The answer is Arial of course. It's on nearly every computer, plus it's near the top of the font list! Who can beat that!

I think to elicit more than simply flip responses, you may have to refine your criteria.

I'm looking for a typeface that can suit the identity of a design and PR agency. I prefer Sans typefaces, but I also like some slab-serif fonts.

For example, I like FF Dax and similar fonts, but they are already seen everywhere.

Thanks to everyone who can help me with this.

Freight Sans
FF Milo
FF Clan
FF Sanuk
FF Kievit
FF Zwo
Fedra Sans and/or Fedra Sans Alt
Corpid

To name a few.

Thank you Jelmar, this is a good selection. I like them all, some more, some less, but it's exactly the kind of typeface I'm looking for. Some of them are really interesting.

What do you think about Etelka?

Etelka looks pretty good. I would like to add Neo Sans to that.
And I always like a little squarish sans'es as well, like Camingo and Klavika, to name two. Or a more traditional, but very nice typeface like Fresco Sans, (which also has Fresco as it's serif counterpart, can be handy).

I already had a look at Klavika and Camingo, they are already on my list. Tomorrow I will study them more deeply to reduce a little the huge list of fonts I have got.

Again, thank you very much for helping.

No problem. I remeber two threads on Typophile that might help you further: Current Sans Serif favs and Comments on Camingo Typeface - Attack of the Square Sans (discussion about the rise of the square sans in 2006).

Check out FF Strada
It has more character for my than the avalanche of technically perfect sanserifs we are drowning in.

I like Relato Sans.

>legible,

Legible where? - signage, print, advertising, on-line, etc.,

Cheers, Si

Everywhere. It's for a logo, so it must be legible at big and small sizes.

What do you think of Neo Tech? Does it work for such a logo?

Neo Tech is definitely a nice typeface. I already mentioned Neo Sans, which is it's more 'normal' brother.

Neo Sans is great, but I like Neo Tech even more :)

If it’s for a logo, draw it yourself.

I agree, the best logos are hand done. That way, its won't be seen again somewhere else. It makes it more special.

I'm not that good at drawing fonts; I prefer having a base font, and maybe modify it a bit.
That way I will also have a font for all the identity of the mark.
But thanks for your advice! :) Maybe I change my mind until then. But meanwhile I have to get inspired by existing fonts.

Having the same font in a logo and the rest of the identity turned out to be problematic for me in most cases. The logo just loses so much impact.
You don’t have to draw an entire font for a logo - just the glyphs needed. And you can draw them to work perfect in the given order.

You're right. I will keep that in mind. Maybe instead of choosing one font from the list I have, I can get some inspiration in some glyphs.

What problems are you talking about? Is is just because of the loss of impact, or is there anything else?

I depends (like I said - most cases). If the logo consists of a pictorial part and a text part that are loosely connected, the logo may look odd when it has to stand close to text set in the same typeface. It depends on the kind of logo. Post a sample.

I don't have a sample right now.
I'm just trying to get some distinct ideas to build a decent logo.

BTW, the choice of typeface will depend on what you want to represent/communicate, and/or how it will work with a pictorial counterpart.

I know I have to choose the typeface very carefully. But with so many typefaces, and so many that look almost the same, it's difficult to decide which one could be better :)

Any other typefaces you could suggest?

There are only 10 weights, but if I could bill it off to a customer, I'd grab Galaxie Polaris in a flash. I saw it recommended in another thread, and its clean look gave me shudders of desire.

Thanks. It's on my list now.

Parisine & Parisine Plus
ClearviewText
TheSans (Office)

What do you think of Beta Sans?

I'm not a big fan of it to be honest.

Why not?

I basically don't like certain characters of that typeface. For example the lc 'a' and 'k'. But that may be a matter of opinion.

I'm always hestitant to 'burn' typefaces here, because I wouldn't want to offend any type designer that might be visiting this forum without me knowing it. ;)

Speaking as a neophyte uneducated in the ways of type, I'm pretty partial to dstype's leitura sans.

Agrees wholeheartedly with Jan. Drawing a wordmark is not as tedious as you may think. Start sketching, scanning and tracing (I usually spend more time on the earlier and less on the latter process, but it depends.) You don't even need FontLab fancy ;-)

My personal favorite is FF Kievit, though lately I found it to be tepid and unemotional.

Good luck!

Those are 2 good ones too. Thanks.
It's getting difficult to choose one from so many good typefaces!