typeco.com

In typography, type is the general term for the design of letters and the material or digital form that carries them; typeface is the design itself (for example, Chunkfeeder), and font is a specific delivered version of that design (a particular weight, style, or file). Use "type" when speaking broadly about letterforms and typesetting, "typeface" when naming the design, and "font" when you mean the file or the specific style you install. On a foundry site such as TYPECO, the catalogue is organised by typeface family, with the number of fonts listed under each name.

Type vs. typeface vs. font

A useful rule: you license or install a font; you choose a typeface for a project; you talk about type when discussing the craft or the category.

Where "typography" fits

Typography is the practice and result of arranging type — spacing, size, hierarchy, line length. Type is the raw material; typography is what you do with it. Confusing the two is one of the most common mix-ups, and it leads to vague briefs like "make the typography better" when the real issue is the typeface choice or the spacing.

How a foundry catalogue is organised

A digital type foundry is a studio that designs and releases typefaces, then licenses them to users. TYPECO describes itself as the digital type foundry for the designs of James Grieshaber, putting a modern spin on familiar concepts to create bold and versatile font families.

Its catalogue shows the standard structure you will meet on most foundry sites:

• Family name, often with a trademark symbol, followed by the font count — for example, Super Duty ™ • 25 FONTS, Cypher ™ • 24 FONTS, Cusp ™ • 18 FONTS.
• Smaller families where the design is a single style or a short set — Reenie Beanie ™ • 1 FONT, Zaftig ®TM • 1 FONT, Gothic Gothic ™ • 3 FONTS.
• Mid-size families — Chunkfeeder ™ • 6 FONTS, Glyphic Neue ™ • 6 FONTS, Trapper ™ • 8 FONTS.

The font count is the quickest signal of how flexible a family is. A 25-font family usually spans multiple weights and widths, which suits a full identity system; a 1-font family is a display face you use for a headline or a logo, not for body text.

Reading the "Other Fonts" section

TYPECO separates typefaces designed exclusively for other foundries by James Grieshaber. The page lists them by foundry partner:

• P22 type foundry — Cezanne™ Pro • 1 font
• IHOF — Operina™ Pro • 1 font, Yule™ • 7 fonts, Numismatic™ • 1 font
• Monotype/Microsoft — Segoe Print • 2 fonts
• Hamilton Wood Type — Geometric • 6 fonts
• Sorkin Type — Black Ops™, Short Stack™, Atomic Age™, Supermercado™, Metamorphous™, Sarina™, each listed as 1 font

This distinction matters when you are sourcing a licence: a typeface released through another foundry is licensed through that foundry, not through TYPECO. Check the partner named next to the design before you assume where to buy or ask about terms.

A practical way to browse a catalogue

1. Start with the job. Decide whether you need a display face (headlines, logos) or a text family (long passages, UI). Font count is a rough proxy: single-font entries are usually display designs.
2. Scan family names and counts. Note the families with enough styles for your hierarchy — a family with several weights lets you build contrast without mixing typefaces.
3. Check the "Other Fonts" list if nothing in the main catalogue fits, and note which foundry released it.
4. Confirm licensing and delivery details with the foundry before committing. The TYPECO page lists designs and font counts but does not state prices, licence tiers, or file formats; those details need to come from the foundry directly.

Common sticking points

• Counting styles as families. "6 FONTS" under one name is one typeface in six styles, not six typefaces.
• Assuming a single-font release is limited. A one-font display face can be exactly right for a wordmark; it is simply not built for setting paragraphs.
• Mixing up foundry and designer. TYPECO is the foundry for Grieshaber's own designs; the "Other Fonts" entries are his designs released by P22, IHOF, Monotype/Microsoft, Hamilton Wood Type, and Sorkin Type.
• Treating the catalogue as a price list. It is an index of what exists, not a shop page with terms.

If your question is really "which typeface should I pick," the answer starts with the same step: define the job, then match family size and style to it, and confirm licensing with the foundry that releases the design.

