[MagSafe]

Hi all,

Bit of a random question... I'm creating an experimental word processor app at the moment, and at the stage of setting the default font & deciding what fonts to put in.

I've set Arial as the default (this might change though) and have got Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS & Verdana in the list, so just thinking of any others to put in now.

Also please let me know of any other preferences you use in word processors or would like to use

Thanks,

Steve.

Edit: Comic-Sans-MS seems to have gotten replaced with "stupid" in the poll - fair enough

[Kickaha]

Call this an odd comment if you will, but...

What's wrong with just using the ones installed on a user's computer?

[Fahrenheit]

I like 'georgia' simply because I find it really clear to see, also Times Roman is good for my eyes, and I wouldn't really consider handing in a paper in any other typeface, simply because its just the defacto, I suppose.

I really don't like san-serif fonts, such as Tahoma and Verdana, at least not anymore.

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by MagSafe Edit: Comic-Sans-MS seems to have gotten replaced with "stupid" in the poll - fair enough

Indeed. If I receive correspondence in that font I will immediately assume the sender is stupid.

[MagSafe]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Call this an odd comment if you will, but... What's wrong with just using the ones installed on a user's computer?

Because what I'm building won't be on a users computer

[tomoe]

Hmmm...none of my preferred are listed. But I tend to use Minion (serif), Myriad (sans-serif), and Computer Modern (serif).

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by MagSafe Because what I'm building won't be on a users computer

Oooooookay... then I'd go for Helvetica or Times New Roman. Simple, common, ubiquitous.

[curiousuburb]

For headlines (being an Apple-themed board), you've got to show some love for Myriad Pro.
Copperplate on occasion for me (and most recently), but only if it suits the style.

Body text often in Arial for PC compatibility in many office environments,
Helvetica Neue for personal use in print.

Headers/Footers and tiny text, I likes me some Gill Sans 8 pt.

But if we're talking about design rather than just copy, then 'basic' fonts and default typographic toolset normally aren't contenders anyway.

Are you thinking about a Simpletext/Notepad clone, or something more akin to Textedit (with some advanced layout tools) or Pages (with more)?

Sans or Serif font choices need to be balanced with format and layout tools if you're building a print-output app, whereas compatible font families, styles and clean code output are probably more useful for a web-output app.

</tangent>

[psmith2.0]

I've always loved Courier or even Monaco, believe it or not.

If I'm jotting something down, I don't really care. Whatever the default is.

But if I'm writing a longer, structured, multi-paragraph thing (review, letter, short story, my ideal story/script for a third Batman film , etc.) I like the above two. Feels "write-y" or something.

Silly, I know. But I'm kinda silly, so it works out okay.

[Mugge]

I like Garamond. It's both elegant and easy to the eyes in the long run.

[709]

Chicago.

[Dave]

I forget what it's called, but there's a cursiveish font that I like. Never can actually use it for anything though. Takes up too much space.

[MagSafe]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb Are you thinking about a Simpletext/Notepad clone, or something more akin to Textedit (with some advanced layout tools) or Pages (with more)?

It'll be similar to Textedit, with some layout tools, but focusing more on users writing long pieces of text.

Sans or Serif font choices need to be balanced with format and layout tools if you're building a print-output app, whereas compatible font families, styles and clean code output are probably more useful for a web-output app.

Thanks for the advice It won't be outputting web content, so I guess I'll need to focus on sans/serif fonts more.

've always loved Courier or even Monaco, believe it or not. But if I'm writing a longer, structured, multi-paragraph thing (review, letter, short story, my ideal story/script for a third Batman film , etc.) I like the above two. Feels "write-y" or something. Silly, I know. But I'm kinda silly, so it works out okay.

As I've said above, it'll be more focused on users writing those kinds of things, so I'll definitely take this into consideration.

If were you to use an app that's main focus was on writing scripts/stories, etc, etc, would you expect something like Courier or Monaco set to default instead of Arial?

