Typography - Understanding Font
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A font refers to a complete set of characters (letters, numbers, symbols) that share the same design properties like weight, style, and size. There are three main font formats: Type 1 PostScript fonts used by graphic designers, TrueType fonts used in Windows and Apple software, and OpenType fonts which can support expanded character sets, glyph substitution, and multi-platform use. TrueType fonts contain both screen and printer font data in a single file, while Type 1 PostScript fonts separate bitmap screen fonts from scalable outline printer fonts. OpenType fonts build upon Type 1 and TrueType with additional features.
Typography - Understanding Font
- 2. WHAT IS A FONT? The term has changed dramatically since computers have come into being. In traditional typography, specifically in days of metal type, a font was a collection of metal characters representing the complete character set of a particular design (all the characters, numerals, signs, symbols etc.) all of the same weight, style and size. Today a font refers to the complete character set of a particular type design or typeface in digital form. Although it refers to only one weight and size, not size specific as in the days of hot metal
- 3. FONT FORMATS • TYPE I POST SCRIPT: is a publishing standard since the last 1980s, used primarily by graphic designers • TRUE TYPE: if you do web design or work in Microsoft Windows software, you most likely use true type, this format is also used by Apple users • OPEN TYPE: this has added a third format to the mix and has lots of possibilities
- 4. POST SCRIPT TYPE I Was developed by Adobe Systems in 1980s. This format is based on a computer language called post script which describes type and graphics in a way that allows for precise, sharp printing at any size. Type I consists of two components: bitmapped or screen font and a printer or outline font.
- 5. POST SCRIPT TYPE I > BITMAPPED OR SCREEN FONT It is responsible for representing font on your screen. In a bitmapped font, all the characters are represented as pixels, or bitmaps, so it can be viewed on your screen, thus the term screen font
- 6. POST SCRIPT TYPE I > PRINTER OR OUTLINE FONT It is essentially the outline of each character stored as a mathematical description, thus the name outline font. The printer font is scalable. Your postscript printer acts as a brain that makes this interpretation.
- 7. TRUE TYPE FONTS Several years after the development of Type I fonts, Apple computers and Microsoft joined forces to develop TrueType. This format consists of a single file that contains both screen and printer font data. True Type fonts are fine for word processing jobs that have no printing considerations.
- 8. OPEN TYPE FONTS Is a kind of superset of Type I and TrueType font formats with added enhancements. The new features that benefit designers the most provide multi platform support, expanded character sets and glyph substitution
- 9. OPEN TYPE • EXPANDED CHARACTER SET: It can include many more characters than the 256 we were used to with Type I and TrueType fonts. This means it can include true drawn small caps, old style figures, extended ligatures set, swash and alternate characters and symbols etc., • GLYPH SUBSTITUTION: open type have a brain and know when to inset certain ligatures, swashes or special characters.