What you need to know about Fonts - font history and basics Computers Articles | February 16 Wholesale Mason Rudolph Jersey , 2009 Fonts are a set of glyphs or images that represent characters from some particular character set in a particular size and typeface.
The fonts term comes from the Middle French fonte, from fondre (meaning to melt or cast) which referred to type produced by casting molten metal at a type foundry. Fonts in printing, sometimes called Fount, are a complete set of type of any one size, with all the usual points and accents; a font consists of about 100 Wholesale James Washington Jersey ,000 characters. In computers, a computer font is an electronic data file which contains a set of glyphs, characters, or symbols such as wingdings. Although the term font first referred to a set of metal type sorts in one style and size, since the 1990's most fonts are digital and used for computers or computer devices.
Font History and Font Formats
There are different font formats - which one should I choose?
OpenType fonts (.OTF) - OpenType is a scalable format for computer fonts that was initially developed by Microsoft Wholesale Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey , then later joined by Adobe Systems. OpenType fonts were first announced in 1996 and Adobecompleted conversion of its entire font library to OpenType around the end of 2002. In 2005, there were around 10,000 fonts available in OpenType font format, with Adobe's font library making up under a third of the total. As of 2006, every major font foundry and many minor ones were developing fonts in OpenType font format.
TrueType fonts (TT or .TTF) - TrueType is a digital font technology that was designed by AppleTMComputer Wholesale Terrell Edmunds Jersey , and is now used by both Apple (Mac) and Microsoft (PC) in their operating systems. Microsoft has distributed millions of quality TrueType fonts in thousands of different styles. TrueType fonts offer the highest possible quality on computer screens, printers, and include a wide range of features which make them very easy to use. PostScript Fonts(Type 1) - PostScript fonts predates TrueType by about six years. First, there were many different font formats for digital fonts, none of which were standardized. Then Apple adopted Adobe's PostScript page description language (PDL) for its Apple LaserWriter printer in 1985. This Wholesale Joshua Dobbs Jersey , combined with the introduction of desktop publishing software, sparked a revolution in page layout technology. ClearType Fonts(found on AscenderFonts) - Microsoft ClearType fonts are an unprecedented innovation in font display technology that dramatically improves font display resolution and marks a genuine breakthrough in screen readability.These Microsoft fonts were designed by Microsoft and leading type designers and font technologists to improve the reading experience in Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007.With ClearType font technology, the fonts on your computer screen look almost as sharp and clear as those printed on a piece of paper.
The choice of font format is mostly based on the kind of documents you create and your computer environment. Here are some general guidelines: OpenType TT OpenType TT fonts contain TrueType? outlines, and have a .TTF file extension. This is the default font format of both Macintosh and Windows systems. OpenType fonts with TrueType outlines are popular among home users and both small and large businesses or other enterprises. OpenType PS OpenType PS fonts contain PostScript? outlines, and have a .OTF file extension. OpenType PS fonts are replacing Type 1 fonts as users upgrade their systems. Type 1 PostScript Type 1 is the original font format that was part of the desktop publishing revolution that started in 1985. Type 1 fonts for PostScript and PostScript compatible printers consist of more than one file and have a limited character set. These limitations are overcome with OpenType fonts.
Font Characteristics
Font Weight
There are three basic categories of font weights: light Wholesale Cameron Sutton Jersey , regular, and bold. The regular font weight for most typefaces is slightly lighter than medium. Many computer fonts for Microsoft Office, Web and common use come with a normal, regular and a bold weight. Font Weight relative order: thinultra lightextra lightlightsemi lightbookregular, (roman) Wholesale Joe Haden Jersey , plain, normalmediumdemi bold or semi boldboldextra boldheavyblackextra blackultra Font Width compressed, condensed, narrowwide, extended Font Families There are a multitude of typefaces that have been created over the centuries and they are commonly categorized into font families according to their appearance. At the highest level Wholesale Javon Hargrave Jersey , one can differentiate between blackletter, serif, sans serif, and decorative fonts.
1. Blackletter Fonts Blackletter fonts were the earliest fonts used with the invention of the printing press. They resemble the artistic handwritings of cloisters in the Middle Ages and fall into three groups: Gothic fonts and Old English Text - Of all the blackletter fonts, the Gothic ones most closely resemble the Textura calligraphy used with manual copying of books. A Gothic typeface was thus also carved by Johannes Gutenberg when he printed his 42-line Bible Wholesale Sean Davis Jersey , including a large number of ligatures and common abbreviations. While in Germany, Gothic fonts were quickly displaced, they remained in use in great variance and are frequently also referred to as Old English Text fonts.Schwabacher typefaces were predominant in Germany from about 1480 to 1530. Most importantly, all of the works of Martin Luther, leading to the Protestant Reformation Wholesale Artie Burns Jersey , as well as the Apocalypse of Albrect Durer (1498) were printed in this typeface. It was probably initially used by Johannes Bamler, a printer from Augsburg, in 1472. The origins of the font name are unclear; some assume that the font was designed by a typeface carver from the village of Schwabach who worked externa>How surfacing. Wholesale Hockey JerseysWholesale NFL Jerseys ChinaWholesale College Shirts ChinaWholesale College Hoodies ChinaWholesale NBA Shirts ChinaCheap NBA JerseysCheap Baseball HoodiesWholesale NBA HoodiesCheap College Shirts From ChinaWholesale Authentic Soccer Jerseys