Good poster font?

January 18, 2006 1:43 PM

What's a good, free font for use on a 5-foot-across poster that will be filled with lots of text? (Body text will be 20-25 points.)
posted by Tlogmer to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

I've always been partial to Optima.
posted by rossination at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2006

Gotham.
posted by riffola at 1:52 PM on January 18, 2006

Er I am not a typographic wizard, I just like Gotham.
posted by riffola at 1:53 PM on January 18, 2006

Typefaces with higher-than-average x-height tend to have better readability from a distance and are good for signage applications.

Univers is an inexpensive option. You might search Linotype's site for other Frutiger inventions. These aren't free but you get what you pay for.
posted by Rothko at 1:54 PM on January 18, 2006

Best answer: DIN
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 2:32 PM on January 18, 2006

Response by poster: Din looks just about perfect -- thanks! (Will it do for body text as well? I don't want to shell out the $22 before knowing.)
posted by Tlogmer at 3:23 PM on January 18, 2006

Best answer: A number of free fonts here. I'm quite fond of Lacuna though it's not appropriate for signage (you want a heavier typeface for that). District Thin found through Fontleech.com is also very agreeable. Browse through FL for other free single typefaces and foundries.

Are you asking for headline and body text fonts? DIN is nice but you'll need different styles for different purposes.
posted by junesix at 3:44 PM on January 18, 2006

Mm, DIN looks quite similar to what I was envisioning when I imagined a good poster font.

(I don't actually have any fonts to suggest, just wanted to note that.)
posted by limeonaire at 3:45 PM on January 18, 2006

Response by poster: I ended up using blue highway and district thin; it came out pretty well.
posted by Tlogmer at 3:18 PM on February 19, 2006