Working with Fonts
Fonts can create a background mood for the written word. They can set the stage
for a western - or a story from Merry Old Middle Ages England – or a formal position
paper – or a kid’s story. We see fonts all the time and, until we start working
with them, we don’t realize the variety and the differences in how fonts can appear.
It is not unusual to have a person call and say they need a job done and that it’s
just a “common old font”. It may be part of a logo or menu or whatever! This means
nothing!
The reality is that there are many thousands, if not tens of thousands of fonts
and variations.
It is almost an unspoken law of the universe that whoever gives you the sample to
match hasn’t any idea of the name of the font or where it came from or who originally
selected it. Complicating the fact of the numbers of fonts, is the problem that
different sources, such as graphic programs or sign programs, often have their own
names for even commonly used fonts.
Therefore, always be aggressively tenacious in trying to find out the name and source
of any font you are trying to match.
If you simply cannot find the correct font, sometimes a font that is close will
suffice or another one may be modified to look the same. As a last resort, the wording
can be scanned, digitized and then cleaned up in the computer. Of course, this is
also the most expensive. We have about 6000 fonts on our system so you can always
email or fax your sample to us and we will try to match them – for a price. However,
be aware that what is paid for is the time searching so there is still no guarantee
that it will be found. Of course the cost should not be a prime concern of yours…just
make sure your clients know that additional costs are involved if it is difficult
to match the font. When they realize this fact, it is amazing how many clients will
settle on a similar one