The art of typography plays an integral role in graphic design. Type surrounds us in many forms every day – sometimes it's done well, sometimes it's not. Good typography does not only give your subject legibility, it creates an aesthetic character which can influence the audience.

In this article we start by looking at the basic elements of typography and then we share our top 5 classic typefaces followed by 5 more recent inspirational additions.

OUR TOP 5 CLASSIC TYPEFACES AND THEIR HISTORY

Clarendon. Dates from 1845.
Clarendon is considered the first registered typeface. The font was common in wanted posters of the
American Old West.

Futura. Dates from 1927.
Futura is based on geometric shapes that became representative visual elements of the Bauhaus design style of 1919–1933. Futura avoids the decorative, eliminating non-essential elements.

Did you know? Futura is the first font on the moon. It was used on a commemorative plaque left by the astronauts of Apollo 11 in 1969.

Helvetica. Dates from 1957.
Helvetica is among the most widely used sans-serif typefaces. It is a popular choice for commercial logotypes, including those for 3M, American Airlines, BMW, Jeep, Kawasaki, Lufthansa, Microsoft, Motorola and Panasonic.

Caslon. Dates from 1722.
Caslon is cited as the first original typeface of English origin.

Din. Dates from 1923.
DIN started out as a signage font but is now used for a wide range of markets.

OUR TOP 5 RECENT TYPEFACES - AND WHY WE LOVE THEM.

Cocon
A typeface with lots of character with details reminiscent of brush-strokes. We love it's smooth rounded forms contrasted by sharp angles.

Sauna
Sauna has a warm and comfortable feeling. It is a typeface for all sizes – great for big bold headlines, with the lighter weights creating body copy, which has real personality whilst retaining legibility.

Capture It
There are plenty of stencil typefaces but not many deliver such a gritty urban look. We use this typeface for one of our building trade clients due to its bold, strong, no frills appearance.

Despeinada
A loose, spontaneous handwriting font that is rough and precise at the same time. There are not many handwriting fonts that look so natural.

Origins
A calligraphic font with a natural, rough look and feel. The perfect typeface for an organic company or product with heritage.