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> I find this statement rather perplexing. Doesn't "sans serif" mean, both
> etymologically and conventionally, "without serif"? Zapf himself apparently
> called it a "serifless roman type," and you agree, stating that it has no
> serifs; doesn't that make it sans serif by definition? Are you suggesting
> that there exists a category _between_ serif and sans serif typefaces?
Look closely at a sample of Optima. If you don't have the font on your
computer, a search for "optima" and "font" on the internet will get you
to a sample quickly enough.
Examine some of the letters, such as the bottom of the upward stroke of
the "b" or the top end of the "f" and you'll notice little hooks. On the
one hand, these hooks don't quite look like serifs, so you could call
Optima a sans serif. On the other hand, the hooks somewhat resemble
serifs, and may functin similarly, so you cold call Optima a serif.
I wouldn't exactly say that there's an in-between category, because a
relatively few number of fonts seem to defy categorization, But, in
cases like Optima, most people do recognize that the ordinary categories
don't seem to fit.
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"Never eat at a dinner called 'Mom's,' never play cards with a guy named
'Doc,' and never get involved with a woman who's got bigger troubles
than you."
- Nelson Algren, The Man with the Golden Arm
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