A typeface is the design of a set of letters, numbers, and symbols; a font is the specific file or weight that delivers that design. You choose a typeface by matching its category and personality to your project's tone, then confirming readability, medium, and license before you commit. If you need one family for a clean interface, start with a sans serif; if you need a formal document or editorial feel, start with a serif.

Typeface vs. font: the distinction that matters

The two terms are used interchangeably in everyday speech, and for most projects that's harmless. The difference becomes useful when you're organizing a project or talking to a designer or developer.

So "Helvetica" is a typeface; "Helvetica Bold" is a font. When you download from a database, you're usually grabbing font files that belong to a typeface family. This matters because a family with many weights gives you more flexibility for hierarchy without introducing a second typeface.

The main typeface categories and where they fit

Font databases commonly sort typefaces into categories, and Best-Font.com's listings reflect this — its latest free fonts include sans serif, serif, script, calligraphy, display, fancy, brush, and dingbats entries. Each category carries expectations that help you choose quickly.

Serif

Letterforms with small strokes at the ends of stems. Common in print, long-form reading, and editorial or traditional contexts. Examples in the database include Century and Bembo Std.

Sans serif

Clean letterforms without those end strokes. A safe default for screens, interfaces, and modern branding. Examples include Arial Arm St, Plain Font, Nimbus Sans, ITC Machine STD, and Cotlin.

Script

Connected or handwriting-style letterforms. Best for accents, invitations, and logos — not for body text. Example: 2Peas Drip.

Calligraphy

Formal, pen- or brush-derived lettering. Suits certificates, headings, and decorative titles. Examples: Chinese Caligraphy Font and Flourish.

Display

Built for headlines and short bursts of text, often with strong personality. Examples: Sign Painter House Slant and Metal Encasement Extended.

Dingbats

Symbol and icon sets rather than letters. Example: Yura Hiragana. Useful for decorative marks, not for reading.

How to choose a typeface for a project

Work through these in order; each step narrows the field.

1. Name the tone. Formal, playful, technical, luxurious, or neutral. A display face like Carnivalee Freakshow signals playfulness; a serif like Bembo Std signals tradition.
2. Name the medium. Print tolerates finer serifs and lighter weights; screens reward larger x-heights and simpler shapes. Sans serif is the lower-risk screen choice.
3. Set the reading task. Body text needs high legibility at small sizes; headlines can carry more character. Don't set long paragraphs in a script or display face.
4. Check the character set. Confirm the typeface includes the letters, numerals, punctuation, and any accented characters your content needs.
5. Check the license. Free to download does not automatically mean free to use commercially or to embed. Read the terms on the font's detail page before you build with it.
6. Test in context. Set a real headline and a real paragraph at your actual sizes before committing.

Pairing typefaces without making a mess

The reliable rule is to limit yourself to two families and create contrast between them — for example, a serif headline with a sans serif body, or a display headline with a neutral sans serif body. Avoid pairing two typefaces that are similar but not identical; the mismatch reads as a mistake rather than a choice. If you're unsure, use one family with multiple weights and let size and weight carry the hierarchy.

Checking quality and licensing before you download

Free font databases vary widely in quality and permissions. Before using a typeface in a real project:

• Open the font's detail page and read the license or usage terms.
• Check that the file includes the weights and characters you need.
• Look for obvious quality problems — inconsistent spacing, missing glyphs, or broken kerning — by typing a test sentence.
• Keep a record of where each font came from and under what terms, so you can revisit it later.

Best-Font.com presents itself as a database of hand-picked fonts from independent creators with thousands of entries across categories, which makes it a reasonable place to browse by style. It does not state pricing or licensing terms in the material available here, so treat each font's own detail page as the source of truth on usage rights.

A quick decision path

• Interface, app, or body text on screen: sans serif.
• Long-form print or formal document: serif.
• Logo, invitation, or short accent: script, calligraphy, or display — used sparingly.
• Icons or decorative symbols: dingbats.
• Uncertain: one neutral sans serif family in two or three weights.

