Introduction to Fonts & Typography

1. UNDERSTANDING FONT
TECHNOLOGY

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.