Wide or extended [typefaces](/glossary/typeface) are those with characters that typically take up a great deal of horizontal space, sitting at the opposite end of the spectrum from [“condensed” or “compressed”](/glossary/condensed_narrow_compressed) [type](/glossary/type).

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![Two examples of wide or extended typefaces, used to set the words “Lengthy” and “discussions”.](images/thumbnail.svg)

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These broader faces are not merely extended—they’re redrawn so that the proportions and angles are reshaped relative to the original design, without causing distortion to the [letterforms](/glossary/letterform) (in contrast to type that is [artificially widened by software](/glossary/faux_fake_pseudo_synthesized)).