[digitalprimate]

It used to be Trebuchet, but lately I've been using Calibri. It's such a good useable font for day-to-day documents.

EDIT: Oh and among Serif fonts, it's Garamond for teh win!

[Engine Joe]

Here's a slight divergence from the general query here, but as we're looking to relocate from NYC to Seattle (to rejoin our family) it's something that's been on my mind recently: preferred font for a resume. TNR seems a bit stale, but at the same time you want to look professional and not too "disconcerting" for the business-type folks who see these things all day... what do the folks here prefer?

[Gargoyle]

I'm thinking of making a wheel, all the wheels I have seen so far are perfectly round, but I want my own!

Oh, and brush script should be the default font.

[Xaqtly]

Beer.




Er, I mean I like using Lucinda Grande these days.

[Robo]

I <3 Garamond.

But most of the time I use a sans serif, like Helvetica. The computers at my school have Word 2007, with Calibri, which I like on the occasions when I have to use it but maybe not for my day-to-day writing.

I hate Impact, and Times. Ugh.

[popantique]

I've always liked courier because I'm OCD about symmetry/balance so I like monospace fonts. Lately I've been using Century Gothic for things (my website, my resume, my e-mail box) because it's easy to read but still fairly cute.

[BlueRabbit]

Originally Posted by Dave I forget what it's called, but there's a cursiveish font that I like. Never can actually use it for anything though. Takes up too much space.

Zapfino, perhaps?

Personally, I use Garamond for serif and Myriad for sans-serif.

[jcoley2]

TNR for normal business correspondence but nothing beats Garamond for the resume.

[Luca]

I generally stick to Times New Roman for most things, though a while ago I tried one called "Baskerville" and actually quite liked it.

For my resume's heading font, though, I use Futura. Looks very cool, makes it stand out without being stupid like Comic Sans or one of those joke fonts.

Most of the time, though, I don't have much choice in the matter. When I'm at work, I am usually working from a template that already has all its fonts picked out. Usually it's either Times New Roman or just Times (there is a difference), but sometimes it's Calibri. The headings are usually in Helvetica.

[sirnick4]

Gill Sans.

[agent302]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe Here's a slight divergence from the general query here, but as we're looking to relocate from NYC to Seattle (to rejoin our family) it's something that's been on my mind recently: preferred font for a resume. TNR seems a bit stale, but at the same time you want to look professional and not too "disconcerting" for the business-type folks who see these things all day... what do the folks here prefer?

Originally Posted by sirnick4 Gill Sans.

Gill Sans is what I use for my resume. The regular Gill Sans feels a bit heavy, but Gill Sans Light, to my eye, looks awesome as the base resume font, and since there's a Light, Regular, and Bold, there are a variety of weights for headings, subheadings, and text.

[ShadowOfGed]

Sorry all, but I had to vote for "stupid" just to be an ass. I actually hate that font, but felt like being the forum jester right now. Please don't kill me.

[Banana]

This is probably also a stupid question, but what are the fonts generally used in shells (e.g. Window command shell and Linux bash, where each character occupy a fixed bitmap)?

[BlueRabbit]

Originally Posted by Banana This is probably also a stupid question, but what are the fonts generally used in shells (e.g. Window command shell and Linux bash, where each character occupy a fixed bitmap)?

Those are monospace fonts, since each character takes up the same amount of space. They were originally developed for the typewriter, to make the movement of the paper in between letters easier to manage. The most common ones you'll see these days are Courier and Monaco, although MS just came out with Consolas as part of their new family including Calibri.

[T-Man]

Optima

[dbcdenver]

There are better looking fonts, but I think that Times New Roman is the most professional.

[ezkcdude]

From practical experience and common usage:

Title font: Arial or Helvetica
Body font: times new roman
Web page: Verdana (times doesn't work as well on screen as on paper)

FYI, since you are obviously expressing interest in the subject, make sure to check out the recent documentary film Helvetica. It's actually quite entertaining, as well as informative.