Review of Microsoft's ClearType Font Collection (2005)
6 hours ago
- #Typography
- #Microsoft Fonts
- #ClearType
- Typography's first 500 years focused on the printed page, with digital screens initially serving as placeholders for print.
- Advancements in screen technology and rendering, like Microsoft's ClearType, have improved on-screen typography.
- Microsoft commissioned six new fonts optimized for ClearType, to be included in the Longhorn OS, targeting better screen readability.
- ClearType technology utilizes RGB sub-pixel rendering to enhance resolution and reduce color fringing on LCD screens.
- The new version of ClearType in Longhorn includes y-direction antialiasing and improved pixel spacing accuracy for smoother text.
- Design principles for ClearType fonts emphasize contrast, avoiding near-horizontal strokes, and optimizing glyph shapes for screen rendering.
- The six new fonts (Constantia, Cambria, Corbel, Candara, Calibri, Consolas) are designed with high x-heights, humanistic italics, and support for Greek and Cyrillic.
- Constantia is praised for its readability in both print and digital, with a fresh design inspired by classical models.
- Cambria, the new default Word font, is optimized for screens but less appealing in print compared to Georgia.
- Corbel closely resembles Frutiger, with minor design tweaks, while Candara showcases ClearType's ability to render subtle weight variations.
- Calibri improves upon Computer Modern Sans, offering more even color and refined features.
- Consolas, a monospaced font, is highlighted as an excellent choice for coding, with improvements over Lucida Console and Courier.
- The suite also includes Meiryo, a Japanese font based on Verdana, optimized for ClearType.