Explore the classifications

Filter by structural family, or scroll through all thirteen. Each card shows the diagnostic features that separate it from its neighbors.

Identify a type classification

We name a classification — you spot it among four specimens. Can your eye tell them apart?

Timeline

How the classifications descend from one another, era by era.

Click any classification for the full detail.

Solid border — has documented lineage connections Dashed border — standalone, no documented link

Anatomy

A labeled reference for the letterform terms used throughout this guide.

X-height, bowl, counter, serif, and the rest — all explained here.

Compare side by side

Pick two classifications to see their specimen, diagnostics, and detail compared side by side.