Using different font colors for features in maps helps distinguish:

Using different font colors for features in maps enhances the visualization of distinctions between various types of features, particularly cultural versus physical features. In cartography, cultural features refer to human-made aspects of the landscape such as cities, roads, and boundaries, while physical features encompass natural elements like rivers, mountains, and forests. By applying distinct colors to text labels—the fonts that represent these features—map makers can effectively guide the viewer's understanding of the map's content at a glance. This color differentiation serves to categorize and prioritize information, making it easier for the reader to interpret the map's story.

The other aspects noted, such as scale categories, temporal data points, and map projections, do not primarily rely on font color variations for distinction. Scale categories are typically indicated through numerical or graphical representations rather than color coding. Temporal data points often require different visual techniques, such as timelines or markers, to convey changes over time, and map projections are a methodological aspect of mapping that deal with the representation of the Earth’s surface, which isn’t inherently related to font coloration. Hence, distinguishing cultural from physical features through varying font colors is the most relevant application in this context.