Extended — Ext Std, Ext Pro

Extended can be confused with the width of a typeface.

Super family is defined differently by TDC. Instead of having both serif and sans, it has multiple scrpts or a very broad range of weights. Perhaps Biserif family?

ChrisL

(long pause: no, I’m not going to fall for this one....)

What about “collection”? That can cover a multitude of sins.

(long pause: no, I’m not going to fall for this one….)

I will! Biserif family? That can cover a multitude of sins.

This thread is getting deliciously naughty!

ROFL, Terry!

Expanded

Non-nuclear

Emigrated

Inbred

Divergent

Well, both “inbred” and “divergent” qualify as deliciously naughty....

It’s still a family.

Interpedalicious?

Multiterminal?

Cyberfunkadelic?

one of those, maybe...

Suite

Multiface

Flexible

Multiflex

Flexiface

Variface

Flexerif / Multerif / Varif / Flexerifible

Just family.

Suite is a good suggestion—it could stick, if a foundry starts using it. ’Thesis Font Suite’ etc.

Personally I always call them Hybrid Families.

Suite implies more than one kind of room contained therein, like a kitchen, bathroom, salon, and bedroom. Are you sure?

Suite also [just] means series. Comes from the French for “follow”.

hhp

suite |swēt|
noun
a set of things belonging together

>Are you sure?

I’m not even sure it’s Friday :)

Oh, ok. I’m being too literal. Typical.

Suite

Sweet. :)

Conor has it. I like suite too. It doesn’t imply size, as “super family” does.

Suite is nice, in fact I am planning to use it for a set of mixed sans and sans serif faces.
However, they are not family related, although they share similar proportions and x-height.
So “suite” is more like “mix pack”. Storm has something like that, a sans, a serif, and a script, if I recall correctly.

Suite could be considered family, but it would be adoptive or loosely tribal, rather than closely genetically related.
“We are fam-i-ly, I got all my bothers and sisters and me” — Sly & the Family Stone

I say “clan”.

If you do that, you could call the constituent faces “septs”....

Y ou could call a multi-script family a Babel?

ChrisL

Of course, the problem with the term “clan” is that FontFont just released a family named FF Clan so they claim it now :)

A.

Clan can have a very bad meaning in the USA as well.

ChrisL

That’s with a K.

And 3-4 decades late.

hhp

At Linotype, we started calling all typefaces that had more than one variant “Type Systems” in our printed media (i.e., the “Charlotte Type System,” which has two typeface families inside of it, Charlotte and Charlotte Sans… or URW’s Corporate ASE, which is a system with three typeface families, and our Compatil & new Generis, which have four, etc.)

For awhile, on our website, we would refer to these type systems as “Font Family Groups” as well, i.e., the “ITC Stone Font Family Group.”

Dan beat me to it - ’type system’ is the answer, as in the TDC type design compo section.

’System’ is perhaps more descriptive than ’suite’, but somehow it sounds a little cold for something with an important aesthetic and emotional dimension.

Thanks, you beat me to that comment, although I probably would have used the word “sterile.”

I was going to suggest ’system’ as well, but I see it’s already been mentioned a number of times. That is my favorite term so far.

Or how about ’font tree’? Which would suggest that families are individual ’branches’.

everyone knows fonts grow on trees ;-)

Si

http://www.typeoff.de/?p=48

I don’t know if someone else suggested it, but what about Mix Family?

I like Tran Serif for just one level, and Omniterminant or Ambiterminant for other kinds.

David,

I like your terms though I prefer Ultranasuprafludextrous for just one level and Transhyperobotlectic other kinds. Sounds more threatening.

>I don’t know if someone else suggested it, but what about Mix Family?

Luc’s TheSans, TheSerif, TheMix ... TheMix being a hybrid sans/serif

Conurbation.
Individual typefaces would be cities, the fonts neighbourhoods, and the individual glyphs citizens. Foundries would be nations.

> Individual typefaces would be cities, the fonts neighbourhoods, and the individual glyphs citizens. Foundries would be nations.

Beautiful… and we would have many Gods.

“Foundries would be nations....”

I like that, The United States of Font Bureau.

” Ultranasuprafludextrous for just one level and Transhyperobotlectic...”
That’s good, but as I was thinking ahead to the localization issues...;)

“Foundries would be nations….”

and I would be a Man Without a Country :-)

ChrisL

That’s easy, Chris: start your own! ;-)

Sure, I will call it “The Republic of Punnery” and our currency will be the Double entendre :-)

ChrisL

Serisansilicious?

Ah, yes! The Seracens! :-)

ChrisL

serifsans

I can see the tourism campaign ads now: “Get Thee to a Punnery!” :-)

We’ll have nun of that sister :-)

ChrisL

It’s a habit I can’t break.... ;-)

(And wouldn’t you know it, AMC is running “The Blues Brothers”: let’s hear it for The Penguin!)

Linda,
You have to be careful in Punnery, it is ruled by an evil Dezpot :-)

ChrisL

I generally use MultiStyle, at least in 1994 (then 1997 for public release) when I have designed Le Monde.

Reading various proposals here, I like “Suite” too. Suite is quite international, and we all probably know what Suite mean versus a Room. Nice analogy.

But, its really contextual and depending of the family itself. I’m not fan of strict rules. Its same kind of stuff as discussing type classifications. Be free, do what you want, as long as it serve your case.

> Foundries would be nations.

Ah, more reason for somebody to pick up “Despotype”, quick.

hhp

You have to be careful in Punnery, it is ruled by an evil Dezpot :-)

Oh...my...God. I might have to hang myself. :)

the only hanging the Dezpot allows is for punctuation.

LOL!!!

ChrisL

LOL times two!

groan.... ;-)

So long as you’re a benevolent Dezpot, we’ll all do fine!

Sing along now: I’m a little Dezpot short and stout, tip me over and type pours out :-)

ChrisL

*tips Dez over*

waiting for the type, chris! >^p

So am I, Paul :-/

ChrisL

aha. can you fill me in with an update? would be good to hear from you. you can email me off list if you like.

OK, Paul. I just sent you an “update”.

ChrisL