Section 6 · Typography

Type Classification

Definition

The grouping of typefaces into families by shared historical and formal traits — serif, sans-serif, slab serif, script, and display among the broad categories.

Why it matters

Classification gives you a vocabulary for choosing and pairing type, and a mental map of which forms carry which associations and reading behaviors.

Example
An image of type set in Space Grotesk detailing the difference between and typeface and a font.
NN/G