So you need a typeface?
April 19, 2010 10:20 AM Subscribe
Heh, for fun, start with the box for Comic Sans, and then trace the flowchart backwards to see what circumstances lead to it as the correct answer.
posted by FishBike at 10:30 AM on April 19, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by FishBike at 10:30 AM on April 19, 2010 [6 favorites]
So you need a typeface decision navigator? Dotted lines don't imply directional flow too well, especially when they cross other dotted lines of the same line weight.
That said, it was cute.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:33 AM on April 19, 2010
That said, it was cute.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:33 AM on April 19, 2010
Invitation. Like something handwritten, do you? ↴
How about something fancy? ↤ No.
↪ No. ↦ Something fun, then? ↦ Are you alone? ↴
Yes. ↦ Okay then. ↴
↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↲
↪Come with me. ↦ ↦ ↴
↧
↳ Comic Sans.
posted by battlebison at 10:38 AM on April 19, 2010 [5 favorites]
How about something fancy? ↤ No.
↪ No. ↦ Something fun, then? ↦ Are you alone? ↴
Yes. ↦ Okay then. ↴
↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↤↲
↪Come with me. ↦ ↦ ↴
↧
↳ Comic Sans.
posted by battlebison at 10:38 AM on April 19, 2010 [5 favorites]
Do you ever change the default setting on Microsoft Word? -> No -> Times New Roman.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:42 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:42 AM on April 19, 2010
(With regards to Comic Sans. Even Chalkboard, the Apple ripoff of Comic Sans, is marginally nicer)
posted by Artw at 10:43 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by Artw at 10:43 AM on April 19, 2010
Pretty funny. I especially like this flow...
Book > Are you completely in doubt? > Yes > Caslon
Made me chuckle.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:45 AM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Book > Are you completely in doubt? > Yes > Caslon
Made me chuckle.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:45 AM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Love it. I only wish it could have been done in a way that allowed hyperlinks from font names to their MyFonts entries...but I'm not sure there's even a web-displayable way to do that.
posted by circular at 10:52 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by circular at 10:52 AM on April 19, 2010
I spotted two errors.
The Inspiration Lab one seems to be different/newer for some reason, but I thought it best to link to the artist's page.
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:56 AM on April 19, 2010
The Inspiration Lab one seems to be different/newer for some reason, but I thought it best to link to the artist's page.
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:56 AM on April 19, 2010
i just had a ton of fun with that.
Did you cry when watching Terminator? ---> No---> I must say that this flow chart is looking hot ---> Yes---> Din.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 10:56 AM on April 19, 2010
Did you cry when watching Terminator? ---> No---> I must say that this flow chart is looking hot ---> Yes---> Din.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 10:56 AM on April 19, 2010
For a designer, it's funny that the direction of the flowchart is ambiguous.
posted by mkb at 11:01 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by mkb at 11:01 AM on April 19, 2010
If a designer asks if you're alone, and then asks you to follow him down a long, twisting, dotted line, then comic sans might jump out and scare you at the end.
posted by Hoenikker at 11:05 AM on April 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Hoenikker at 11:05 AM on April 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
I like the unrelated question in the upper left. Whether people call you boring, you still need to find a font.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:13 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:13 AM on April 19, 2010
Ambrosia - that's one of the differences between the artist page and the Inspiration Lab one -- the line from the "TEXT FACE" box goes up not down.
posted by patricio at 11:19 AM on April 19, 2010
posted by patricio at 11:19 AM on April 19, 2010
julie_of_the_jungle: "i just had a ton of fun with that.
Did you cry when watching Terminator? ---> No---> I must say that this flow chart is looking hot ---> Yes---> Din."
He's right, though, DIN is a hot-looking typeface. It's my go-to face for movie credits, actually, when people don't have a strong preference.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:28 AM on April 19, 2010
Did you cry when watching Terminator? ---> No---> I must say that this flow chart is looking hot ---> Yes---> Din."
He's right, though, DIN is a hot-looking typeface. It's my go-to face for movie credits, actually, when people don't have a strong preference.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:28 AM on April 19, 2010
Is it an Italian restaurant?
Not afraid to be asked if you live in the Nineties?
Both made me chuckle.
But as someone who opinionated about how things look but has not very much font knowledge, I can imagine actually using something like this for real.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:50 AM on April 19, 2010
Not afraid to be asked if you live in the Nineties?
Both made me chuckle.
But as someone who opinionated about how things look but has not very much font knowledge, I can imagine actually using something like this for real.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:50 AM on April 19, 2010
But when should I use Papyrus?
When you are subtitling a $500 million movie.
posted by buriednexttoyou at 12:08 PM on April 19, 2010 [7 favorites]
When you are subtitling a $500 million movie.
posted by buriednexttoyou at 12:08 PM on April 19, 2010 [7 favorites]
But when should I use Papyrus?
When you are subtitling a $500 million movie.
Holy crap! As the last remaining soul on this continent who hasn't seen the movie, I can't believe he really did use Papyrus for the subtitles. I'm guessing I'll not be renting the dvd, either, now. Unless the subs are changed in the dvd...
posted by Thorzdad at 12:25 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
When you are subtitling a $500 million movie.
