Overview

Font Classifications

Font classification is a framework for systematically categorizing typefaces in typography. Based on the Vox classification proposed by French typography historian Maximilien Vox in 1954, the Vox-ATypI classification adopted by the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) in 1962 is the most widely recognized system. This classification framework categorizes typeface characteristics in detail through main categories such as Serif, Sans-Serif, Script, and Display, along with their respective subcategories.

typography fonts typeface classification design Vox classification ATypI
code slug name description subcategories
01 serif Serif Typeface category with small lines (serifs) at the ends of characters. [{"code":"01-01","slug":"old-style","name":"Old Style","examples":["Garamond","Palatino","Jenson"]},{"code":"01-02","slug":"transitional","name":"Transitional","examples":["Times New Roman","Baskerville","Georgia"]},{"code":"01-03","slug":"didone","name":"Didone / Modern","examples":["Bodoni","Didot","Walbaum"]},{"code":"01-04","slug":"slab-serif","name":"Slab Serif","examples":["Rockwell","Courier","Clarendon"]}]
02 sans-serif Sans-Serif Typeface category without serifs. [{"code":"02-01","slug":"grotesque","name":"Grotesque","examples":["Franklin Gothic","News Gothic","Akzidenz-Grotesk"]},{"code":"02-02","slug":"neo-grotesque","name":"Neo-Grotesque","examples":["Helvetica","Arial","Univers","Roboto"]},{"code":"02-03","slug":"geometric","name":"Geometric","examples":["Futura","Avenir","Avant Garde"]},{"code":"02-04","slug":"humanistic","name":"Humanistic","examples":["Gill Sans","Frutiger","Optima","Verdana"]}]
03 script Script Typeface category mimicking handwriting or calligraphy. [{"code":"03-01","slug":"formal-script","name":"Formal Script","examples":["Snell Roundhand","Zapfino","Bickham Script"]},{"code":"03-02","slug":"casual-script","name":"Casual Script","examples":["Brush Script","Kaufmann","Freestyle Script"]},{"code":"03-03","slug":"calligraphic","name":"Calligraphic","examples":["Lucida Calligraphy","Monotype Corsiva"]},{"code":"03-04","slug":"blackletter","name":"Blackletter","examples":["Fraktur","Old English","Textura"]}]
04 display Display Decorative typeface category emphasizing visual impact. [{"code":"04-01","slug":"decorative","name":"Decorative","examples":["Cooper Black","Lobster","Bebas Neue"]},{"code":"04-02","slug":"retro-vintage","name":"Retro / Vintage","examples":["Futura","Neutraface","Steelfish"]},{"code":"04-03","slug":"grunge-distressed","name":"Grunge / Distressed","examples":["Bleeding Cowboys","Trash Hand"]},{"code":"04-04","slug":"novelty","name":"Novelty","examples":["Comic Sans","Papyrus","Hobo"]}]
05 monospace Monospace Typeface category where all characters have the same width. [{"code":"05-01","slug":"slab-monospace","name":"Slab Monospace","examples":["Courier","Courier New","American Typewriter"]},{"code":"05-02","slug":"sans-monospace","name":"Sans-Serif Monospace","examples":["Consolas","Monaco","Source Code Pro","Fira Code"]}]
06 symbol-dingbat Symbol / Dingbat Special typeface category containing symbols and pictograms. [{"code":"06-01","slug":"dingbats","name":"Dingbats","examples":["Zapf Dingbats","Wingdings","Webdings"]},{"code":"06-02","slug":"icon-fonts","name":"Icon Fonts","examples":["Font Awesome","Material Icons","Ionicons"]}]

Standard classification system for fonts in typography.