# Fontheads, name me your favorite font: get me out of the Myriad rut **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365 "2008-04-29T17:08:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/41 "2008-05-01T17:44:59Z")
My current favorite is High Tower Text. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/42 "2008-05-01T18:19:00Z")
[QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] I am loyal to my own family font. [/QUOTE] 😃 I don’t do that much work with fonts, but I’ve always been partial to that “family” of fonts (Caslon, Baskerville, Bodoni and Didot). Probably Baskerville more than the others. I don’t think that they’re great for numbers, though (other than dates); the descenders (?) can be a bit distracting. Didot avoids that, but the seven is just a bit funky. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/43 "2008-05-01T19:30:08Z")
[QUOTE=Gaudere] I mean, I love [Myriad](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/myriad/), I loved it way before Apple started using it. [I named my _cat_ Myriad](http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h48/Gaudere/kitten141.jpg). However, I’ve used it (in various weights) for 3 or the 4 recent logos I’ve done and I need something else! And I use it all the time in body copy too. It’s just so clean and nicely kerned and reads well at small sizes. But I’ve _got_ to expand into something new for corp logos and brochure copy ASAP. [/QUOTE] Your cat clearly wanted to be named **Wingdings** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/44 "2008-05-01T19:59:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ponch8] For a whimsical font, I use [Pricedown](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/larabie/pricedown/) , which is what they use for The Price is Right logo. [/QUOTE] That is just crying out to be used on an album cover. I love [Giddyup](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/giddyup/), but I’ve never had cause to use it. There’s a companion wingding font (called “thangs,” heh) that has lots of fun stuff in it. Typography geek cat names: Virgule and Pilcrow! ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/45 "2008-05-01T20:07:37Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck] 😃 I don’t do that much work with fonts, but I’ve always been partial to that “family” of fonts (Caslon, Baskerville, Bodoni and Didot). Probably Baskerville more than the others. I don’t think that they’re great for numbers, though (other than dates); the descenders (?) can be a bit distracting. Didot avoids that, but the seven is just a bit funky. [/QUOTE] \Technically, Baskerville and Caslon are from the “Transitional” classification (typically having tapered serifs with a slightly oblique stress) wheras Bodoni and Didot are from the “Modern” classification (typically with no tapering of serifs and perfectly vertical stress).\ ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/46 "2008-05-01T20:13:51Z")
[QUOTE=Brad Serum] \Technically, Baskerville and Caslon are from the “Transitional” classification (typically having tapered serifs with a slightly oblique stress) wheras Bodoni and Didot are from the “Modern” classification (typically with no tapering of serifs and perfectly vertical stress).\ [/QUOTE] Thank you. Educational - not geekery at all. And no fears; there’s zero ego here to crush. As I said, I am really not that up on fonts, and the differences that just scream out to you folks are usually too subtle for me to pick up on. But I will say that this sort of thing fascinates me. If it’s not too much of a hijack - are there good books that trace the history of font design? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/47 "2008-05-01T22:48:52Z")
I always thought Computer Modern looked great. Example [here](http://www.scribd.com/word/download_preview/3422?secret_password=cr9l1yhwei40u) (PDF). ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/48 "2008-05-01T22:55:46Z")
This one The only time I used it was when I was trying to shrink a paper to one page, but it’s great for that purpose. And it looks cool. Edit: Apperantly, chiller isn’t supported. :smack: Anyway, the font’s name is chiller. Edit: Now I feel twice as stupid. ---
**Author:** ![ess\_tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f475e1/32.png) [@ess\_tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ess_tee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/49 "2008-05-01T22:59:15Z")
I Love Cataneo BT ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/50 "2008-05-02T14:55:11Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck] Thank you. Educational - not geekery at all. And no fears; there’s zero ego here to crush. As I said, I am really not that up on fonts, and the differences that just scream out to you folks are usually too subtle for me to pick up on. But I will say that this sort of thing fascinates me. If it’s not too much of a hijack - are there good books that trace the history of font design? [/QUOTE] Yep: you can’t do better than **Anaptyxis’s** recommendation of Robert Bringhurst’s _Elements of Typographic Style._ But if you’re looking for something a little less academic and a little more recreational, click on over to Typophile’s [Typography 101](http://typophile.com/courses/type101) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/51 "2008-05-02T14:57:26Z")
