While the term typefaces and fonts are interchangeable, they are technically not the same. A font is a family of characters that follow a single typeface. Hence, fonts can be refered to as a single typeface along with every kind of variation which can be applied to it. Thus for example "Calibri" or "Verdana" qualify as fonts. Fonts with specifications such as "Calibri, Bold, pt 10" constitute a typeface. A typeface has a set of attributes such as style, point size, font face etc. Thus typefaces provide a more detailed and to the point in description, whereas fonts cover a much broader ground.

The best way to pick a font depends on the legibility and the readability of the text. You can choose any font from the three major font-families, namely, serif fonts, sans-serif fonts or script fonts. As a general notion, serif fonts enhance the readability of content in print.

Serif fonts are those fonts which have a short decorative line at the start or finish of a stroke in a letter. Sans serif fonts are generally fonts used on the web. The word 'sans' is of French origin, meaning, without'. Thus, sans-serif fonts do not have a decorative stroke, and have a very smooth structure.

Script fonts are also known as contemporary or decorative fonts and offer very little readability or legibility. Such fonts are best used for invitations or greeting cards.
Let us look at some of the fonts which you can use as an option for your online communication:

SERIF FONTS:

As explained before, serif fonts have a decorative stroke at the beginning or at the end of a character. Serif fonts are best suited for the print medium, as they tend to
be abrupt on the screen because of their stroke. Listed below are the
most desirable serif fonts available for different occasions.

Baskerville:

Baskerville is not a system font, but can be downloaded from the Internet for personal use. Although this font is used quiet extensively, the x-height of the font makes it appear a bit hazy. It is however a good font which can be used
for headlines.

Book Antiqua:

Book Antigua is one of the cleanest fonts and can to used for body text for reports spanning multiple pages. This typeface is very legible and readable with smaller or lower font sizes.

Bookman Old Style:

Just like Book Antigua, Bookman Old Style is a very good font for text books and big reports. Since this font has a round look, it is readable and good for numbers or people who are dyslexic. Cambria: Cambria is a new font available with Windows Vista and the Office 2007 package. Cambria has features similar to Times New Roman, but scores a point over it due to better character spacing between consecutive characters.

Courier New:

The Courier comes under the monospace font family. It can be used to depict any type of computing codes, technical or other instructions, examples and illustrations.
Garamond: Garamond is a great font for mail based communications which need to be eventually printed and stored. Such documents include memos, circulars, leave notes, notices, etc.

Georgia:

Like Garamond, Georgia is a very ideal font for web-based communication meant to be printed. Additionally, it is very clear and is ideal for numbers.

Minion:

Minion is not a system font but can be downloaded from the Internet. Although Minion is an extensively used serif font, you need to be careful while justifying text.

Times:

Times and Times New Roman appear to be similar, but they do have a
minor difference. The difference is that characters appear to be placed closer to each other in comparison to Times New Roman. Not a smart choice for high text kerning.

Times New Roman:

Although many argue about the legibility of this font, no one can deny the fact that it serves as the default selection for older versions of Microsoft products. The text doesn't go down too well for online communication. But since the print medium offers higher resolution,it does not appear blurred or hazy.

SANS SERIF FONTS:


As described earlier, sans serif fonts depict free flowing characters. Sans serif fonts are best suited for the web, but can be used as headline fonts for the print medium. Listed below are the most used sans serif fonts available for different occasions.

Arial:

Arial is the most classic sans serif font available. Agreeable with almost any website design, it is also used. as the default font by most of the web browsers.

Arial Black:

Arial Black is a denser version of Arial. It is best suited for headings and section breaks. Using this font for the body text of your web page may not be a wise decision.

Calibri:

Calibri is a new default font for Windows Vista and the Office 2007 package. Calibri is quite a soothing font to be read online. It is quite readable even with a negative kerning.

Franklin Gothic Medium:

Franklin Gothic is a slightly dark font, which can be used for captions. It is very clear and is ideal for numbers.

Helvetica:

This is a very good font for people with dyslexia or learning disability. A substitute to Arial, this font stretches well without appearing disintegrated. It is very clear and is ideal for numbers.

Lucida Sans:

A good font which can be used for headings in your web page, Lucida Sans appears to be slightly larger than other fonts having a similar font size. Not advisable for image captions.

Microsoft Sans Serif:

Microsoft Sans serif is an excellent font for body text of a web page.

TaholTla:

Tahoma is a complimentary font for Verdana. Not all systems have Tahoma installed, but itcan be easily downloaded and installed on your computer.

9Trebuchet MS:

This font can be used for tutorials and explanation based content. A very effective font for forums and community websites.

10Verdana:

A good font for sending mails. The Verdana font was actually invented for web based content. An excellent typeface which can be used in any part of your web page.

DECORATIVE FONTS:

Decorative fonts are also known as invitation card or greeting card fonts. They are used to his improve the aesthetic value of your images but they offer little or no clarity while reading.

Stylish fonts:

Most of these fonts, also referred to as fantasy fonts, are used in flash based greeting cards or post cards. Examples: Forte, Monotype Corsiva, Vivaldi.

Script book fonts:

This font family is best used for children books or creative work for kids. Examples:
Brush Script, Lucida Handwriting, Comic sans.

All Caps Fonts:

This font family displays all characters in upper case, irrespective of whether [Caps Lock] is on or not.

Since all caps text is regarded as abusive and insulting for online communication, avoid using such fonts for body texts. Example: Bremen, Algerian.

Drop Cap Fonts:

These fonts are perfect for drop cap letters in newsletters, novels or story books. The drop cap feature in most of these fonts is available only for letters in the upper case. Example: Anglo text, Gothic Flourish.