Characterizing typographic expertise: Do we process typefaces like faces?

Abstract

Studies of face recognition and discrimination provide a rich source of data and debate on the nature of their processing, in particular through using inverted faces. This study draws parallels between the features of typefaces and faces, as letters share a basic configuration, regardless of typeface, that could be seen as similar to faces. Typeface discrimination is compared using paragraphs of upright letters and inverted letters at three viewing durations. Based on previously reported effects of expertise, the prediction that designers would be less accurate when letters are inverted, whereas nondesigners would have similar performance in both orientations, was confirmed. A proposal is made as to which spatial relations between typeface components constitute holistic and configural processing, posited as the basis for better discrimination of the typefaces of upright letters. Such processing may characterize designers' perceptual abilities, acquired through training.

Keywords:

• Configural processing
• Inversion effect
• Perceptual abilities
• Typeface discrimination

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Daniel Rhatigan who created the font continuum and the inverted forms; colleagues Alison Black and Christopher Burke for helpful suggestions in editing the paper; Rosanna Traina for assistance in creating illustrations; and anonymous reviewers and Jim Tanaka for suggesting improvements. This research was supported by a University of Reading Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme which provided a placement for CS.

Notes

¹The tool Adhesiontext™ (available at http://www.adhesiontext.com/) takes words from Moby Word Lists by Grady Ward, which include proper nouns and low frequency words, and places these in a random order. The tool was developed to enable type designers to evaluate their designs.

²This prediction is supported by informal discussion with Dutch type designer Lucas de Groot at a type conference prior to conducting this experiment.