Learning to love typefaces

Re “Our type,” Opinion, April 28

After four decades of teaching typography, I have sent thousands of students on scavenger hunts for typefaces in everyday use, and I dare say most returned with Helvetica samples. I believe that a good many of them also developed a lifelong love affair with typefaces. (Those doubting that a person could love a typeface probably haven’t been introduced to Goudy, a truly beautiful serif face.)

I agree with Andrew Hoyem that Univers would have been a more elegant choice as a “default sans serif” for the century, but Helvetica’s plain appearance and more space-saving set width proved quite functional for designers, editors and copywriters. While both Times and Helvetica eventually grew tiresome through overuse, they endure. Loved or loathed, Helvetica has earned its place in typographic history.

WENDELL C. CROW

Fullerton

The writer is an emeritus professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton.

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In the article about different kinds of type, instead of only describing them, why not print examples so that we can see them?

HOWARD NIEDERMAN

San Clemente