English Rewind - 6 Minute English: handwriting vs font

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This is a programme from the BBC Learning English archive.

It was first broadcast in October 2011 on the BBC Learning English website.

We hope you enjoy it.

This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English dot com.

— Hello, I'm Rob. — And I'm Cath.

And this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Today we're talking about fonts.

Fonts: that's the typeface or the style of letters we type on a computer screen.

Yes, that's right.

And when we type a document, we have an array of different fonts to choose from.

So, Cath, surely you must have a favourite font that you use?

Yeah, I do. At work, I like Arial for some reason.

It's very plain, very straightforward.

I also like Gill Sans, it looks very nice.

— Oh, that's a nice one, yeah. — It's a lovely one, yes.

It's quite interesting,

because the font that you use can indicate what kind of person you are!

Oh, dear!

I'll tell you more about that in a moment,

but first I think we should have a question.

Oh, no, I'm going to get it wrong!

We'll see, shall we?

Do you know which language the word 'font' originates from?

Is it Spanish, German or French?

I'm going to go for French, I think, this week.

OK, well, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme.

Now let's get back to the subject of typography or the use of text in printing.

We've mentioned that the style of text is called the 'font'

and now experts say the font you use can say a lot about you.

Mm, like handwriting.

So whether you write neatly with beautiful joined-up letters,

or write messily so nobody can read it,

can give us an insight into the type of person that you are.

Yes, handwriting can even be seen as an art form, called calligraphy,

but in this modern age, it's the keyboard most of us use,

— to type words on a computer screen. — Yes, that's true!

I can't actually remember the last time I actually wrote a letter using a pen.

But, Rob, you're saying we can even interpret someone's personality

by the font they use?

Exactly.

And as we can hear from author Simon Garfield,

there are thousands of fonts that we can choose from.

We have 60 fonts on our computer.

And we have a choice of, I haven't counted them all,

something like 100,000 fonts that we can find online.

You fall in and out of love with fonts the way that one can do with people.

So author Simon Garfield

says there are around a hundred thousand fonts available online

and he says that we often change the fonts we use.

Yes, he said just like people,

— we fall in and out of love with fonts. — Ahh.

Now, our mood can affect the style we actually use

and also who we are typing a letter for can influence our choice.

So using round and large letters can be seen as being friendly,

but also unsophisticated.

In the world of marketing,

using the correct font is vital for creating the right image for a brand.

Yep, fonts have characteristics, like a sort of personality.

This is something that a font designer, like Jason Smith, tries to create.

Now, he spoke to BBC correspondent David Sillito

and told him more about the characteristics

that fonts might represent in the people who've picked them.

This is Rufus, who is a humanitarian, slightly odd, slightly wide...

And you really think that people do judge you on your letters?

Oh, absolutely, it’s the handwriting for the modern age.

So you could look sort of grown up and competent with this,

charming and friendly with this?

I think you can look competent with this as well, but this is much more friendly.

That's Jason Smith, who describes fonts as people.

For example, the font Rufus is humanitarian, slightly odd, slightly wide!

Humanitarian!

So it shows that you're concerned with reducing suffering.

That's how people will judge you if you use this font?

Apparently so and it makes you look grown up too.

A font like Tiresias Infofont can make you look competent too, but more friendly.

And, as he said, this is the handwriting of the modern age.

Mm, but there's one font that seems to be loathed by many people

and that's a sort of rather jaunty font called Comic Sans.

It's warm and it's inoffensive

and to some people it looks homely, perhaps handwritten.

Mm. But others think it's so simple it looks childish,

so much so that an anti-Comic Sans website has been set up!

That shows you how controversial fonts can be.

They're sort of like our online personality, aren't they?

So I think next time I'm on the computer,

I will give more thought to the font I use.

Mm, me too. But, Cath, how much thought have you given to today's question?!

Now, earlier I asked you which language the word 'font' originates from?

And I said French, but I haven't got a single one right yet.

Well, today is your lucky day,

— because you got it right. — Hooray, brilliant.

It does originate from the French word 'fonte',

which means something that has been melted and refers to the metal that was melted

to make the letters for the printing presses and typewriters.

Oh, OK.

Right, Cath, could you please remind us of some of the vocabulary we've used today?

Yes, of course. We had 'fonts', 'fonts',

'an array', 'an array'.

'Typography', 'typography'.

'Calligraphy', calligraphy',

'unsophisticated', 'unsophisticated',

'characteristics', 'characteristics',

'humanitarian', 'humanitarian',

'competent', 'competent',

'loathed', 'loathed',

'jaunty', 'jaunty'.

Thanks, Cath. Well, we hope you've enjoyed today's programme,

and maybe you'll think more about the fonts you'll be using!

Please join us again for another 6 Minute English very soon.

— Bye! — Bye!

That was 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English dot com.