A type foundry is the entity that designs, produces, and licenses typefaces. In the digital era, it is usually a small studio or a single designer operating under a label — not a retail store that merely resells other people's fonts. You encounter the foundry's name when you buy a license, and that name tells you who made the font, who controls its licensing terms, and who is responsible for updates and support. The term survives from metal typecasting, when a foundry physically cast and sold pieces of type; today the "casting" is the design and production of font software.

Foundry, Designer, and Retailer Are Different Roles

These three roles are often collapsed into one company, but they are distinct functions:

A single designer can be all three at once. James Grieshaber's TYPECO, for example, is described as "the digital type foundry for the designs of James Grieshaber" — the designer and the foundry label are effectively the same operation. That is typical of independent digital foundries: small catalogues, a personal design voice, and direct control over licensing.

Why Independent Foundries Often Carry Two Kinds of Work

A designer's own foundry catalogue frequently mixes two categories. TYPECO's site makes the split explicit: a "Catalogue of Typeco Fonts" (Reenie Beanie, Super Duty, Chunkfeeder, Glyphic Neue, Trapper, Gothic Gothic, Zaftig, Cypher, Cusp) and a separate "Other Fonts" section for "typefaces designed exclusively for other type foundries by James Grieshaber" — including work for P22 type foundry (Cezanne Pro), IHOF (Operina Pro, Yule, Numismatic), and Monotype/Microsoft (Segoe Print), plus Hamilton Wood Type Geometric and several Sorkin Type releases.

This matters when you are choosing a font. A face listed under "Other Fonts" is designed by the same person but licensed through a different foundry, so the license terms, purchase channel, and support come from that other foundry — not from the designer's own label. If you want a consistent licensing relationship or a complete family from one source, check which section a face sits in.

What the Foundry Name Tells You When Choosing a Font

Reading the foundry as a signal, rather than just a brand, helps you answer practical questions:

• Licensing source. The foundry named on the license is who you have an agreement with. Fonts designed for another foundry are licensed there.
• Family completeness. Foundry catalogues show how many fonts ship in a family — TYPECO lists counts such as "Super Duty • 25 FONTS," "Cypher • 24 FONTS," "Cusp • 18 FONTS," versus single-font releases like Reenie Beanie and Zaftig. A large family suggests weights and styles for a full hierarchy; a one-font release is typically a display or specialty face.
• Design consistency. An independent foundry built around one designer's work tends to have a recognizable point of view — TYPECO describes putting "a modern spin on familiar concepts" with "a significant nod to the past." If that voice fits your project, the catalogue is a coherent place to shop.
• Support and updates. A foundry that produces its own fonts is the party responsible for technical fixes and revisions. A reseller generally is not.

A Concrete Example

Suppose you are setting a publication that needs a strong display face plus a workhorse family for body text. Browsing TYPECO, you would treat Super Duty (25 fonts) or Cusp (18 fonts) as candidates for the multi-weight role, and a single-font release like Zaftig as a display accent. If you then notice Cezanne Pro under "Other Fonts," you would buy and license it through P22 type foundry, not through TYPECO — the design credit is the same person, but the commercial relationship is different. Checking the section a font appears in before checkout prevents confusion about where your license and support actually come from.

The short version: a type foundry is the design-and-licensing origin of a typeface. Use the foundry name to trace licensing, judge family depth, and know who stands behind the font after purchase.

Open source fonts are typefaces released under a license that lets anyone use, study, modify, and redistribute them—including the font files themselves. You can use them in websites, apps, and print without paying a license fee, provided you follow the specific terms of the license (most commonly SIL OFL, Apache 2.0, or GPL). This guide explains the difference between open source, freeware, and public domain fonts, how the major licenses work, where to find and verify them, and the practical steps for embedding and attribution.

Open Source vs. Freeware vs. Public Domain

These three terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things:

• Open source fonts come with a license that grants the same freedoms as open source software. The license travels with the font, so derivatives must keep the same terms.
• Freeware fonts are free to download but the license may restrict modification, redistribution, or commercial use. "Free" here means zero cost, not freedom.
• Public domain fonts have no copyright restrictions at all. You can do anything with them, but the original designer gives up attribution rights.

