Before I get started I need to just clarify terms. Should I be writing the word typeface and not font? Well after reading many blogs about the subject, fonts and typefaces are technically different though relate to the same thing.
- Typeface
- In typography, a typeface (also known as font family) is a set of one or more fonts each composed of glyphs that share common design features.
- Font
- Each font of a typeface has a specific weight, style, condensation, width, slant, italicization, ornamentation, and designer or foundry (and formerly size, in metal fonts).
However, I agree with blogger; John Brownlee from fastcodesign.com. “With the decline of metal blocks and analog printing and the rise of desktop publishing tools, fonts were no longer thousands of tiny blocks of movable type; they became digital computer files that scaled themselves up or down dynamically to whatever size or weight users wanted. So the distinction between process and end result disappeared. Open up Microsoft Word and you’re asked to choose a font, not a typeface. Even among type professionals, there’s a growing acceptance that for most people, the terms font and typeface can be used interchangeably”. So ‘fonts’ it is from here on in.
How do we help our clients?
The Wordbank Print Media team, have a real passion for all things font related. With this in mind I thought I would write a Blog to tell you how we help our clients choose the right fonts, that work and read correctly in each market.
Our clients invest a huge amount of time and money on a designer creating eye catching layout design. Each collateral is created with some amazing fonts that are specific to them delivering their brand message globally. We at Wordbank, consult, research and advise on the best choice of language font options available. This ensures their message has the same look and feel for all markets.
Font sourcing and what it means.
We have an ever-increasing library of various styles of fonts that we lovingly built up over 15 years. Our library contains character sets for:
- Bidirectional
- Asia Pacific
- Indic
- Cyrillic
- Greek, to name a few.
All sorts of styles:
- Sans serif
- Serif
- Script
- Handwritten
- Slab serif.
To keep up-to-date with new and on trend fonts we are always on the look out for more specialised fonts that can support such languages.
We reference:
- Font specific websites
- Read white papers
- Subscribe to newsletters.
The MyFonts newsletter is a really good source of interest, always highlighting the rising stars each month.
Font matching
We consult with the client after assessing any artwork files and explain that the fonts used to create their designs do not support the chosen languages. We then offer them the following service.
- An analysis of the artwork
- A search for specific characteristics for each character and best match
- Specialist look at the style of some uppercase characters, Q or M for instance
What style is the uppercase Q tail?
crosses the circle
touches the circle
is below and separated from the circle
extends into or lies in side the circle
forms part of the stroke of an open circle
How high is the centre vertex of the uppercase M?
on the baseline
above the baseline
After our research is done and a selection of best font matches are chosen, three or four paragraphs of Lorem Ipsum market text showing the font options are created. A pdf is then supplied to the client for review.
Font approval from the client
- We send the pdf to the client
- The client chooses the best font match
- We await approval and sign off
- The client is happy
- We are happy
And away we go – design for localisation can begin.
To summarize…
Fonts can be wonderful, or they can be the bane of your existence. One simple OpenType font can contain more than 65,000 characters. Why would you ever need so many characters? Well, for multiple language publishing, which was one of the main inspirations for the creation of the OpenType format. Myriad Pro, for example, includes Central European diacriticals and Greek characters and even more. This is why Wordbank wants to share the expertise and knowledge to help any client choose the right font to convey their brand message, globally.
Do you have a preferred font that you always use? Then let us know. We can tell you if it is suitable for multiple language publishing.
- Fonts and Typefaces Compared - October 5, 2015
- Sensory Advertising & Print - July 27, 2015
