In traditional typography, this category refers to large, dense characters used for printing the main body of a page, as opposed to display or marginal type. It is historically associated with blackletter or Old English styles, which were the standard for early printed books. Printers also use the word to describe the primary continuous matter on a page, distinguishing it from headings, footnotes, and illustrations.
Heard on the job
We need to set the text in a highly legible serif before we worry about the chapter headings.
Insider tip
When a printer refers to a text type, they usually mean a font sized between 9 and 14 points that reads comfortably in long paragraphs.
Do not mix it up with
- Display: Display type is used for large, eye-catching headings, while text type is designed for continuous reading.