May 2010 Archives
Sure, everyone's keen to design for the iPad and the upcoming onslaught of tablet-based systems, not to mention smart phones and even good old websites. But for most designers, print remains their meat and potatos (admittedly a metaphor that no longer reflects our newly-healthy dietary habits). Yes, I'm talking about paper and you can bet that manufacturers of this still-ubiquitous substance are working harder than ever to keep designers attached to it. Accordingly, what follows is the first in a series of regular roundups of what's new in the world of paper, as well as more exotic substrates.
Last week I took a look at the web font offerings of FontShop, Monotype and other commercial suppliers. I indicated at the time that while it was great to finally be able to use quality fonts on a website, the current metered pricing model might cause some designers to hesitate. Several of the vendors offer free trials of various kinds, providing a good way to experiment with the viability of web fonts. But I've since come across a site providing some decent free ones, which could provide a more flexible environment for your tests, since you can host them on your own server. For client work, you'll naturally want to employ top-quality, commercial fonts. But for use in personal projects, these might form a good starting point for building your collection of free web fonts.
Goodbye Verdana. Take a hike, Arial. After suffering through a decade and a half of purgatory, website designers are now finally free to take advantage of the typographic riches of those creating print publications. Bring on the dancing girls! Let the festivities commence! Or has a new nightmare only begun?
