Accessing Special Characters | ||||
The object of the page is to let you know how to access all those special characters (for instance: é ¶ Æ) that you may not have even known were built into your fonts. It isnt a particularly well designed page, unfortunately, but it does have the information on it, for both Macintosh and Windows (and HTML, which you dont really need if you know how to use the Windows numbers). | ||||
Adobe Print Center: columns section | ||||
Adobe, of course, are the makers of leading professional design programs like Photoshop, PageMaker, and InDesign. But in addition to all that, they have an online magazine of sorts, which they refer to as the Print Center. Its a good spot to find program info, shortcuts, tips, etc. We are linking to the section of Print Center which houses all the regular columns. There is some invaluable design advice there, from quite a range of different designers. | ||||
Communication Arts: Creative archive | ||||
The communication arts site is interesting, but the best part of it is this section, which archives their past articles on various aspects of design creativity. There are articles here on Eco design, German advertising, working with limited budgets, and more. | ||||
CounterSpace | ||||
Youll need Shockwave for this one, but its well worth it. The page is dedicated to the history and use of type, and the design of the page itself is remarkable. | ||||
DesignOnline | ||||
The DesignOnline site is essentially divided into three parts: Design Tools, Community and News. Within each section, you will find all kinds of information and/or resources, including sections on industry trends, forums & user groups, a Pantone color finder and, of course, drink recipes. | ||||
Publish.com | ||||
Print, web, and cross-media communication. Publish.com is a great place for new product reviews, as well as for useful information, tips and downloads for the software you already have. | ||||
Robert C. Parkers Design Refresher | ||||
Parker is a professional designer, and the author of books on design (especially web-based). In this collection of articles, he offers advice and tips on various different aspects of design. | ||||
Type Talk | ||||
Robin Williams column in Eyewire magazine. She discusses all sorts of issues, mainly revolving around typography. [Eyewire itself is actually an online magazine; they sell clipart, photos, fonts, etc.] | ||||
Weyerhaeuser Paper & Printing Central | ||||
If it has to do with paper, why not go to the source? Weyerhaeuser are the makers of some very nice papers, including Husky Offset, Cougar Opaque, and the FirstChoice coordinated seriesamong others. Their web site has quite a bit of information, and not just about the paper itself (they have a vested interest, after all, in seeing people design well). | ||||
Free (or some free) fonts | ||||
Astigmatic One-Eye | ||||
Lots of fonts, both commercial and free. They even have a dingbat font based on crop circles. What more could you ask for? | ||||
Chank Diesel | ||||
Mr. Diesel has designed some excellent fonts. You are probably even familiar with some of them, such as Mr. Frisky. He offers fonts for sale, as well as some free fonts designed by himself and others. | ||||
The Dingbat Pages | ||||
Next time you are looking for an icon or piece of artwork for your publication, skip the clipart and head for the dingbats. They're generally more interesting, more original, and easier to use. There are tons of them at this site. Dig in. | ||||
Larabie Fonts | ||||
Ray Larabie has designed some really nice fonts. There are quite a few novelty faces, and faces based on logos, etc. He is probably best known for a font called Blue Highway, based on the lettering used for highway signage. | ||||
Microsoft Typography | ||||
You should check this one out, even if you are on a Mac. They have some very good fonts, several of whichVerdana and Georgia, especiallyare made specifically for use on the Web (and they are used for that purpose quite a bit).
If you are using Windows, you might also want to download Microsofts font extensions, for some added font capabilities. |
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Commercial fonts | ||||
Adobe | ||||
They dont just make industry-leading software. They also make some of the best fonts aroundboth revivals, like Adobe Jenson, and Adobe Originals, like Myriad. Their fonts are often available with or without Expert Sets, Ornaments, etc.which makes them flexible enough to fit more budgets, but powerful enough to get the job done. | ||||
AgfaMonotype | ||||
Monotype, of course, have been leaders in the typeface industry for quite a while. (Times New Roman was a Monotype original typeface, and they had been around quite a while before that.) Theyre now combined with Agfa, so they offer imaging products as well as fonts. And all very high quality. Also check out their Articles section for commentary on historical and contemporary aspects of type and its use in designthey are some of the most original and interesting articles around.
Take their online survey, and you get a free dingbat font. Cant beat that. |
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Bitstream | ||||
Bitstream arent satisfied with simply creating new fontsthey create new font engines. But what you will most likely find worthwhile are their fonts. Many are revivals, and unfortunately they dont always have historically precise names (their version of Bembo is called Aldine 401, for example), but if you are willing to browse you might well find the perfect font. And their prices are quite reasonable. | ||||
Emigre | ||||
Emigre are constantly releasing new and unique faces. They generally come in entire packages, which means they are not cheap, but they are complete and useful. | ||||
International Typeface Corporation | ||||
ITC fonts are very commonyou can also buy them from other distributors all over the web (Adobe, for example). They are known for their legibility and their subtlety. At the same time, they are remarkably original. | ||||
Letraset | ||||
Letraset are the originators of several widely usedthough not widely knownfonts, such as Freestyle Script and Compacta. They also make some very nice dingbat fonts (all the icons on the Copy Court site are characters from Letraset Diversities). Unfortunately, you cant order directly from their web site, but they do provide contact information for their distributors worldwide. | ||||
Linotype | ||||
Back in the day, Linotype was Monotypes American competitor. Today, of course, just like Monotype, they have gone digital. (And they have a lot more competition.) Their original fonts tend to have a certain feel to themthey are classy, even when they are grunge (check out Kropki or LinoCut, for example). These are classic faces, and very diverse. | ||||
P22 | ||||
P22 are one of the cutting-edge font foundries. They are constantly setting new precedents, but they do still maintain touch with a classic sense of design. They are also known for their fonts based on the writing of various masters, such as Claude Monet and Frank Lloyd Wright. | ||||