A quantitative framework for analyzing distinctive features of typography

Abstract

The ability to quantify and compare typography has potential in many disciplines such as marketing, branding, education, and literacy studies. However, formal features of typography have been difficult to operationalize for quantitative analysis. The article proposes a quantitative, distinctive feature-based framework for describing and comparing fonts. The analyses made using the framework yield a clear and quantifiable separation of well-established typographical categories. It is also sensitive enough to pick up even small variations between fonts. The framework can aid in developing a more generally accepted typographical meta-language that allows for comparison and cross-fertilization of typographical knowledge across disciplines.