Comments on: Good poster font?

Question: Good poster font?

Tlogmer — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:43:22 -0800

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.)

By: rossination

rossination — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:48:01 -0800

I've always been partial to Optima.

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:52:40 -0800

Gotham.

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:53:12 -0800

Er I am not a typographic wizard, I just like Gotham.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:54:14 -0800

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.

By: Etaoin Shrdlu

Etaoin Shrdlu — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 14:32:55 -0800

DIN

By: Tlogmer

Tlogmer — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:23:41 -0800

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.)

By: junesix

junesix — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:44:22 -0800

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.

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:45:47 -0800

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.)

By: Tlogmer

Tlogmer — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 15:18:38 -0800

I ended up using blue highway and district thin; it came out pretty well.