Embrace The OpenType Hype

We love OpenType. It’s not just the latest font technology, but also the most advanced, poised to replace the old TrueType and PostScript formats. This font format brings many more possibilities for typographers and graphic designers. But, of course, a new technology always means new things to learn. To help you understand OpenType, we published a new page that describes the efficiency and power of the format, and answers the question: “Is OpenType right for me?”.

So if you now want to know how a Swiss Army Knife is like our favorite font format, check out the new OpenType page on our support section. Last year we spoke to attendees of the PINC Show about OpenType, so if you prefer to learn in a more visual way, have a look at the slides from that presentation.

• What is OpenType?
• OpenType presentation slideshow
• OpenType presentation slides as a Flickr set

Figuring It Out: OSF, LF, and TF Explained

Numerals (or figures) can take various forms. The figure style you choose ought to be appropriate to the project you are working on. Readability is key. But which style is best for which purpose? There are two main forms, oldstyle figures (OSF) and lining figures (LF). Each can come in tabular and proportional widths. See some examples below.

Full-featured text fonts include all four figure styles. Click the image above to see figures from
FF Scala Sans Pro, Adobe Caslon Pro and PMN Caecilia™ Std.

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OpenType FontFonts and the Languages They Speak

The OpenType format offers typographers more glyphs, and (sometimes) more confusion. As the FontFont library is converted to OpenType, premium fonts are continually released with advanced typographic features and language support built-in. With so many new releases we don’t expect you to keep up on which FontFonts can speak which languages. Just keep an eye on this post for the latest updates.

Learn more about OpenType in the FontFont OpenType User Guide (700KB PDF). More information, along with a list of FontFonts in OpenType format, can be found in this lovely leaflet (506KB PDF), including the lowdown on Std (“OT”) vs. Pro:
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Tip: Photorealistic Perspective

Sometimes, flat just doesn’t cut it, and we need to find other, more attractive ways to present designs to our customers. One technique I’ve been using recently works remarkably well for text, logos and other vector artwork. It consists of taking a virtual photograph of the work by combining Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop filters. The dramatic end result can’t be distinguished from a real photograph.

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Tip: Using FF Headz

FF Headz is the first typeface by designer and illustrator Florian Zietz. The concept for FF Headz is similar to the effect found in some children’s books, where pages are split into sections that can be grouped in unusual and humorous combinations. For example, a crocodile head from one page might be paired with an elephant body from another page to form a new creature, the “crocophant.”
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Tip: Elements of Web Typography

Robert Bringhurst’s “The Elements of Typographic Style” is the undisputed bible of typography, but its instructions are limited to print design. Richard Rutter is filling that need with “The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web”. The new site will present Bringhurt’s principles one nugget at a time in a manner relevant to web designers. We can’t think of a better way to improve the way type looks and reads on the screen.

Erik Spiekermann’s Typo Tips

Erik Spiekermann presents at TypoBerlin 2006. Photo by Thorsten Wulff.

With the invention of “desktop publishing”, designers found themselves setting type on their computers for the first time. Until then, they had made type specifications for typesetters and left the job up to the professionals. As a result, you can still see classic inaccuracies in typesetting, even in top-quality printed matter. Here you will find some tips from Erik Spiekermann, designer of FF Meta®, Meta Design founder, co-author of “Stop Stealing Sheep”, and a FontShop founder, which will prevent some of the more obvious blunders.
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Tip: The Worn/Weathered/Stamped Look

There are quite a few quality “stamp” fonts available — Frankie and Frankie Dos, Despatxada, FF Stamp Gothic, FF Confidential, FF Bull to name but a few. Unfortunately ready-made stamp fonts present a number of drawbacks: repeating characters are identical, and the amount of detail is limited due to restrictions in the possible number of Bézier anchor points per glyph. To remedy this I developed a trick in Adobe Photoshop for distressing type. This technique allows you to apply a convincing stamped or weathered look to any typeface.
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Meta-morphosis: How FF MetaPlus Became FF Meta

When we see the expansive superfamily that FF Meta has become, it’s hard to believe its beginnings were so humble. As the family has known three different incarnations, there tends to be some confusion about which version is which. So let’s clear the air and explore the history of the most successful humanist sans of the previous decade, “the Helvetica of the nineties”.
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Tip: GIF Your Type Right

It would be great if we could use any font we wanted in designs for the web. But since we’re limited to what’s installed on everyone else’s machines, creating an image is the only way to make non-standard fonts viewable online. Here are a few tips for creating a web graphic in which type is the main subject:
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