The key practical difference: with open source fonts, you can legally modify the glyphs, rename the font, and ship it inside your product—as long as you comply with the license.

Common Open Font Licenses and What They Allow

SIL Open Font License (OFL)

The most widely used license for open source fonts (e.g., most Google Fonts). It allows:

• Use in commercial and non-commercial projects
• Modification and redistribution
• Embedding in websites, apps, and documents

Requirements:

• The font must not be sold by itself.
• Modified versions must not use the Reserved Font Name (if one is declared).
• Any derivative must also be released under the OFL.

Apache License 2.0

Used by some open fonts (e.g., early versions of Roboto). It allows:

• Commercial use, modification, distribution
• Patent grant from contributors

Requirements:

• You must include a copy of the license and state changes made.
• It does not have the "no selling by itself" restriction, but you still need to keep notices.

GNU General Public License (GPL)

Less common for fonts but used in some projects (e.g., GNU FreeFont). It allows:

• Use, modify, redistribute

Requirements:

• If you distribute a modified version, you must release the source under GPL.
• This can be problematic for embedding in proprietary software, because the copyleft may extend to the whole work depending on how it's linked. Many font projects use GPL with a font exception to clarify.

Rule of thumb: For most web and app projects, SIL OFL is the safest and most permissive choice. Apache 2.0 is also fine if you don't mind including notices. Avoid GPL fonts in closed-source products unless you understand the copyleft implications.

How to Find and Verify Open Source Fonts

Community libraries like Font Library (fontlibrary.org) collect fonts that are explicitly licensed for open use. When you download from such a library, the font page usually states the license.

To verify a font's license:

1. Check the font file itself. Open the font in a font editor (e.g., FontForge) or use a command-line tool like otfinfo or fc-query. The license is often embedded in the name table.
2. Look for a LICENSE or OFL.txt file in the download package.
3. Check the project's website or repository (e.g., GitHub). If the license is not stated, assume it's not open source.
4. Search the font name on a license database like the SPDX license list or the Google Fonts license page.

If you cannot find a clear license, do not use the font in a commercial project. "Free download" does not mean open source.

Practical Use: Websites, Apps, and Print

Embedding in websites

• Self-hosting: Download the font files (WOFF2 is best for web), place them in your project, and use @font-face in CSS. This gives you full control and avoids third-party requests.
• Third-party hosting: Google Fonts and similar services host open fonts and provide a CSS link. Check that the font's license allows this (OFL and Apache do).
• Attribution: OFL does not require attribution in the website's visible text, but you must keep the license file with the font files. Apache 2.0 requires you to include a NOTICE file if one exists.

Example @font-face for an OFL font:

@font-face {
  font-family: 'MyOpenFont';
  src: url('myopenfont.woff2') format('woff2');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: normal;
}

Embedding in apps

• Mobile apps: You can bundle OFL and Apache fonts in your app. For OFL, include the license text in your app's about screen or a licenses file. For Apache, include the license and any NOTICE.
• Desktop apps: Same rules apply. If you modify the font, you must rename it if the original has a Reserved Font Name.

Print

• You can use open source fonts in printed materials (books, posters, packaging) without restriction, as long as you don't sell the font itself.
• If you modify the font for a logo, check the license: OFL allows modification but requires the derivative to be under OFL. That means you cannot claim exclusive copyright on the modified font, but you can use it in a logo.

Common Licensing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Assuming "free" means open source. Many free fonts are freeware with restrictive licenses. Always check the license file.
• Forgetting attribution for Apache fonts. Apache 2.0 requires you to keep copyright notices and state changes. Put them in a licenses file.
• Using GPL fonts in closed-source apps. The copyleft may require you to release your app's source. Use OFL or Apache instead.
• Selling a font you got for free. OFL and many other licenses prohibit selling the font by itself. You can sell a product that uses the font, but not the font files alone.
• Modifying a font with a Reserved Font Name. If the original font has a Reserved Font Name (e.g., "Roboto"), you must rename your modified version. Check the license for the RFN clause.
• Not including the license file when redistributing. Always bundle the original license text with the font files.

