Clean font choice for simple magazine layout

[Tom Kay]

Hello everybody!

I was wondering if you all might be able to offer me some advice.... I'm designing a guide book for my Students Union for all new students. I know it sounds like a silly question, but I was wondering if anybody could offer up some advice on a nice simple font to use for the main text. Ideally I really would just like to use the sort of font that FHM/computer (ie. something new looking and sans serif) magazines use, but have no idea what it is ... it doesn't look like it's arial..

Is there an easy answer to this, or do I have to spend the next 9 weeks trawling font websites!?

All the best,

Tom

[Silence04]

SwissBT 721


http://www.jdcgraphics.net/banner.gif

[Silence04]

you probably should buy some font cds, they are very cheap...



welcome the GDF by the way! :D


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Post Edited (Silence04) : 6/15/2004 6:07:30 PM GMT

[Mickey]

I love Futura!

http://home.wi.rr.com/mygraphics/konceptcreative.jpg

Century Gothic, Neuva Helvetica, ...

[defjoe]

Eras is a good one as well. Has a different more modern look to it.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[Tom Kay]

Wow! - thank you all for your advice... Being a students union, we havn't really got the budget to buy any fonts... quite liking the look of trebuchet. I still seem to think alot of these magazines use the same type of font... is this just my misconception...?

[Trudy]

http://www.myfonts.com probably familiar to a lot of people here. great for searching for fonts. try searching for "clean sans serif" - there are so many nice ones. you can buy online, instant downloadand prices are reasonable.

just my personal pref, but for body text i often use Optima, buts itsnot san serif ... and probably notexactly what you're after.

[Keyare]

I try to stay away from sans-serif fonts for body text. People are more accustomed to serifs and they are easier on the eyes. Newspapers use Times Roman. While rather boring, it's easy to read. I often go with a goudy or a garamond for a slight change. In print anyway. Web sites, I usually stick to verdana.

[PrintDriver]

I realize you're asking about book fonts but I gotta add my 2 cents.
Being in large format I'm kinda the opposite of Key. We see a lot of sans serif in body copy for largish museum panels. Seriphed fonts tend to get confusing when you are reading them at larger than magazine size.
Just be real careful of the sans serif fonts with the very narrow strokes (like some of the Rotis faces). Some are so skinny they can vanish. Especially when knocked out.

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[Keyare]

Yup - what he said ^

I tend to use sans serifs for larger projects - headlines and stuff.

[brother_psychosis]

the DIN font

http://www.methodlab.com/members/brother_psychosis/sig_tourr.gif (http://www.methodlab.com/members/brother_psychosis/pf/)

[Debz]

Keyare said...
I try to stay away from sans-serif fonts for body text. People are more accustomed to serifs and they are easier on the eyes. Newspapers use Times Roman. While rather boring, it's easy to read. I often go with a goudy or a garamond for a slight change. In print anyway. Web sites, I usually stick to verdana.

ohh i LOVE Garamond!! i dont know why but i love that font sooo much.. /emoticons/icon_redface.gif

http://uploader.co.uk/images/debz22222.gif

[snypa]

you can't go wrong with gill sans

...spending a dime, while earning a nickel