ArtBistro

As a result of problems with the computer functions caused by fonts this document has been created to describe some of the background, potential problems, and management, of fonts.

 

A brief history of the origin of fonts is appropriate just to help with descriptions and references that will be made in the rest of this memo. Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg introduced what is generally regarded as an independent invention of movable type in Europe, along with innovations in casting the type based on a matrix and hand mould. Gutenberg was the first to create his type pieces (aka typefaces or fonts) from an alloy of lead, tin and antimony—the same components still used today.

 

Historically, font refers to a specific typeface in a specific point size and style. Therefore, Times New Roman Bold 12 points is a single font while Times New Roman 10 points is another separate font. Today, in common usage font refers to any digital typeface that can normally be rendered in a variety of sizes. Also Known As: typeface

 The art and craft of designing typefaces is called type design. Designers of typefaces are called type designers, and often typographers. In digital typography, type designers are also known as font developers or font designers.

A type foundry is a company that designs and/or distributes typefaces. Originally, type foundries manufactured and sold metal and wood typefaces and matrices for line-casting machines like the Linotype and Monotype machines designed to be printed on letterpress printers. Today's digital type foundries accumulate and distribute typefaces (typically as digitized fonts) created by type designers, who may either be freelancers operating their own independent foundry, or employed by another foundry. Type foundries may also provide custom type design services.

The first "extended" font families, which included a wide range of widths and weights in the same general style emerged in the early 1900s, starting with American Type Foundry's Cheltenham (1902-1913), with an initial design by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, and many additional faces designed by Morris Fuller Benton. Later examples include Futura, Lucida,ITC Officina. Some became superfamilies as a result of revival, such as Linotype Syntax, Linotype Univers; while others have alternate styling designed as compatible replacements of each other, such as Compatil, Generis.

Under United States law, typeface designs are not subject to copyright. However, novel and non-obvious typeface designs are subject to protection by design patents. Digital fonts that embody a particular design are often subject to copyright as computer programs. The names of the typefaces can become trademarked. As a result of these various means of legal protection, sometimes the same typeface exists in multiple names and implementations.

Here is a brief history of TrueType foundry. The TrueType digital font format was originally designed by Apple Computer, Inc. It was a means of avoiding per-font royalty payments to the owners of other font technologies, and a solution to some of the technical limitations of Adobe's Type 1 format.

This all sets the stage for the basic issue of multiple fonts/typefaces designed by multiple type designers (and the type foundries for which they work) loaded onto the same computer causing conflicts and confusion. These conflicts and confusion may be operating or application software related as well as user related. At Miller Design Build we have all seen the CorelDraw screen that comes up (when we open a design file) that says “font not found”. In searching for the correct substitution we come across confusingly similar names and versions of these typefaces.