Impressions - August 2017 - 42

think.
make.
do.

SCREEN PRiNtiNg gRaPhiCS & DESigN
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Font Focus
Free online font resources and terminology
to arm your business for creative growth.
By JenniFer Foy, ContriButing Writer

Are you starting an apparel-decorating business or working on
growing one? Having access to the right typefaces or fonts can
make all the difference in how your products look and sell.
Free font options abound for anyone with internet access (just
search Pinterest), but not all of them are intended for commercial
use. Deciphering font intricacies and determining what you need
requires knowing basic terminology and license terms to help
maintain ethical business practices.Then, you can determine top
font styles to have in your arsenal from the slew of free resources
available online.
Glossary
You've probably heard the following terms but may not know
what they mean. Here's a short glossary that lists common terms

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i m p r e s s i o n s m a g . c o m AUGUST 2017

you may encounter.
What's the difference between a "font" and "typeface?" In
today's world, these terms are used interchangeably. FontShop
(fontshop.com) uses the following to explain their relationship:
"A collection of letters, numbers, punctuation and other symbols
used to set text (or related) matter. Although font and typeface
often are used interchangeably, font refers to the physical embodiment (whether it's a case of metal pieces or a computer file),
while typeface refers to the design (the way it looks). A font is
what you use, and a typeface is what you see."
Character: An individual symbol of the full set that makes
up a typeface; it may take the form of a letter, number, punctuation mark, etc.
Alternative Character: A non-standard (sometimes decorative) variation of a character that comes as an extra option
with a font file.
Serif: A short line or stroke attached
to or extending from the open ends of a
letterform; it also refers to a general category of typefaces that have been designed
with this feature.
Sans Serif: Literally meaning "without
line;" the general category of typefaces (or
an individual typeface) designed without
serifs.
Swash: A decorative extension or stroke
on a letterform; it may be part of a letter by
design, or available either as an additional
glyph or add-on to the standard character.
TrueType File (TT or TTF): A font
format developed by Apple Systems Inc.
and licensed to Microsoft Corp.TrueType
fonts are natively supported by the Windows and Mac operating systems. On a
Mac, both the printer and screen fonts
are combined in a single TrueType font
suitcase file.
OpenType File (OTF): OpenType
initially was developed by Microsoft, then
"Didot" is a classic
later joined by Adobe.The biggest advanserif font that can be
tages shared by all OpenType fonts are
used for many projects.
their single-file structure, cross-platform
compatibility and advanced typographic

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Impressions - August 2017

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