Author Topic: What is your preferred font? (Read 141,939 times)

40hz · « **Reply #25 on:** September 06, 2009, 12:59 PM »

Quote from: tomos on September 06, 2009, 12:24 PM

I always thought Arial was a fairly straight rip-off of Helvetica,
but I see Wikipedia agrees with you:-

Glad to hear that.

There's a lot of things I'm not too knowledgeable about. But one thing I actually do know something about is type.

icekin · « **Reply #26 on:** September 06, 2009, 10:06 PM »

Since Recently: Tahoma 12 everywhere, including the OS, Coding, Applications etc. I use MS Word in Calibri, since that is the default there in Office 2007.

Until Recently: Arial on the OS everywhere and Times New Roman (TNR) on word. I still use TNR for resumes and such.

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #27 on:** September 07, 2009, 02:16 AM »

Just bumped into this in HackerNews:

Quote

Fonts for web design: a primer
...Modern CSS provides web designers with an unprecedented level of control over online typography. Restrictions are still imposed however by the limited number of “common” fonts—those typefaces that are generally available cross-platform. This article looks at the fonts web designers have available to them, and also considers their suitability for various tasks.

Along with exploring Microsoft’s “Core fonts for the Web” pack, which includes the most common online fonts, the article also looks at more recent typefaces that can work well online, along with briefly noting the new screen fonts created for Vista.

http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/fonts-for-web-design-a-primer/

zridling · « **Reply #28 on:** September 07, 2009, 10:21 AM »

The next step is to embed fonts in browser code. I think between Java and HTML5, this can be done. I've no idea how, though!

f0dder · « **Reply #29 on:** September 07, 2009, 03:28 PM »

Quote from: zridling on September 07, 2009, 10:21 AM

The next step is to embed fonts in browser code. I think between Java and HTML5, this can be done. I've no idea how, though!

Please, don't.

Rely on the fonts you know will exist on normal systems, and keep fancy fonts for publishing. There's already enough presentation-over-content faggery going on with flash >_<

TPReal · « **Reply #30 on:** September 07, 2009, 04:52 PM »

My favourite monospaced font is definitely Monaco. It's a TrueType font, works well both with and without ClearType, and is great for writing code because there's no way to mistake I,l and 1, as well as 0 and O.

As for the rest, I use the default fonts

sjokotof · « **Reply #31 on:** September 07, 2009, 10:30 PM »

None for print as I don't print. If I would, I can imagine buying a nice legible serif like Bembo or Plantin.

For screen I use Segoe UI, primarily for things like file listings, menus and the like. Anything I used to use Tahoma for in the past really.

Consolas is nice for coding (after years of switching from one font to another: Sheldon, Monaco, Lucida console, Proggy variants, Speedy, Triskweline, Andale mono, etc, etc. No Couriers for me, thank you).

Calibri for pretty much everything else.

After some finetuning using the ClearType Tuner I've become a ClearType convert.

BTW This (lengthy) Cleartype Team 2005 video from the past might still be interesting.
There's an explanation from appx 12:19 about Couriers typewriter origins. Also some info on hinting and from 32:18 on the effect the ClearType technology can have.

zridling · « **Reply #32 on:** September 08, 2009, 05:14 PM »

Quote from: sjokotof on September 07, 2009, 10:30 PM

For screen I use Segoe UI, primarily for things like file listings, menus and the like. Anything I used to use Tahoma for in the past really. Consolas is nice for coding (after years of switching from one font to another: Sheldon, Monaco, Lucida console, Proggy variants, Speedy, Triskweline, Andale mono, etc, etc. No Couriers for me, thank you). Calibri for pretty much everything else. After some finetuning using the ClearType Tuner I've become a ClearType convert.

I think Microsoft isn't given enough credit for its font development and readability via ClearType. Fontographers cost many millions of Euros and very few companies can afford this kind of technology.

Curt · « **Reply #33 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:12 PM »

For a couple of years I have preferred Franklin Gothic medium, for writing in PageFour
- but I have not yet printed it, so I don't really know what it will look like on paper!

Everything else just follows whatever may be the default setting.

40hz · « **Reply #34 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:37 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on September 07, 2009, 03:28 PM

Quote from: zridling on September 07, 2009, 10:21 AM
The next step is to embed fonts in browser code. I think between Java and HTML5, this can be done. I've no idea how, though!
Please, don't.

Rely on the fonts you know will exist on normal systems, and keep fancy fonts for publishing.

+1 with f0dder on that.

Take a tip from the 'good old days' before CSS and the advent of all these nifty new HTML features and Think GIF.

If you really need to use an oddball font for a piece of text on a web page, compose it in a real composition tool that allows you to adjust tracking and kerning; get everything just right; export the result as a simple GIF - and use that instead. People with slow links and/or not a lot of RAM will thank you for it.

Here's an exceptionally fine example of how good a professionally done piece of text can look while only taking up 11K:

[attach]

Deozaan · « **Reply #35 on:** September 11, 2009, 09:33 PM »

For coding: Dina.

For most other things: Whatever the default font is.

Though when I do select a specific font for things, I tend to go with Trebuchet.

f0dder · « **Reply #36 on:** September 12, 2009, 02:20 AM »

40hz: ...and prefer not to do the gif/png thing unless it's bigtime necessary.

Quote from: Deozaan on September 11, 2009, 09:33 PM

For coding: Dina.

Deozaan has gained +1 love.

