ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to provide enough font theory to lift your map labels out of the realm of the novice, and it does so with particular attention to the parts of font theory that are relevant to maps. This gives you the necessary information to make great maps without wasting your time. The first things to learn are the various font categories, what each is useful for, and some basics on the most common fonts available. After that, you need to learn about various options to modify fonts in order to achieve certain effects like emphasis, de-emphasis, visual continuity, and so on. Once you choose a font and modify it as needed, the third concept to learn is text-placement strategy. Lastly, a list of resources is included for those who want to dabble in nonstandard fonts or perhaps even create your own.