Holy crap! As the last remaining soul on this continent who hasn't seen the movie, I can't believe he really did use Papyrus for the subtitles. I'm guessing I'll not be renting the dvd, either, now. Unless the subs are changed in the dvd...
posted by Thorzdad at 12:25 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wait, what's wrong with Papyrus?
It's the "ethnic" font! I've seen it in Irish pubs, Middle Eastern restaurants, Spanish restaurants, Italian restaurants....etc. It's the "I want to look classy, but Pier One is a little TOO classy for me" font! It's the "I want to look unique and elegant, but I used MS Word and chose the SAME FONT as 100,000 other businesses did" font!
Also: it's HORRIBLE.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 12:47 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's the "ethnic" font! I've seen it in Irish pubs, Middle Eastern restaurants, Spanish restaurants, Italian restaurants....etc. It's the "I want to look classy, but Pier One is a little TOO classy for me" font! It's the "I want to look unique and elegant, but I used MS Word and chose the SAME FONT as 100,000 other businesses did" font!
Also: it's HORRIBLE.
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike at 12:47 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wait, what's wrong with Papyrus?
It's the Dragonwick of the early 21st Century, that's what's wrong with it.
posted by PsychoTherapist at 12:52 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's the Dragonwick of the early 21st Century, that's what's wrong with it.
posted by PsychoTherapist at 12:52 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wait, what's wrong with Papyrus?
- Font that comes with every computer just isn't special anymore
- Font that comes with every computer used in $$$ production == lack of refinement
- Lack of refinement because Papyrus represents a certain 1st-world view of the 3rd world -- it applies definitely to no culture in particular, but is used as a stand-in for what should be authentic typography. It screams "I don't know JACK about other cultures but this sure seems like it could fit somehow"
I would argue that the cultural angle isn't as important with Avatar, since it's fiction, but still...
And at least we haven't seen Papyrus on any tombstones...not that I've heard, anyway.
(Bottom line is, use Papyrus if you like it, just understand that it's got a really tacky rep)
posted by circular at 12:52 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
- Font that comes with every computer just isn't special anymore
- Font that comes with every computer used in $$$ production == lack of refinement
- Lack of refinement because Papyrus represents a certain 1st-world view of the 3rd world -- it applies definitely to no culture in particular, but is used as a stand-in for what should be authentic typography. It screams "I don't know JACK about other cultures but this sure seems like it could fit somehow"
I would argue that the cultural angle isn't as important with Avatar, since it's fiction, but still...
And at least we haven't seen Papyrus on any tombstones...not that I've heard, anyway.
(Bottom line is, use Papyrus if you like it, just understand that it's got a really tacky rep)
posted by circular at 12:52 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
I thought Comic Sans was reserved for use in christian anti-abortion newsletters.
posted by dunkadunc at 12:54 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dunkadunc at 12:54 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Am I some kind of mutant because some of my favorite fonts are in the bottom right corner? Eurostyle and Peignot rule!! But my all time fave, Bookman, is not even represented, nor is its trendy cousin Clarendon. Yes, my tastes stopped evolving in 1975, thankyouverymuch.
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:08 PM on April 19, 2010
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:08 PM on April 19, 2010
Wonderful, I've been made obsolete by a poster.
posted by The Whelk at 1:38 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 1:38 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Paopyrus is basically the new-age Comic Sans.
posted by Artw at 1:39 PM on April 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 1:39 PM on April 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
I thought Comic Sans was reserved for use in christian anti-abortion newsletters.
Don't forget ads in the local paper for the town abortionist.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:45 PM on April 19, 2010
Don't forget ads in the local paper for the town abortionist.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:45 PM on April 19, 2010
For those who are new to MeFi, don't miss the Comic Sans thread.
posted by danb at 2:56 PM on April 19, 2010
posted by danb at 2:56 PM on April 19, 2010
The Comic Sans thread displays in Helvetica on my iPhone.
I love you, iPhone.
posted by joshuaconner at 3:10 PM on April 19, 2010
I love you, iPhone.
posted by joshuaconner at 3:10 PM on April 19, 2010
A few months back, my apartment complex was sold, and the new owners replaced most of the signs in the complex. The new signs didn't add or change any information; they just changed the font to Papyrus. I'm just waiting for my lease to run out now.
posted by Acetylene at 3:42 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Acetylene at 3:42 PM on April 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
BOOK --> "Are you completely in doubt?" --> YES --> Caslon is pretty funny if you know your typography quotes. Well, it made me laugh, but then I once won a book-design award for a book set entirely in Caslon.
posted by Hogshead at 4:11 PM on April 19, 2010
posted by Hogshead at 4:11 PM on April 19, 2010
*sobbing* Couldn't see it, even larger. I fear I missed something great.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 7:21 PM on April 19, 2010
posted by ~Sushma~ at 7:21 PM on April 19, 2010
The Comic Sans thread displays in Helvetica on my iPhone.
Awesome. That thread was an abomination.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:39 PM on April 19, 2010
Awesome. That thread was an abomination.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:39 PM on April 19, 2010
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