Again: print != online. Respect the user's choice. Heck, even for print, restrict yourself. At school we have a couple of java books that... oh, how can I put this mildly? are so FSCKING JAVA!!!. Fancy typefaces, stupid clip-art, multi-cultural "wow this program rocks" (etc) that you end up having a hard time taking the course seriously. Pick two or (if you're really frisky three fonts and stick to that, please.

I'll take GangOfFour over HeadFirstDesignPatterns any day... based on style (of course based on content there would be no arguing

)

Kamel · « **Reply #37 on:** September 12, 2009, 02:23 AM »

To my surprise, verdana was actually listed. This is my favorite.

I am just surprised since it is a microsoft font.

40hz · « **Reply #38 on:** September 12, 2009, 06:57 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on September 12, 2009, 02:20 AM

40hz: ...and prefer not to do the gif/png thing unless it's bigtime necessary.

My point exactly, hence my saying: "If you really need to use an oddball font for a piece of text on a web page..." with due emphasis on the word really.

Overall rules and design guidelines are all well and good. But it also helps to remember that not all websites are technical websites - or solely interested in conveying raw information. Some are designed and intended to be experienced.

For websites such as those I feel it should really be the designer's call as to how to do it; and for the viewers to decide if it worked

- or didn't

.

chrisa52 · « **Reply #39 on:** September 27, 2009, 09:20 PM »

For spreadsheet work and also for general desktop (for WinXP), I really love Ayita, from Ascender.

http://www.ascenderfonts.com/store/search.aspx?q=ayita

Their Droid fonts, Droid Sans, Droid Serif, Droid Sans Mono, are also available in the Google Android development kit (free) and are great subs for any of the web browsing fonts.

You can also purchase commercial versions.

http://www.ascenderfonts.com/store/search.aspx?q=droid

OldElmerFudd · « **Reply #40 on:** September 27, 2009, 11:37 PM »

Verdana for screen use, and TNR for general print work. That Day Roman that 40hz mentioned looks really nice, thanks! I also write poetry and use Colonna MT for that text.

siouxdax · « **Reply #41 on:** September 28, 2009, 12:37 AM »

Arial. Helvetica, Eurostile

jshelagh · « **Reply #42 on:** September 28, 2009, 06:07 AM »

my favourite is Comic sans MS
I am told it is what was used in comics
Maybe I am in my second childhood!!!

f0dder · « **Reply #43 on:** September 28, 2009, 06:44 AM »

Quote from: jshelagh on September 28, 2009, 06:07 AM

my favourite is Comic sans MS
I am told it is what was used in comics
Maybe I am in my second childhood!!!

http://bancomicsans.com/home.html

libeco · « **Reply #44 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:18 AM »

For the web I either use Verdana, Tahoma or Century Gothic.

For print I tend to use some Helvetica variant or it's free brother Vegur

40hz · « **Reply #45 on:** September 28, 2009, 12:44 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on September 28, 2009, 06:44 AM

Quote from: jshelagh on September 28, 2009, 06:07 AM
my favourite is Comic sans MS
I am told it is what was used in comics
Maybe I am in my second childhood!!!
http://bancomicsans.com/home.html

Thx f0dder! LMAO when I browsed that site!

Nice to see some of the Old Dragons are still alive, their voices crying out in the wilderness...

Of course why a collective of people who seem to be mostly involved in grundge-style urban art and bumper stickers would be so offended by Comic Sans is anybody's guess...

(These folks seem like the spiritual kindred of the people I learned print design from. That was the crowd that went around saying PageMaker was a fad, and that people would eventually realize "what a joke desktop publishing is" and go back to using real type.)

Now if they said they wanted to ban Times Roman, I just might sign up.

sazzen · « **Reply #46 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:06 PM »

You guys sure know a lot about fonts.

For a long time I defaulted everything to Arial. Windows and browser is still set that way, and I always use it for a business letter. However, my long-time favorite and what I default everything else to is Maiandra GD (size 10). Easy on the eyes in every way and printouts are as nice as the onscreen experience. I do use other fonts for headers, depending on the kind of document, Harrington or Lucida Calligraphy for Headers in writer's programs.

On the rare occasion that I need a monospace font, I opt for Lucida Console.

No ClearTypes please - or anything that looks like them.

tomos · « **Reply #47 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:28 PM »

Quote from: 40hz on September 28, 2009, 12:44 PM

Of course why a collective of people who seem to be mostly involved in grundge-style urban art and bumper stickers would be so offended by Comic Sans is anybody's guess...

see the Ban Comic Sans Flicker group - looks like a (barely supressed) love fest to me

. . .
L O V E H A T E

longrun · « **Reply #48 on:** September 29, 2009, 04:06 AM »

For printing I like Spranq Ecofont Spranq Ecofont, which has holes in each character and thereby saves toner/ink.

TomD101 · « **Reply #49 on:** September 29, 2009, 06:45 AM »

I normally use standard fonts provided by Microsoft. I think Arial and Times Roman are quite readable, very common and thus perfect for web design. No hassles with strange results on your page.

But once in a while I want to print out something personal, something "valuable" with a touch of class. After discovering the font some 15 years ago in "the BIG Word for Windows 6.0" book I fell in love with Korinna BT. Great to read, even on long text passages and simply elegant and ... something else without being "too much".

Here is a preview I snipped from some internet site. Korinna is free, I think, at least you find a lot of download locations.