Font? No, that’s a typeface.
But what is a typeface? What’s the difference between a typeface and a font? A font is defined as “a complete assortment of type of one style and size.” Typeface is the design of a font. It’s art. For example, Times New Roman is a typeface. Font gets more specific. Times New Roman 12pt Bold is a font.
Typefaces can be overwhelming at times. While you might want to pick a typeface based solely on what you like, there are some basic guidelines for selection.
The basics:
Serif: a small line used to embellish a letter. Serifs improve readability by leading the eye along the line of type. Example: Times New Roman
Sans serif: use for website. The serifs tend to blend together in lower resolution. Example: Century Gothic
Monospace: every letter takes up the same amount of space. Example: Courier
Script fonts: exactly what it sounds like, these fonts are meant to emulate script handwriting, but can be difficult to read. Example: Lucida Handwriting
Tracking: The average space between characters in a block of text.
Kerning: The horizontal space between characters in a line of text. The goal is to make text easier to read by creating visually equal space between characters.
Leading: Space between the lines of text in a document. The looser the leading, the more readable a document is.
For more typographic terms, see Adobe’s Type Glossary
Looking for some great free fonts? Try here.