Comments on: Best fonts of the Web

Question: Best fonts of the Web

killdevil — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:24:43 -0800

What are your favorite fonts?

More specifically -- what are your favorite "modern" sans-serif fonts? I'm looking for striking specimens of typography that are clean, simple, elegant, and visually distinct.

I'm also looking for pointers to "the best of the Web" for the typographically-inclined -- sites focused on fonts and their contribution to superior visual design.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:36:18 -0800

Typophile should be your first destination. Blogwise, there's Typographica.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:36:52 -0800

I used to like one called "Overprint" so much I even bought it. Not sure if the linked version is the same exact one. This was years ago. But it has a nice multiple-generation-photocopy bleed to it, and blends well as headline text.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:39:19 -0800

My favourite new sans-serif fonts that match your criteria are Neutraface by House Industries and Gotham by Hoefler & Frere-Jones.

By: riffola

riffola — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:41:44 -0800

I love Gotham, and Consolas for fixed width.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:42:02 -0800

...and my favourite older-but-modern sans-serif font remains Futura.

By: papercake

papercake — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:50:30 -0800

I love Neutraface. And Futura, used well, can be gorgeous.

But the workhorse of sans-serifs, for me is Trade Gothic. Especially condensed.

By: geoff.

geoff. — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:53:37 -0800

Futura is awesome. Kubrick loved it too, I heard that everything he labeled around his house was in Futura Bold. It gives this overwhelming in your face "read me" vibe to it. I love it so much I'm actually taking Futura out to dinner this week.

By: Hildago

Hildago — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:02:07 -0800

Kenyan Coffee for titles.

By: sciurus

sciurus — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:04:02 -0800

Gill Sans

By: heatherann

heatherann — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:10:27 -0800

I like Dax.

By: Dean King

Dean King — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:15:28 -0800

TheSans
DIN 1451
Rotis Sans Serif
---
SpeakUp's Typography section

By: BorgLove

BorgLove — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:20:25 -0800

FF Din. Interstate. Avenir. Chalet.

By: jonah

jonah — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:25:07 -0800

Definitely not for web use, but I loved Chopin Script for some formal invitations. This doesn't fit any of your requirements, other than elegant (in my mind).

By: keswick

keswick — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:26:11 -0800

Comic Sans, baby.

By: cribcage

cribcage — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:31:01 -0800

Verdana.

By: tweak

tweak — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:33:13 -0800

Wes Anderson loves Futura (so do I).

By: Goblindegook

Goblindegook — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:46:52 -0800

Globale.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:53:11 -0800

If everything were written in Verdana, I would not complain at all.

By: filmgeek

filmgeek — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 09:54:09 -0800

another vote for gill sans

By: ScottUltra

ScottUltra — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:07:05 -0800

Besides Gil Sans and Futura, I'm also partial to Frutiger (especially Frutiger Light, all caps).

By: ijsbrand

ijsbrand — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:25:25 -0800

Optima, Gill Sans, and I even like one of Microsoft's attempts at a new screen font: the Candara

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:25:26 -0800

Frutiger and DIN.

By: zadcat

zadcat — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:26:05 -0800

Ooh. The Sans, yes, Gill Sans, yes, also Linotype Veto, Bliss, Regulator, Mercury.

By: Chrischris

Chrischris — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:28:40 -0800

Futura, baby!

Oh, and I like Frutiger as well. (and Minion, if serifs are called for.)

By: rolypolyman

rolypolyman — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:33:42 -0800

Thanks for including the links to the type samples -- I find this a very useful thread, as I do small-potatoes publishing work.

By: sonnet

sonnet — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:41:08 -0800

Wes Anderson has sealed my fate as a forever-futura-lover. So clean. So pretty.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:46:35 -0800

Futura. I also have an irrational love for Helvetica, so perhaps you should ignore me...

By: signal

signal — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 11:13:27 -0800

I asked a similar question about sans fonts here.

By: kindall

kindall — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 11:34:36 -0800

I still have a weakness for Eras Ultra.

By: me3dia

me3dia — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:22:05 -0800

Futura and Gotham.

By: idiotfactory

idiotfactory — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:31:26 -0800

Futura and Optima

By: Termite

Termite — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 13:20:44 -0800

Amplitude

By: Goblindegook

Goblindegook — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 13:42:51 -0800

I also have an irrational love for Helvetica, so perhaps you should ignore me...

You're not alone, it is a gorgeous font. By the way, I was trying to avoid mentioning the same fonts as everyone else, but I second (or third, or fourth . . .) every recommendation for Gill Sans (which has beautiful capitals) and Futura.

By: quadog

quadog — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 14:27:14 -0800

I'll dissent here and say that while both Gill Sans. Futura Optima have great qualities I think in recent years they have started to look a bit dated to me, belonging to an era before the advent of digital typography. DIN has been mentioned as well but this typeface doesn't take any chances - I generally only use it for logotypes.

I've been using The Sans, Univers and Trade Gothic a lot lately.

By: Vervain

Vervain — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 16:38:47 -0800

Futura all the way, baby. Gill Sans too, and Optima when you want a sans-that-kinda-feels-like-a-serif. I guess I'm old-school.

I was deeply in love with Kabel for several years...it was the pointy capital "M" that hooked me. Then, overnight, it started showing up everywhere, usually used in the worst possible way. (Taco Bell was the big offender.) It was never the same after that, so I had to take up with Futura. Fortunately it wasn't as bad as the rampant (and ongoing!) abuse of, say, Lithos and Cooper Black, which have a lot farther to go before they recover.

Comic Sans, of course, is Satan's handiwork and should be shunned.

By: clh

clh — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 17:15:21 -0800

Formata

By: Hogshead

Hogshead — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 17:29:06 -0800

Gill Sans. Univers 55.

I know you didn't really ask for serif fonts, but a wise man once said, "When in doubt, set it in Caslon." Bernard Shaw insisted that everything he wrote was set in Caslon. I once won a design award for a book set entirely in Caslon. Caslon rocks.

By: JPowers

JPowers — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 10:41:54 -0800

Maybe you'll think this is lame, but I love some of these Nine Inch Nail fonts.

By: junesix

junesix — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 18:15:49 -0800

Typographica picked some beautiful sans serif typefaces for their Favorite Fonts of 2004.

By: Typographica

Typographica — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 02:33:03 -0800

Favorite sans faces were recently discussed at YayHooray.

By: killdevil

killdevil — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 14:51:10 -0800

Thanks to all for so many great answers.

By: blue shadows

blue shadows — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 00:35:57 -0800

I recently discovered Della Robbia BT, which is not a sans serif, but which I just cannot praise enough. Also love Gill Sans.