schrift

Schrift is a German term with several related meanings tied to writing and letters. In general, it denotes the act of writing and the written form of language, or a writing system used to represent language. It can refer to manuscripts or documents ("Schriftstücke"), and in everyday speech it is synonymous with "writing" or "script." In typography, Schrift most often means a font or typeface, while more precise terms include Schriftart (font), Schriftsatz (typesetting), and Schriftbild (the visual appearance of the text).

Schriften as a concept: A script or writing system such as the Latin alphabet, Cyrillic, Arabic, or Hebrew is called eine Schrift. Individual characters are Schriftzeichen. Historically, German writing has used several scripts, including blackletter families (Textura, Fraktur, Schwabacher) and the more modern Antiqua; in handwriting, scripts such as Kurrent and Sütterlin were once common.

Usage and sense: Die Schriften can also mean the scriptures, in religious contexts (die Heilige Schrift, die Schriften). In modern publishing and digital typography, the distinction between Schrift and Schriftart is significant for design, accessibility, and internationalization. The term reflects both the cultural history of writing and the technical vocabulary of fonts and typesetting.