Question
Do you like funky fonts? Want to use something a little different on your web page? Need something that screams Halloween?
Unfortunately, there are only a few core fonts for the Web. Here's a list: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.aspx
Core fonts are the fonts that are downloaded and installed for use with IE.
If you design pages that use fonts other than the core fonts, the results can be unpredictable. Some viewers might have that font on their computer. In which case, they will see the page as you designed it. Other viewers may fall back on the default font, which can totally change the look of the page.
Now a web designer can be assured that viewers are seeing web pages as they were designed to be seen with a little help from Microsoft WEFT (http://www.microsoft.com/typography/...t3/default.htm).
The Web Embedding Fonts Tool 'WEFT', lets Web authors create 'font objects' that are linked to their Web pages so that when an Internet Explorer user views the pages they'll see them displayed in the font style contained within the font object.
Using specialty fonts can be a lot of fun, but don't get font happy with WEFT. Remember that downloading a font adds to the page load time. Sometimes, though, the improved page appearance is worth the wait.
(Any other font fiends here? Got any good font websites to share?)
Answer
Great link, thanks for that -
(and all the other design and coding resources you provide)
(Any other font fiends here? Got any good font websites to share?)
I LOVE fonts!
I have a weird game of Guess That Font I play when I am out - you know, trying to see if I can name whatever font was used on a sign or poster ... I'm sure you play it too
Of course I need a wide variety of them in designing logos and other graphics, but tend to stick with the basics for page design - I have seen alot of "Sites Gone Horribly Wrong" with entire pages done in unreadable fonts. One that springs to mind used something like Curls MT in hot pink or green on a black BG. FOR THE ENTIRE TEXT ON THE PAGE. Talk about retinal burn!
*and I have so many fonts installed on my computer I usually CAN see them, even when they aren't embedded or included for D/L on the page
Heres a few sites I like but alot of them in my faves end up including the same fonts after awhile:
Simply The Best Fonts
Funky Fonts
My ABSOLUTE favorite, and is continually "at the top of my list" for site design as well: Pizza Dude!
*oh I also like most of the ones Ray Larabie does ...
This one's good for those "stumpers" you can't figure out:
What The Font?!
So I wont add all my font faves at this time, and I wont even get into the DINGBATS section I have squirreled away ... We'd be here all day.
Have fun fonting it up!
~ gem ~
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I forgot to add this one (because it is SO graphic heavy I was letting it load in a minimized window and forgot about it when I hit postreply ...) So you've been warned, it's real real slow.
Teacher - School Style Fonts
I do like it because if you have to design anything school related, like a newsletter or some project for your kids class, it has some great and different fonts to use.
~ gem ~
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gem, I love that Pizza Dude!
I was on a hunt for good dingbats the other night. That's how I ended up posting this. Never did find the right dingbats, though. I may have to coerce you into sharing your stash.
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Someone PMed me today. They said this was a great subject and why didn't I talk about Font Managers, too?
Well, um.....
You see.....
I didn't know you could manage your fonts. Heck, when I want to see 'em I just open Word and browse.
So anyway, I've been looking at Font Managers off and on today. What a cool idea! I've learned that I have 508 fonts on my computer. I've learned that I have a lot that I don't particularly use or want. I should delete some. Really. Also, I don't have enough dingbats.
If anyone has a really nice Font Manager, I want to hear about it. I NEED to hear about it.
From what I've seen so far, I like these:
AMI Font Wrangler: http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/fontrang.html
Best parts: It lets you install and remove fonts through their interface.
It lets you change the names of the fonts so you can remember them easier.
Cost: $24.99
Bluefive's Font Page: http://bluefive.pair.com/fontpage.htm
I liked it right away because they use the same web host I do. That means they're smart, right?
It has a larger preview than most of the others, plus it lets you preview bold, italic, underlined, etc...AND 3D effects like raised and inset. (I don't know if that's worth anything, because you can't export the effects, but it looks cool, anyway.)
It has a comparison function that lets you line up two fonts letter-by-letter and compare them.
Although it will open the Fonts folder for you, it doesn't have any slick way to install or delete a font.
BUT---the second best thing of all, IMO, is the slide show. You can click a button and it will display samples of all the fonts in a slide show. When you see one you like, just click to stop the show.
