Letter processing and font information during reading: Beyond distinctiveness, where vision meets design

Abstract Letter identification is a critical front end of the reading process. In general, conceptualizations of the identi-fication process have emphasized arbitrary sets of distinctive features. However, a richer view of letter processing incorpo-rates principles from the field of type design, including an emphasis on uniformities across letters within a font. The importance of uniformities is supported by a small body of research indicating that consistency of font increases letter identification efficiency. We review design concepts and the relevant literature, with the goal of stimulating further thinking about letter processing during reading