Are you confused by the way these two terms are used in the context of typography for web applications? A typeface is often incorrectly referred to as font. However, the two terms have different meanings. Let’s find out what each one stands for:
Typeface
It is also known as Font Family. Each font of a typeface has a specific weight, style, condensation, width, slant, italicization. A typeface is generally referred to by family + face. For example, Calibri Bold Italic would be referred to as the typeface where Calibri is the Family and Calibri Italic is the face.
Typefaces are divided into two main categories: Serif and Sans Serif. Serifs have the small features at the end of strokes within letters.Sans Serifs does not have to extend features called the end of strokes. Sans-serif fonts have less line width variation in comparison to serif fonts.
Font
A font is a digital file that contains/describes the typeface.A font is described as a subset of blocks in that very typeface–but each font constitutes a particular size, weight, width, and style.It is the way a typeface is styled. Hence, there are many different fonts based on a single typeface.
Example showing the difference between them :
Typeface: Calibri
Fonts:
Calibri Regular,
Calibri Black,
Calibri Bold,
Calibri Italic,
9pt Calibri Bold Italic … and many many more.
There are thousands of typefaces, each has a separate design and a different way to represent characters.
Fonts are very important for any website, app or infographics. Apart from portraying information to others it also reflects theme and ideology of your respective brands. For examples, all Giant brands have their unique fonts which reflect their brand. You can recognize them by just observing their font. Fonts are so strong’s medium of the image that by just looking at font you can recognize from which time article, website or infographics belong from. For example, Retro fonts reflect vintage era you can easily recognize them and the same way if see some slick font you can easily tell that it is from modern time as it is in trend these days.
