Fonts

This brief description of computer fonts is taken from various sources on the Web, chiefly the FontForge documentation [3], and an online article from geek.com [4]. A much more in-depth introduction to font-related terms can be found in the FAQ for comp.fonts [5].

The currently existing system of fonts used for display on computer screens, and for printing. is largely a consequence of the unanticipated growth in the popularity of the computer and its widespread use for desktop publishing. Inadequate provisions had been made for the future at the time of the introduction of computers, and these problems were exacerbated by the use of temporary, makeshift, and closed-source, proprietary solutions by Adobe, Apple and Microsoft. Here, we describe the major font technologies and encodings in use today.