A Brief Guide to Font Technologies
Digital fonts come in two basic flavors: PostScript Type 1 and TrueType. Most of our fonts are of the PostScript Type 1 variety. However, since more and more folks are looking for TrueType fonts, every new typeface we release is available in both formats (PostScript for both Windows and Macintosh, and TrueType for Windows). In addition to standard TrueType fonts, we also offer special TrueType fonts for Windows that provide the highest level of quality for on-screen display – TrueType ESQ (Enhanced Screen Quality) fonts. Many of our TrueType fonts have this added value. TrueType ESQ fonts are indicated as such in our font list, which is displayed when you search for fonts.
Want to know which font format is best for you? We can help you answer that question.
About TrueType
About TrueType ESQ (Enhanced Screen Quality)
About PostScript Type 1
About TrueType
The TrueType font format was developed by Apple Computer, and it’s now also used by Microsoft. The built-in “core” fonts that ship with the Macintosh and Windows operating systems are TrueType.
Originally code-named “Bass” (because these are scalable fonts and you can scale a fish), the TrueType format was designed to be efficient in storage and processing. It was also designed to be extendible, making it easy to add improvements and features to the basic technology.
TrueType fonts are one piece – both the printer outline (usually called the printer font) and screen font (actually, screen bitmap data) are created from the same information. TrueType fonts are also built to allow for the use of hinting, which allows a type designer to fine-tune the on-screen quality of the font.
TrueType font technology consists of two components: the TrueType fonts themselves and the TrueType rasterizer. The latter is a piece of software built into the Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Both components – the font and the rasterizer – are necessary for printing and displaying TrueType fonts on a computer system. It is the interaction between the TrueType fonts, the TrueType rasterizer and the software program in which the TrueType fonts are used that determines the appearance of the letterforms in the font.
Newly added TrueType capabilities include features such as font smoothing (or grayscale rasterization) to further improve the on-screen image in some instances.
Are TrueType fonts right for you? TrueType fonts are an excellent choice, especially for folks in corporate environments running Windows systems. Why? Because Windows computers are usually installed with a large selection of TrueType fonts. It’s also easy to add TrueType fonts, and you don’t need additional software to work with them.
A few years ago, the quality of TrueType fonts was perceived as inferior, mostly because of the rampant availability of cheap, substandard TrueType fonts. Thankfully, the negative perception of TrueType has faded, as more type engineers and designers take advantage of TrueType’s inherent hinting properties, allowing for the production of superior quality fonts.
Monotype Imaging offers over 7,000 fonts, and about 1,000 of them are TrueType fonts for Windows. Why aren’t more TrueType fonts available? We’re working on it. PostScript fonts have simply been around longer. However, we already have one of the largest selections of TrueType fonts on the market. Every new typeface we release is available in both TrueType and PostScript formats. Looking for a particular TrueType font but can only find it in PostScript? We can convert it for you.
About TrueType ESQ (Enhanced Screen Quality)
ESQ fonts are TrueType fonts that have been engineered for optimal on-screen display and reproduction on low-resolution devices. Using an ESQ font, the reproduction on a computer monitor is exceptionally readable, holding true to the font’s original design. What sets ESQ apart from standard TrueType? The secret is in the “hinting.” TrueType allows font engineers and designers to fine-tune – or hint – the font outline for use on computer screens and low-resolution printers. Yet not all TrueType fonts benefit from a high level of hinting. In fact, not all TrueType fonts contain hints, and of those that do, many are produced using automated tools, resulting in modest improvements in readability. ESQ fonts, however, are hand-tuned to best represent the font at a full range of sizes.
A little known fact – ESQ fonts were first used exclusively by major system and software developers as system fonts that shipped with their products. Now you can purchase ESQ fonts, or we can work with you on custom projects such as the development of ESQ fonts for most international character sets, as well as ESQ logos and individual characters. Additional information about ESQ is also available from our site.
Should you consider ESQ fonts? If on-screen readability is a top priority for your business, or if low-resolution output devices are used regularly for correspondences, ESQ fonts are your very best choice. ESQ fonts are also ideal for custom fonts and logos, when it’s most important to deliver a consistent, visual message that reflects on your brand or company.
About PostScript Type 1
If you work on a Macintosh computer, most of the fonts you use are probably of the PostScript Type 1 variety (also known simply as “Type 1” or “PostScript” fonts). Although your computer was supplied with TrueType fonts as part of its operating system, PostScript fonts are the most popular solution for Macintosh users. If you use a Windows-based computer, PostScript fonts work great, although they’re not as popular on this platform as the TrueType format.
PostScript fonts were developed by Adobe for use with PostScript printers. Initially, this font technology was available only from Adobe.
There are two parts to a PostScript font: bitmapped screen information that displays the font on a computer monitor, and information that tells a PostScript printer how to reproduce the font on paper, or whatever medium that’s in your printer. Like TrueType fonts, PostScript fonts are scalable (the characters can be enlarged or reduced), but PostScript fonts are only scaled automatically when output to PostScript printers. For scaling fonts on-screen or for outputting to non-PostScript printers, Adobe Type Manager (ATM) must be installed on your computer, unless you are working with Windows 2000 – the only operating system that doesn’t require ATM with PostScript fonts. If you’re working on a Windows computer (but not with Windows 2000) and need ATM, it is offerred free of charge.
If you’re not working with ATM and you’re not running Windows 2000, a PostScript font will look jaggy on-screen and appear just as bad when printed using a non-PostScript printer. ATM uses the same intelligence that a PostScript printer does to create printable and displayable type out of information contained in the font outline.
Why are PostScript fonts so popular for the Mac? Because it wasn’t long ago that only high-resolution printers utilized PostScript, and type designers didn’t have to worry about making sure that PostScript fonts looked good on screen – ATM did that. PostScript fonts continue to be used widely in graphic design and publishing environments.
Who works with PostScript Type 1 fonts? If you’re a graphic design professional, you probably use – and most likely prefer – this format. In many cases, graphic designers are comfortable with PostScript fonts because they’ve always used them. In addition, many graphic designers work with service bureaus and printers that have already made large investments in PostScript fonts. Finally, if you’re looking for fonts with expert sets or alternate characters, you’ll most likely find them available as PostScript fonts.
Whether you’re working in a Macintosh or Windows environment, a lot of great fonts – in the most popular font formats – are available from Monotype Imaging.