So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#1

Post by airstrike » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?
ironicsans.com

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#2

Post by tshoaib » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 10:53 PM UTC

The bolder one is Helvetica. Got 15/20 after figuring this out from the first question.

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#3

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 10:58 PM UTC

tshoaib wrote: post #2

The bolder one is Helvetica. Got 15/20 after figuring this out from the first question.

[deleted]

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#4

Post by airstrike » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 11:14 PM UTC

tshoaib wrote: post #2

The bolder one is Helvetica. Got 15/20 after figuring this out from the first question.

Would be good if they didn't tell you the answer after each question...

['t', 'R', 'a', 's', 'S', 'c', 'C', 'g', 'G'] are the easiest to spot IMHO. You can get most of these with the lowercase c alone

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#5

Post by disillusion » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 11:16 PM UTC

Helvetica has a few very easy tells; look at the 'e' and 'c', the 'F' and 'E' and the 'A' and 'Y' in these examples, and you'll get 20/20. Oh, and the 'G' and 'R' ofcourse.

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#6

Post by splatzone » Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 11:41 PM UTC

19/20. Damn you to hell, Mattel!

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#7

Post by tshoaib » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 12:10 AM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #4

tshoaib wrote: post #2

The bolder one is Helvetica. Got 15/20 after figuring this out from the first question.

Would be good if they didn't tell you the answer after each question... ['t', 'R', 'a', 's', 'S', 'c', 'C', 'g', 'G'] are the easiest to spot IMHO. You can get most of these with the lowercase c alone

Yeah, I found comparing the size of the holes in letters like 'a' between the two be the easiest way. Smaller hole is bolder usually from what I saw.

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#8

Post by dang » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 6:13 AM UTC

Previously, from 2013: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5086793

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#9

Post by pasta » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:06 AM UTC

Arial:

"It was created to be metrically identical to the popular typeface Helvetica, with all character widths identical, so that a document designed in Helvetica could be displayed and printed correctly without having to pay for a Helvetica license."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arial

Re: So you think you can tell Arial from Helvetica?

#10

Post by icebraining » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:14 AM UTC

disillusion wrote: post #5

Helvetica has a few very easy tells; look at the 'e' and 'c', the 'F' and 'E' and the 'A' and 'Y' in these examples, and you'll get 20/20. Oh, and the 'G' and 'R' ofcourse.

The 's' too - the ends stop in horizontal lines, in Arial they're diagonal.