This post is part of our Ampersand series, a set of blog posts focused on fonts. We’re sponsoring and attending Ampersand 2012, a typography conference based in Brighton.
A mixture of practical, interesting and just plain fun, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite typography resources. Feel free to add your own by commenting at the bottom!
Lost Type
Lost Type is a great resource if you’re looking for premium fonts at affordable prices as you choose the price you wish to pay to download the font. It’s updated regularly, so keep checking back to see what’s new.
Google Web Fonts
We’ve posted about Google Web Fonts before in our post Ways to Display Custom Fonts on Your Website, but it’s definitely worth another mention. The Google font directory lets you use non-standard fonts on your website for free. With a huge range of fonts to choose from and guaranteed compatibility for your visitors, it’s a great way to make your website stand out.
What The Font
If you’ve ever wondered what a particular font is, then What The Font is for you. You can upload a picture and the site will try and figure out what font is displayed. It’s also a good resource for finding fonts that are similar to other fonts, for example if a particular font is no longer available or you need a commercial-use version.
Just My Type
It’s very rare that we recommend books, but Just My Type is a must-read if you’re the slightest bit interested in fonts. Even if you have little or no knowledge of typography, this book is extremely easy to pick up and read and will give you all kinds of insights into even the most common fonts.
I Love Typography
As well as a range of great typography-themed posts, I Love Typography also boasts a shop, game, beautifully designed free desktop wallpapers and much more. It’s one of the best regular reads for font enthusiasts.
Font Squirrel
Font Squirrel is a great resource for free, quality fonts that can be used in commercial projects. They also have an @font-face generator tool so you can use non-web fonts directly on your website providing you meet the terms.
A History of Western Typefaces
This Western typefaces infographic provides a great background for when fonts have developed and how they have gone in and out of fashion. Not as directly practical as some of the other resources, but definitely still interesting.
Helvetica – The Documentary
A little bit more geeky, but still a great watch no matter how much or little you know about typography. The film itself isn’t free, but if you like the look of the clips you can order the DVD from the Helvetica film website.
What are your favourite font resources? Let us know in the comments!
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