guide with four ways to mix fonts.

Its the interplay between fonts that gives them energy. The more distant the moods in a typographic palette, the friskier the design will be. Here, three fonts with distinctive silhouettes have been chosen for their contrasting dispositions: the unabashed toughness of Tungsten is a foil for both Archers sweetness, and the cheekiness of Gotham Rounded.

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Tags:   fonts · gotham · H&FJ · how · typeNo Comments.

MoMA has recently added 23 digital typefaces to its “Architecture and Design Collection.” There are some wonderful examples of beautiful letterforms here, as well as some historically important faces like OCR-A (used in barcodes). Matthew Carter, Jonathan Hoefler, Tobias Frere-Jones can collectively claim authorship to over half of the list.

Below is Hoefler & Jones’s Mercury.

From MoMa:

This first selection of 23 typefaces represent a new branch in our collection tree. They are all digital or designed with a foresight of the scope of the digital revolution, and they all significantly respond to the technological advancements occurring in the second half of the twentieth century. Each is a milestone in the history of typography.

The 23 acquired typefaces are:

• American Type Founders OCR-A (1966)
• Wim Crouwel New Alphabet (1967)
• Matthew Carter Bell Centennial (1976-78)
• Matthew Carter ITC Galliard (1978)
• Erik Spiekermann FF Meta (1984-1991)
• Zuzana Licko Oakland (1985)
• Jeffery Keedy Keedy Sans (1991)
• Erik van Blokland and Just van Rossum FF Beowolf (1990)
• Barry Deck Template Gothic (1990)
• P. Scott Makela Dead History (1990)
• Jonathan Hoefler HTF Didot (1991)
• Neville Brody FF Blur (1992)
• Jonathan Barnbrook Mason (1992)
• Matthew Carter Mantinia (1993)
• Tobias Frere-Jones Interstate (1993-95)
• Matthew Carter Big Caslon (1994)
• Albert-Jan Pool FF DIN (1995)
• Matthew Carter Walker (1995)
• Matthew Carter Verdana (1996)
• Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones Mercury (1996)
• Matthew Carter Miller (1997)
• Jonathan Hoefler & Tobias Frere-Jones Retina (1999)
• Jonathan Hoefler & Tobias Frere-Jones Gotham (2000)

Tags:   h&j · hoefler · hoefler & jones · jones · letterforms · matthew carter · moma · typographyNo Comments.

Logonom is in the logo business and has been over 113 years.

Confused about logos and how they work? Take a look at this…

Tags:   funny · logo · videoNo Comments.

Ever wonder what typeface is in your favorite TV show’s logo? Probably not, but Webdesigner Depot has the answers you never knew you wanted.

For example, Seinfeld uses ITC Fenice Oblique and Modern Family is a combination of Helvetica 35 Thin and Didot Roman. Now that’s some trivia for you.

Tags:   fonts · modern family · seinfeld · tv · typefaceNo Comments.

Peter Lawrence discusses why design matters and how businesses can use good design to their advantage as a part of the larger Design Matters video series. Inspirational for both designers and business people.

Design doesn’t matter, it’s essential. It’s essential because it connects to people. What they care about, their aspirations, it’s the way an organization can do that.

Tags:   design matters · peter lawrence · videoNo Comments.