definitions
typeface: an artistic design for letterforms
A typeface represents a consistent visual appearance for a family of letterforms. A typeface can be rendered in various weights and styles.
font: the complete character set of one weight and style of a typeface
In the beginning, type was made of metal or wood, and fonts were crafted in various sizes. Digital fonts are scalable to almost any size. It doesn’t make sense to say “use a larger font” because all fonts can be made larger. Say, “make the type larger,” or “use a bold font.”
type: a block of typeset or printed characters
The attributes of type are
- font (e.g., Garamond Roman or Helvetica Bold Condensed)
- size (measured in points)
- leading (also measured in points)
- line width (measured in picas; 12 points = 1 pica)
- justification (e.g., flush left, ragged right)
- color (like size, color is independent of the font; there are no “red fonts” or “blue fonts”)
- other options such as letterspacing, wordspacing, kerning
On the web, type is measured in pixels.
leading: the linespacing of a block of type
Leading (pronounced ledding) is measured in points, from the baseline of one line of type to the baseline of the next. Originally, leading was made from a thin strip of lead that could be inserted between lines of type.