In class (and over email) some of you expressed interest in thinking more about choosing and combining typefaces. In class we talked about making decisions based on the demands the text (or copy) and media (or format) makes on the typeface. For instance, an annual report with excessive acronyms will benefit from selecting a typeface with “true” small caps. We also talked a little bit about considering where the typeface will ultimately live for instance, is is a wedding invitation printed letterpress, digital or litho offset printing?or will it live online, on an ipad, as part of an app, video, kindle? The designer might consider the scale: billboard? business card? Are the letterforms to be “knocked out” or “reversed out” of a color?
Chapter Six entitled, “Choosing & Combining Type” in Bringhurst’s wonderful book (also our textbook) The Elements of Typographic Style is an excellent overview and presents a range of typefaces to consider. In addition if you have not seen Frank Chimero’s blacklist and whitelist, you should refer to them also.
Another reference used in this post is from Hoefler & Frere-Jones and it gives great tips on which fonts may work well together, Hoefler & Frere-Jones share, “building a palatte is an intuitive process, but expanding a typographic duet to three, four, or even five voices can be daunting.” They offer four tips which are “H&FJ’s Highly Scientific First Principle of Combining Fonts: keep one thing consistent, and let one thing vary.”
Part One: Choosing A Typeface.
1. Bringhurst recommends choosing “typefaces that suit the paper, task (short or long amount of text) or medium you are designing for first.”

2. Bringhurst shares that when choosing a typeface ask yourself: are there historical associations that will harmonize with the text. Is the content of the text or providence of the text specific to a period and place in time?

Jessica Hische
Jessica Hische
Jessica Hische


Jessica Hische

Jessica Hische

Jessica Hische
3. When choosing a typeface ask yourself: do I need smallcaps? are numerals important? non-lining numerals, tabular numbers, or three-quater-height lining numerals? or do I need a matching sans-serif?

Hoefler & Frere-Jones, Four Ways to Mix & Combine Typefaces
Part Two: Combining Typefaces
Another great Bringhurst “tip” regarding combining typefaces: “Just don’t do it.”
Choose a typeface with a large family and stick with it — many a text can be set beautifully in only one typeface! The safest, (smartest?) bet in creating continuity in visual form is to rely on a single large type family. Choose a typeface with various weights and proportions within the family provide a range of versatility.

According to Bringhurst its best to pair serifed and unserifed faces based on their inner structure. (6.5.5) For instance if you choose Futura, a geometric typeface consider perhaps Bodoni whose forms are based on geometry also.

So, you want to combine typefaces such as serifed faces? Choose vividly contrasting typefaces perhaps like these:

Eric Kass
Hoefler & Frere-Jones, Four Ways to Mix & Combine Typefaces

When combining typefaces select typefaces that share similar proportions. When setting a typeface side-by-side consider their x-height and extension.
From the online article “Four Rules For Combining Typefaces” by Allan Haley.
from: http://assets.dynamicgraphics.com/dgmfigures/14846.gif
When combining typefaces limit combinations of typefaces. Keep it simple.

Hoefler & Frere-Jones, Four Ways to Mix & Combine Typefaces 