I use Trebuchet. It’s like I’m flinging my words onto the page. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/52 "2008-05-02T15:39:57Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] [Gotham](http://www.typography.com/fonts/font_overview.php?productLineID=100008) is the current darling of many newspapers, including mine. [/QUOTE] I was just going to post that. Gotham is the Omaba font. Not that great for long paragraphs, but an excellent choice as a display font or for short paragraphs. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/53 "2008-05-02T18:04:27Z")
I like Optima too. I use **Verdana** for web work, because it seems to be easier for people to read than Helvetica and Arial, and you don’t get much choice with web pages. My favorite print fonts, when I was doing print work, were: [Palatino](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/palatino/) and [Palatino Sans](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/palatino-sans/) if I had to use a sans serif font. I love pretty much all the Zapf fonts and used those often as well - if you are looking specifically for sans serif, [Humanist 601](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/zapf-humanist-601/) is real nice. [Calligraphic 801](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/zapf-calligraphic-801/) and [Book](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/itc/zapf-book/) are mighty nice in the serif department, though I wouldn’t use Book on anything real small. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/54 "2008-05-03T03:35:06Z")
Thanks fior this thread; it’s really eye-opening. The last time I looked at the fonts on my computer was a loooooing time ago, when I guess it came with two dozen fonts. Using Font Book (Mac), I see I have 190 fonts!!! About a third are foreign language fonts, but that still leaves an amazing number. [Barbara Walters] Now, if you were a font, which would you be? [Futura](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/paratype/futura-book/) probably describes me (as seen by people who are not me), but maybe on a stretch I’m a little [Eurostile](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/eurostile/). I need a little more [Party LET](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/letraset/party/party/) in my life, as well as some [Cookie Dough](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bagraphics/cookie-dough/) and [Curlz](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/ascender/curlz/regular/). I yearn for a place where everyone knew my name, but [Cooper Black](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/cooper/black/) is probably just a fantasy. I think it would be neat to find a little [Mona Lisa Std-Solid](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/itc-mona-lisa/solid/) to settle down with, but really, it seems I always get attracted to [Collateral Damage](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/chank/collateral-damage/), and it blows up in my face. So, I’m biding my time with the ol’ [PIXymbols Braille](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/pixymbols/braille/pixymbols-braille-italic/), if you get my drift. But my paycheck’s burning a hole in my wallet, so I’m gonna go out and buy me that [Lorelei](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/insigne/lorelei/regular/). [/Babs] ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/55 "2008-05-03T09:23:14Z")
I think there is possibly a really good pyschiatric or personality barometer in looking at other peoples favorite fonts. **groo** I really like **lorelei** , **mona lisa** : showing signs of a predereliction towards a Jane Austen Fandom. **cooper black** is nice and controlled, unlike any other department in my life. I am pretty sure I could font shop all day long and be completely and deleriously happy. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/56 "2008-05-03T11:26:44Z")
My political party was using [Dax](http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/fontfont/ff-dax/) before it got popular. I also like [Univers 57](http://www.linotype.com/12649/univers57condensed-font.html), the official font of the Montreal metro. For body text, I like Palatino or Garamond, if I can get away with them – especially if it needs lots of italics. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365/57 "2008-05-03T11:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=Lynn Bodoni] I am loyal to my own family font. [/QUOTE] Oh, come on! Live a little! I’m sure even your own ancestor used somebody else’s fonts occasionally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fontheads-name-me-your-favorite-font-get-me-out-of-the-myriad-rut/447365.md?page=2)