By following these guidelines, you can confidently use open source fonts in any project while staying compliant with their licenses.

A font is a digital file that tells software how to draw a set of characters; creating or editing one means designing outlines for each glyph and exporting those outlines in a format other programs can install and use. You can do this with a free, open-source outline editor such as FontForge, which supports OpenType, TrueType, UFO, and its own SFD format. This article explains the vocabulary, the common file formats, the basic design-to-export workflow, and the mistakes that most often break a first font.

Font, typeface, and font family: the terms people mix up

These three words describe different things, and mixing them up causes confusion when you start working in an editor.

• Typeface — the design itself: the shapes, proportions, and style of the letters. "Helvetica" as a design idea is a typeface.
• Font — the digital file that implements a typeface so a computer can render it. A .ttf or .otf file on your disk is a font.
• Font family — a group of related fonts that share a design but differ in weight or style, such as Regular, Bold, and Italic.

In everyday speech people say "font" for all three, but inside an editor the distinction matters: you design a typeface, you generate font files, and you organize those files into a family.

Common font formats you will meet

The practical split is source formats (UFO, SFD) versus output formats (OTF, TTF). You design and save in a source format, then export to an output format when the font is ready to install or ship. Keeping the source file is what lets you come back and fix a glyph later.

The basic workflow for designing a font

The steps below are the general shape of font creation; FontForge is one free outline editor that fits into this pipeline.

1. Set up the em square and metrics. Decide the design space — typically a 1000- or 2048-unit em — and define where the baseline, x-height, and cap height sit. Every glyph is drawn relative to these guides.
2. Draw the glyphs. Create outlines for each character. Start with a control set such as H, O, n, o, and e, because these establish the proportions the rest of the alphabet follows.
3. Add spacing and kerning. Set the left and right side bearings for each glyph, then adjust kerning pairs (for example AV or To) where the default spacing looks too loose or too tight.
4. Test at real sizes. Render sample text at small and large sizes to check that curves, stems, and spacing hold up.
5. Export to a usable format. Generate an OTF or TTF file, then install it to verify it behaves like any other font.

Each step feeds the next: bad spacing in step 3 shows up as uneven text in step 4, and a missing glyph in step 2 becomes a blank box after export.

Where a free outline editor like FontForge fits

FontForge is described as a free and open-source outline font editor. In the workflow above, it covers the drawing, spacing, and export stages, and it reads and writes OpenType, TrueType, UFO, and SFD files. That means you can:

• Start a new typeface from scratch and save it as SFD.
• Open an existing font, edit individual glyphs, and re-export it.
• Move design data between FontForge and other tools through UFO.

Because it is open source, there is no license cost to begin, and the source formats it uses are documented and portable. If your goal is simply to understand how fonts are built or to make a small custom font, an outline editor of this kind is enough to complete the whole pipeline.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Most first-font problems fall into a few predictable categories.

• Missing glyphs. If a character has no outline, software shows a blank box or a fallback from another font. Check that every character you intend to support actually has a drawn glyph before exporting.
• Bad kerning. Default spacing rarely looks right for every pair. Test strings with awkward combinations like AV, Ta, and Yo, and add kerning pairs where they collide or drift apart.
• Export errors. A font can fail to generate if outlines are open, self-intersecting, or drawn in the wrong direction. Validate contours before exporting, and re-open the exported file to confirm it loads.
• Inconsistent metrics. If the baseline or x-height shifts between glyphs, text will look like it is bouncing. Set the guides once and draw everything against them.

What to do next

If you want to try this yourself, pick a small goal first — for example, redesign the letters of your own name or build a display font with just uppercase letters. Save your work in a source format as you go, export to OTF or TTF when you are done, and install the result to see how it behaves in a real document. That loop — design, save, export, test — is the same one professional type designers use, just at a smaller scale.