Understanding Fonts
Fonts are the most important aspect
of the ad document as well as perhaps the most often forgotten and
misunderstood. It is easy to select a type style from the font window
from within your application. However, for successful output of your
document on another computer, the remote computer must have the exact
same fonts installed. This means you must embed the fonts you use within
the eps or pdf that you send to us. We cannot accept a file without
these fonts already embedded.
What are fonts?
A complete assortment of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc.
of a given size and design. Times New Roman, Avant Garde, Helvetica and
Franklin Gothic are names of common fonts in use today.
A little history
Output devices used in publishing are raster-based. This means that
they create type and images as patterns of spots and dots on paper,
film, or plates. In 1985, Adobe introduced PostScript® as a language for
controlling raster-based output devices and for producing typefaces.
Today, over 60,000 fonts are in PostScript form.
All digital fonts now fall into
three categories.
- PostScript or Type 1: Scalable outline fonts based
on bezier curves. Type 1 fonts are the only recommended font type for
use in an ad.
- TrueType: Scalable outline fonts based on quadratic
curves that must be converted to Type 1 (often this conversion is
invisible to the user). Not recommended for use in an ad.
- Bitmap: Non-scalable pixel maps of a given type
face. Not recommended for output on high resolution devices. We are
unable to accept ads that use bitmap fonts.
Where do you get fonts?
A small selection of fonts come pre-installed on your computer and
differ between Macintosh and Windows. Fonts are also loaded on your
computer when you install certain printers (Canon, Hewlett Packard,
Epson, Tektronics).
A third source is software applications. Microsoft
Office and Adobe products often install fonts during the installation
process. The majority of these fonts are TrueType fonts and should not
be relied upon for newspaper ads.
PostScript or Type 1 fonts are usually purchased
through companies such as Adobe. Fonts are licensed on your computer,
similar to the way that programs are licensed.
A great resource for more information on fonts is
MyFonts.com. MyFonts also has nearly every font you can imagine
available for purchase on-line. For more information, visit
www.MyFonts.com.
How can you tell what type font
you are using?
Look at the font list within your application. On Windows, TrueType
fonts are preceded by a "TT" symbol. PostScript or Type 1 fonts are
indicated with a printer icon in front of the name or a "T1" symbol.
How should fonts be managed?
There are several font managing software applications on the market
today such as Adobe Type Manager (Windows and Macintosh), Suitcase or
Font Reserve (Macintosh).
Stylized Text
Use caution when you stylize text, this means you have applied the
bold and/or italic style to a font from within your application. Styles
applied to text may look different on screen, but may print the same as
original. Avoid using styles such as outline or shadow.
