I have chosen two quite popular typefaces, which are among my favourites to use in projects. I know there are some designers that like using as many different typefaces as they can throughout their work, and sometimes they would shy away from the "overused" and popular classics. Well, I believe that quite a few (by no means all) of the most popular typefaces are so successful for a reason - their high quality, quite simply put.
My first choice is Caslon, a transitional serif typeface, the earliest designs of which were released by William Caslon in 1722. Based on seventeenth-century Dutch old style designs, Caslon's designs were very practical and that brought them immediate success. The Caslon types were distributed throughout the British Empire, including British North America, where they enjoyed huge popularity. Caslon, in its many digital revivals, is still widely used today in magazines, journals, book publishing and corporate communications. For many years a common rule of thumb of printers and typesetters was "when in doubt, use Caslon."
My second choice is Myriad, a humanist sans-serif typeface that was designed by Robert Slimbach and Carol Twombly. The design was inspired by the Frutiger typeface, but Myriad is still easily recognized due to its special "y" descender, slanting "e" cut, and rounded curves. The humanistic treatment of its letter proportions gives the typeface warmth and readability. Myriad is widely used as corporate font or part of the identity of various well-known companies like Apple, Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo, De Beers, etc.
Left: William Caslon's 1734 Specimen sheet; some of the copy is set in Caslon. Right: Myriad, as used by Apple.
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