If the font is the song, the typeface is the artist. For example, you might love the typeface Futura because of its modernist look, and so the font you used for the captions on your site is Futura Condensed Extra Bold 8 point. Then we refine it down to a specific font by setting its size, weight, style and sometimes the character set such as Roman, Cyrillic or Greek when we use it. We choose a typeface because of its common aesthetic qualities. Usually it doesn’t matter, but when the distinction is important it might help to look at it like this. “For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably and most clients probably don’t know the difference either so when we’re presenting directly to them we use simple, straightforward terminology that doesn’t suggest we’re attempting to overcomplicate things.”Īnd he’s right. “It’s probably sacrilege but I’m not sure I’ve ever known the difference,” says Dave Sedgwick, founder of Studio DBD (opens in new tab) in Manchester. However, in most circumstances even experienced designers alternate between the two and we’re not ashamed to admit that it even happens right here on Creative Bloq. For example, EU law stipulates a minimum size for the text in the nutrition declaration. In the world of packaging, there are consumer protection regulations to adhere to. For most people these days, the terms ‘font’ and ‘typeface’ are often used interchangeably Dave Sedgwickīrand guidelines (see our favourite example style guides) are another case in point with identity designers choosing typefaces in certain sizes and weights to support the brand aesthetic they want to portray.