The term “logotype” was originally used in printing to refer to the casting of type that contained multiple characters on a single piece of type, such as Æ.  Today, the term has come to refer to characters that capture a company’s or organization’s name or product name in a single, unified shape.  The logotype of a company’s name or product name, in particular, must call a viewer’s attention to the particular qualities or image of that company or product through design that creates a lasting impression and promotes the sale of the product.  It comes to be the foundation for that organization’s or product’s identity (that which differentiates it from others).  Much logotype is designed to be placed in conjunction with symbolic shapes; this is referred to as a logomark.  Both logomarks and logotypes are abbreviated as “logos.”  In some cases, the term logotype may be used more broadly, to signify any designed form that unifies a number of characters.  In general, the notion of “designing a font” involves designing (in the case of European languages) a unified set of fonts that includes both the alphabet and its related symbol sets, including punctuation.  By contrast, “designing a logotype” involves designing a particular group of characters within such a set.