Font Basics

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Font Basics

By Stephen Bucaro

A font is actually a graphic shape, for example a triangle,
which can be used to create a typographic character. A
group of fonts of similar design can be used to create a
typeface. A set of typefaces in different sizes and weights,
created from the same group of fonts, is a type family.
These terms are often misused, the term "font" being used
to mean a typeface.

There are two basic kinds of fonts, "bitmapped" fonts and
"scalable" fonts. Bitmapped fonts are constructed as a
pattern of dots. Bitmapped fonts can be enlarged, but this
produces jagged looking type.

Scalable fonts are stored as outlines of the characters
along with rules (known as "hints") used when displaying
the font. This allows the fonts to be displayed over a
wider range of sizes and still look good. Scalable fonts
can be used for both the computer screen and the printer,
making it more likely that the print will closely match
what's seen on the computer screen.

A font file will usually contain a set of fonts in several
different point sizes. A font's size is the height of the
characters in "points". There are 72 points per inch. The
font size refers to the height of characters when printed
on paper. Unlike paper, computer screens come in different
sizes and can be set to different screen resolutions. Also
many applications allow the user to magnify the document;
therefore, the size of type on the screen will only rarely
be the same as the point size.

Adobe invented the first scalable font technology called
"PostScript", but PostScript basically became obsolete
when Microsoft provided its "TrueType" scalable fonts for
no extra charge with the Windows operating system. One
important feature of TrueType fonts is the ability to
embed the font into the document itself.

The fonts used in a document are embedded in an encrypted
form that prevents the recipient of a document from
removing the font and using it without paying for it. The
font developer can configure the font to be read-only,
where the receiver of the document with the font may view
and print it but not edit it, or read-write, where the
receiver may edit, as well as view and print the document.

Bitmapped fonts are stored in files with the extension
.fon. TrueType fonts are stored as font descriptions in
files with the extension .ttf. To install a font, simply
copy the font file to the c:Windows onts or
:WINNT onts folder. You could store a font file in a
different folder and include a shortcut to the font file
in the fonts folder.

To view a font, simply navigate to the fonts folder and
double-click on a font file. You can also view fonts by
selecting Start | Settings | Control Panel and opening the
Fonts utility. The Fonts utility provides many extra
features, such as the ability to select similar fonts.

When you select the "font" menu item from within an
application, the Font dialog box will display a list of
the the fonts stored in the fonts folder. The Font dialog
box in some applications will actually display the
typefaces for you to choose from.

When you install some applications, like graphics programs,
hundreds of fonts may be installed along with them. To
keep the number of fonts manageable, you may want to
delete fonts you don't use. To delete a font, simply
delete the font file, but remember, if you used that font
in a document, when you open or print that document,
Windows will be required to select the closest matching
font to the deleted font, and you may get unexpected
results.

System fonts are used by the Windows operating system for
text like window titles and menu items. To determine which
fonts are being used by the system, select Start | Settings
| Control panel and open the Display utility. In the
Display Properties dialog box, select the Appearance tab.
In the Item: drop-down list, select items that use text,
like "Title Bar", "Menu", "Message Box", and so on. The
name of the font used for each item will appear in the
Font: text box. Don't delete a font being used by the
system.

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