Typeface vs. Font: The Music Analogy

The easiest way to understand the difference is to think about music:

• The Typeface is the song itself (the melody, the lyrics, the creative idea).
• The Font is the MP3 file (the actual digital file you use to play the music).

In design terms:

• Typeface: The specific design or look of the letters (what you see).
• Font: The computer file or mechanism that contains the letters (what you use).

In Practice

You choose a Typeface, but you install a Font.

Examples

1. Helvetica

• Typeface: "Helvetica" (The entire family of letters).
• Font: Helvetica-Bold.otf (The specific file for the bold version).

2. Times New Roman

• Typeface: "Times New Roman" (The creative design).
• Font: Times New Roman, Italic, 12 point (The specific variation you are using on the page).

Summary

If you are talking to a designer about the look, you are talking about a Typeface. If you are talking to a developer about the file or the bold setting, you are talking about a Font.