How can fonts convey tone?

Whoa. I just started a thread on fonts as well! Fonts on the brain...

I think the psychological component of typography (read: what is conveyed non-text) is a matter of a number of components of a given font. Actually, forget fonts for one second. Just think about observing your own handwriting and then think about observations you've made about others based on their handwriting. Fonts that are more formal may have aesthetic features like serifs or other complex geometry that assist the reader in each character's legibility. If the design of that font is specifically to aid in legibility, then it's tone could be interpreted as being serious or clinical. A font like comic sans (which get's all sorts of **** along with papyrus) is in many ways a reproduction of handwriting in print form (already less formal or mature) as opposed to cursive or ornate calligraphy type fonts.

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I congratulate you on another interesting question.

I would imagine name of font, and associative context (e.g. German Gothic, Celtic) are important issues at the psychological level. At the philosophical level you might consider looking at the question from point of view of Derrida's focus on text and historicism. Or perhaps, there are side issues of Eastern calligraphy and the meditational channelling of "energy" though the writing implement.

Of course fonts evoke emotion. I love putting bold italic on a simple sans-serif font for emphasis.

Font change stimulate the brain. It is recommended not to usse more than 3 fonts for a flyer or business card.

But I want to strangle people when I see Old English caps used in headlines or on vehicles.

Fonts can make reading material look approachable (elementary school books), scholarly, modern, old-fashioned, and just plain readable.

IMO, type should be used to enhance a reader's experience, not to distract the reader from reading.

Of course this depends on what's being read. I'm mostly thinking about books. Advertising is a whole other issue. Personal stuff is another issue still.

Thank you to everyone who replied.
Fresco, I have googled, but I can't find exactly what Derrida wrote on text. I know he was concerned with visual presentation within his own writings, though.

I am sure it would be possible to 'decode' the sets of characteristics of certain font formations and their function in creating specific effects. My interest would be in the ones which appear to have no 'cultural' association, for example, how a certain set of curves may make a font appear more 'open' or 'easy on the eye' than another. I'm also interested in our perceptions of these sorts of qualities within music, which is how I got to start thinking about fonts.

The question wasn't 'do they?' but 'HOW do they?'

Here are some short articles on page layouts, graphic design, selecting fonts and colors, etc., from a media industry resource website that I've used for quite awhile. The tips and complaints within also apply to webpage, advertising and print media design.


http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/selecting-right-font_b149

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/page-design-print-vs-online_b115

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/what-we-can-learn-from-eyetrack-studies_b284

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/10-reasons-why-online-news-sites-suck_b291

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/what-color-is-news_b114

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/designing-for-computer-other-than-your_b80

http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/four-fixable-sins-of-news-design_b1741

For the psychology of fonts, here are some other articles that discuss it:

http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/81/PersonalityofFonts.asp

http://www.typophile.com/node/58433

I guessed you were looking for a music analogy. There was a recent programme on the Arts Channel (245 Sky) on the psychology, sociology and neurology of music which might give some ideas in this respect. The closest aspect is timbre and you might explore the selection of different instruments for different "jobs".

As far as Derrida is concerned, he appears to consider the reading of text as "an event" to which the reader contributes his own biases etc. Text never stands "alone", and fonts will influence the operation of biases probably in a conditioned cultural manner. (But see the references given by Butterflynet).

PQ, I ran across this site and thought it might be of interest to you. It is a collection of typographic portraits. Here are a few that I particularly liked:

http://www.csswow.com/50-plus-typographic-portraits/

Found another one...this is a site for logo designers to show off their work. You can see how the various logos and fonts convey differing personalities for the businesses.

http://logofaves.com/