The Number One Best Thing: It's free!
So, that's all I know about Font Managers. Somebody step up and educate me, ok?
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(heheh 500+ fonts, can we say obbsesssed?)
Font managers
I use this one:
The Font Thing
that Tanya turned me on to a couple years ago - its easy to use and you can uickly install and uninstall fonts, plus see what your text will look like in any given font as easy as typing it in ... Oh yeaaaah. And its FREE.
I remember also that Serenity posted another one some time ago that looked really awesome - it wasnt free but it wasnt very expensive either - can't recall the ecat features but I know I was impressed when I visited the site. I don't have the link though and can't remember what it was called! so maybe Serenity will stop in and link it ... (now that its totlly bugging me that I forgot!)
~ gem ~
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Heres some dingbat links:
1. http://www.houseoflime.com/dings.htm
Prob'ly my favorite one - I think I actually have ALL these dings downloaded
(or at least, saved on a CD somewhere)
I love the alphabetical list format and the fact that they show sample characters on the download pages.
These are available in Windows & Mac, the rest I am not sure ...
2. http://www.fontalicious.com/super/free.html
Fontalicious! dingbats page. I just love them
'Nother "favoritely designed site" of mine -
hmmmm, I don't like the toon look much, do I?
3. http://www.wtv-zone.com/marciasuz/TT...exOfDings.html
Smaller list, and some are fonts not dings - but each category link takes you to a page with the selections in that "genre", and includes sample text.
Pages are slow loaders though.
4. http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/sassytx_3/Dingbats.html
Fun assortment, animals to holidays plus everything in between -
lots of pages to go through - also has links to other ding sites and a couple tutorials.
5. http://fonts.lordkyl.net/fonts.php?category=dbat&page=1
ALOT of pages of ding downloads ...
Be sure to read the usage rules for each one - not all are freeware.
In case anyon'es thinking wellll - great, these dingbat jobbers are really cool but what the heck do I do with them?! Obviously you aren't going to use them as straight text in the body of your pages! You use them with the text feature of your graphics program - then manipulate them in any way you like. You can use them as anything from a page accent to making logos or other graphics (my gem*s me page graphics were all made with Retrobats dings)
OH Jayne! you think your 500 is bad?
haha I was looking up a tutorial and saw one lady who says:
I don't install all of the fonts I have into my fonts folder.
Heck, I'd have a system failure for sure with over 2600 fonts!
Hope you find one in there you can use ...
~ gem ~
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Woohoo!!
I know what I'll be doing for the rest of the day.
Thanks, gem!
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In case anyon'es thinking wellll - great, these dingbat jobbers are really cool but what the heck do I do with them?! Obviously you aren't going to use them as straight text in the body of your pages! You use them with the text feature of your graphics program - then manipulate them in any way you like. You can use them as anything from a page accent to making logos or other graphics (my gem*s me page graphics were all made with Retrobats dings)
Nothing at all to do with fonts, but since we're talking about making graphics and such. Another good place to find material for graphics, without violating any copyright laws, are those $5 CDs you can pick up at Best Buy or wherever. The ones that say "10,000 royalty-free photos" and the like. I usually strip out their cheesy photo indexing program, and hook the photos into my album software (right now I'm using Picasa from Google). Sometimes I have to re-burn the CD to do that, but it's worth the effort.
The photos are usually pretty raw--candids, mostly, and lots of the same shot from different angles--but with a good editing program you can lift out the elements you want.
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GEM is a fontaholic... I wonder if there is a 12 step program for fonts.
I love www.dafont.com
you can type in the text you want so that all the fonts show up in your chosen text. makes it easier to see whatcher getting.
(btw... check out the "sexy" category in the dingbats. ROFL)
I love "Thefontthing" cause like GEM said up yonder it makes it easy to find the font you want and you can just hit the install button and it will automatically install the font in your system for ya.
Ohhhhhhhhh and if you use Paint Shop Pro you can just open the font file and then minimize it... don't have to install the font to use it. PSP will add the font to the list for as long as the font file is open.
Photo shop wont do this the little &%^$*# lol
Hey GEM.. do you remember the link to that major dingbat link site?
edited to add: FOUND IT.
http://www.dingbats-uk.org.uk/mvdl/dinglinks1.html