They sometimes evolved slowly, taking little steps at a time, and sometimes with dramatic leaps triggered by technological advancements. The lettershapes of the Latin script developed over centuries. If these specimens are not enough, contact the type foundry and request a temporary testing license. These documents contain important information about the typeface, its character set and features, as well as samples of text composed in different styles, sizes, and languages. In the best cases OpenType features can be applied and the test sheets can be printed.įoundries usually have a pre-made digital type specimen for download. Most foundries have an online font tester that allows typesetting some text and playing around with the important moving parts: combining styles and changing size, leading, and line length. In the case of free and open source type families this is a rather easy task, but options may be limited when it comes to commercial typefaces. Using the language or the actual text that will be typeset in the final design as also useful. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to compare several typefaces against each other and if possible against a couple of fonts that, even if not interesting in aesthetic terms, can act as a benchmark for comparison. Ideally, designers must test the fonts in an environment that is as close as possible to the final production means. The only way to evaluate quality and appearance of a typeface is by seeing it at work. It can only be judged in relation to the context that is external to the typeface.īefore you hand over your hard earned money or pitch your font suggestion to a client, how can you tell if a typeface is high calibre - if it’s a good font or not? Will it be worth the purchase? What should you look for? What warning signs are a dead giveaway of a bad font? Will it be outdated and unusable in the near future? This primer will get you headed in the right direction. A font does not come with enough information about itself. But against any forecast, the glut of digital type has made graphic designers’ lives harder than before. Nowadays there are tens of thousands of fonts available, whether for free or at a very reasonable price - especially knowing they can be used almost infinitely and with no degradation as opposed to lead or wooden fonts. Compared to today’s standards, typefaces were extremely expensive and choices were paltry. ![]() ![]() In fact most of us still refer to it as the typographic industry instead of the typography business. Not so long ago, making type required a certain infrastructure, machinery, a sales force to hawk the physical products, and shipping logistics.
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