How many fonts can you identify?

Rob Lister · 10-21-2011, 08:24 AM

For me, not so many. Sure, I can plainly tell if it is seriffed or not. I can tell if it is ugly!

But the number of fonts I can identify by name just on seeing them is very few.

Arial, Courier and Times are easy to identify but even with those I'm easily fooled. If you put Helvetica in front of me and told me it was Courier I'd fully believe you. I certainly can't tell Times from Times New Roman (unless I cheat and look)

Of course, everyone can recognize Comic Sans (and agree that those using it should be punished).

I occasionally happen upon sites that have critical reviews of new fonts. Always interesting reads. They talk about the font like it's a wine:

"A heady font, bold with only a touch of serif so as to retain that gothic allure. Clearly elite without being presumptuous or, dare I say, pompous..."

What a hoot...but I do admire a nice font without even knowing it; I admire it for its ease of reading, which is really to say for its transparency in the reading process.

So, how good are YOU at identifying fonts?

mr ploppy · 10-21-2011, 08:43 AM

Quite a few, but I used to design for print. I even had one of those Helvetica T-shirts with the word set in Times New Roman. Futura, Gill Sans Light and New Baskerville were my favourites.

straygator · 10-21-2011, 08:59 AM

New Baskerville is nice - a step away from stodgy old Caslon. But I'm a sucker for serifs . . .

rollercoaster · 10-21-2011, 09:15 AM

none. for some reason my mental faculties freeze when I need to identify a font. and I am a web dev..

ekster · 10-21-2011, 09:30 AM

None as well. And I spend quite some time making financial reports with all sorts of fonts.

Taylor514ce · 10-21-2011, 09:32 AM

I did contract programming for Adobe, and taught PostScript programming for new Xerox programmers. I've been in printing and document automation in one form or another for years. I can not only identify fonts, I can discourse upon font encodings, glyphs, hints, single vs. double bytes and so on.

Sad really. I'd rather be able to talk that way about wine.

mr ploppy · 10-21-2011, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Sad really. I'd rather be able to talk that way about wine.

Yeah but think how impressed the wine snobs will be when you tell them the history of the fonts used on the label.

Rob Lister · 10-21-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Yeah but think how impressed the wine snobs will be when you tell them the history of the fonts used on the label.

ekster · 10-21-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Yeah but think how impressed the wine snobs will be when you tell them the history of the fonts used on the label.

It would certainly impress the ladies, I bet.

"Yes, yes. Maybe it tastes richer, but surely you must see that they are mere amateurs! I mean, using comic sans for their name, and using bold rage italics over here when it should have been Script MT Bold? No, no. Unacceptable. I can't even bring myself to taste this wine when the label alone is so utterly childish!"

DiapDealer · 10-21-2011, 10:15 AM

I'm not sure I could accurately identify any. But I might get lucky with a monospaced font like Courier if I guessed a lot.

RainingLemur · 10-21-2011, 10:37 AM

Considering that I have to work with fonts all day, I could probably identify quite a few.

WillAdams · 10-21-2011, 11:06 AM

31 out of 34:

http://ilovetypography.com/fontgame/

William

HomeInMyShoes · 10-21-2011, 11:42 AM

I don't work with fonts, but have a passing interest in them.

I got 18/34 on the test.

Penforhire · 10-21-2011, 11:52 AM

I scored 20, more than I anticipated recognizing. Neat test.

Billi · 10-21-2011, 12:25 PM

21. Nice test, thanks for the link!

10-21-2011, 08:24 AM	#1
Rob Lister Fanatic Posts: 532 Karma: 3293888 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Virginia Device: Nook Simple Touch	How many fonts can you identify? For me, not so many. Sure, I can plainly tell if it is seriffed or not. I can tell if it is ugly! But the number of fonts I can identify by name just on seeing them is very few. Arial, Courier and Times are easy to identify but even with those I'm easily fooled. If you put Helvetica in front of me and told me it was Courier I'd fully believe you. I certainly can't tell Times from Times New Roman (unless I cheat and look) Of course, everyone can recognize Comic Sans (and agree that those using it should be punished). I occasionally happen upon sites that have critical reviews of new fonts. Always interesting reads. They talk about the font like it's a wine: "A heady font, bold with only a touch of serif so as to retain that gothic allure. Clearly elite without being presumptuous or, dare I say, pompous..." What a hoot...but I do admire a nice font without even knowing it; I admire it for its ease of reading, which is really to say for its transparency in the reading process. So, how good are YOU at identifying fonts?

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10-21-2011, 08:43 AM	#2
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Quite a few, but I used to design for print. I even had one of those Helvetica T-shirts with the word set in Times New Roman. Futura, Gill Sans Light and New Baskerville were my favourites.

10-21-2011, 08:59 AM	#3
straygator Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 33904 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cayman Islands Device: Kindle	New Baskerville is nice - a step away from stodgy old Caslon. But I'm a sucker for serifs . . .

10-21-2011, 09:15 AM	#4
rollercoaster Zealot Posts: 126 Karma: 1826 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle 2	none. for some reason my mental faculties freeze when I need to identify a font. and I am a web dev..

10-21-2011, 09:30 AM	#5
ekster Currently without a title Posts: 203 Karma: 3209914 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Canada, Qc Device: Kobo Touch	None as well. And I spend quite some time making financial reports with all sorts of fonts.

10-21-2011, 09:32 AM	#6
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	I did contract programming for Adobe, and taught PostScript programming for new Xerox programmers. I've been in printing and document automation in one form or another for years. I can not only identify fonts, I can discourse upon font encodings, glyphs, hints, single vs. double bytes and so on. Sad really. I'd rather be able to talk that way about wine.

10-21-2011, 10:15 AM	#10
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,880 Karma: 207000000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I'm not sure I could accurately identify any. But I might get lucky with a monospaced font like Courier if I guessed a lot.

10-21-2011, 10:37 AM	#11
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Considering that I have to work with fonts all day, I could probably identify quite a few.

10-21-2011, 11:06 AM	#12
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,260 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	31 out of 34: http://ilovetypography.com/fontgame/ William

10-21-2011, 11:42 AM	#13
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	I don't work with fonts, but have a passing interest in them. I got 18/34 on the test.

10-21-2011, 11:52 AM	#14
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	I scored 20, more than I anticipated recognizing. Neat test.

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10-21-2011, 12:25 PM	#15
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	21. Nice test, thanks for the link!