While I don’t necessarily agree with most of Lars Willem Veldkampf‘s assertions about font selection, I do think this it’s a fascinating exercise in typography to think about the subliminal meanings behind their evaluation, selection, discarding, and thought processes. The very act of choosing a typeface to communicate some deeper or subliminal meaning is the same as altering your own penmanship based on to whom you write.

Why do we select the fonts we do for specific pieces/identities? Inherently, it is based more on what works best instead of what is perfect (as faces are a limited commodity and you can’t be Ed Benguiat and design a new font for each project).

Granted, falling back on the good ol’ staples (see my comment that directly combats one of my heroes—Paula Scher—in this NY Sun article) is better than showcasing an entire portfolio of House Industries fonts (as newly-emerging designers are for wont to do), but what really drives your selections and instinctive reaction that this one works better than that? I’d love to hear your responses.