Welcome back to the series on typefaces that are great for labels at differing sizes (especially small sizes). All examples are in 16 pt.
Frutiger
Useful in many contexts including small point sizes of course. This one is a highly legible, fairly simple looking font, not to mention well-known and often used.
ITC Stone
The great thing about the stone font is that it has three styles: serif, sans serif, and informal (serif shown here). If you have a need for different styles that also happen to be complimentary and some originality thrown in, then this is one to consider.
Sabon
With complex lettering this is a very interesting typeface that adds dimension and weightiness to a map. Sophisticated and different.
Georgia
One of my favorites even though I hear Willie Nelson’s “Georgia” in my head every time I choose it from the font menu. It is a popular serif, highly readable, and a good alternative to Times New Roman.
You might also be interested in:
Typefaces for Cartography Annotation – Part 1
Typefaces for Cartography Annotation – Part 2
#1 by Rich Ruh on January 13, 2011 - 5:14 pm
Frutiger is our corporate font. I have to admit this is the first time I’ve seen anything positive written about it!
#2 by Gretchen on January 13, 2011 - 6:52 pm
It was, of course, commissioned for use on signage in the Charles De Gaulle International Airport, but is definitely a fine option for labeling – especially when those labels are numerous and small. There’s a bit of discussion on it and many other fonts here.