Fonts, Visuality & The Body

After taking the quiz to find out what font I am, I was given "Times New Roman". Although it is a bit of a boring, common font, the decriptions fits me well. "Some call you timeless-- others call you a snob. Either way, you're a class act all around. Just don't take life to seriously." I was able to scaim through the other font descriptions, and then I was glad that I was given Times New Roman. Even though this is a totally unscientific quiz, it is interesting how we can apply attitudes and attributes to different fonts. After reading the article titled, "Helvetica", we see the history and evolution that fonts have come through. It is hard to imagine a world without fonts, and to be around as they were being created and manipulated. Type is something that goes unexamaned often. Although it is discussed and manipulated in the art world, it seems rare that we find discussion on meanings of text and type. Artists can create most anything, but text is what helps us understand more abstract concepts. The artist may try to portray a certain kind of feeling in an abstract form, but without text, it can be hard to figure out what exactly that artist was trying to convay. Having text in turn makes things more efficient as well. Imagine staring at a picture in a gallery, having no idea what emotion to feel. When text steps in, it is much more easily understood. When using texts, is is also important to choose a font for the proper viewing audience. If an image is bold, powerful and seems 'loud', maybe a font like Stencil or Impact. To direct an image or text to younger children, Comic Sans is a favorite. And for a little girl's birthday party, Party LET may be your choice. As papers are meant to be professional pieces of work, we use Times New Roman, which has become the standard. Individuals choose certain fonts depending on what kind of emotion or mood they are trying to convey. Most of us could not imagine a world without font and type. It really is everywhere from books to clothing and much more. With the rise of the internet and smartphones, we are seeing more text than ever before.