- Using Control Panel
- Setting the Window Color
- Turning off Aero
- Setting the Desktop Background
- Setting the Screen Saver
- Setting the Desktop Theme
- Configuring the Monitor
- Configuring the Mouse
- Configuring the Keyboard
- Configuring Sound and Audio Devices
- Setting the Date and Time
- Localizing Your System
- Accommodating Disabled Users
- Using Speech Recognition
- Using Alternative Mouse Behavior
- Conserving Power
- Managing Fonts
- Managing Visual Effects and Performance
- Restoring the Old Windows Look
- Getting General System Information
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Managing Fonts
A font is a collection of letters, numbers, symbols, and other characters that describes a certain typeface, along with size, spacing, and other qualities. Windows includes dozens of fonts used to display text onscreen and in print. Most of these are TrueType or OpenType fonts, which look smooth and clear in all sizes and on all output devices. Windows also supports PostScript fonts, with no need for Adobe Type Manager. You'll also find a few hideous bitmapped fonts, called raster fonts, included for compatibility with older programs. You manage fonts in the Fonts folder.
The New Fonts
Vista introduces some new fonts tuned to look great on both the screen and the printed page. They are:
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You can use them as alternatives to classic fonts: Calibri instead of Arial, Cambria instead of Times New Roman, Candara instead of Helvetica, and Consolas (a monospaced font) instead of Courier. Find out more at www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearTypeFonts.mspx and http://neosmart.net/blog/2006/a-comprehensive-look-at-the-new-microsoft-fonts/.
If you want a font that prints well and is easy to read on the screen, use a TrueType or OpenType font. If you need a large character set for language coverage and fine typography, use an OpenType font. For printing glossy magazines and professional-quality publications, use an OpenType or PostScript font.
For more font information, visit www.microsoft.com/typography. Look for a list of font foundries where you can buy high-quality fonts online. You also can download lots of free fonts, but they're rarely of good quality. (Make sure that you trust the source when you download a font.)
To open the Fonts folder:
Choose Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts (Figure 4.72).
Figure 4.72 Choose Views > Tiles (on the toolbar) to see each font's name, type, and file size.
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Choose Start, type fonts in the Search box, and then press Enter.
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In Windows Explorer, open the folder \Windows\Fonts.
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TIP
- To match the font names with their filenames and paths, choose Views > Details (on the toolbar), right-click a column heading in the file list, and then check Font File Names (Figure 4.73). If a font icon has a shortcut arrow, the font is installed but located elsewhere; the Font File Names column tells you where.
Figure 4.73 Right-click the column header to pick which columns to show in Details view. Click any column header to sort by that criterion (in any view, not just Details). Click again to reverse the sort.
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To view or print a font:
In the Fonts folder, double-click the font's icon (Figure 4.74).
Figure 4.74 Font Viewer shows a font's summary information along with a preview.
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In the Fonts folder, select one or more font icons; then press Enter.
Windows displays font statistics, the full alphabet, and a type sample at various sizes. Click Properties to get more information or Print to print a font sample.
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To install a new font:
In the Fonts folder, choose File > Install New Font (press Alt if the File menu isn't visible); then navigate to and select the font files to install (Figure 4.75).
Figure 4.75 To install fonts from a network drive without using disk space on your computer, uncheck Copy Fonts to Fonts Folder.
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Drag a font file into the Fonts folder.
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To remove a font:
In the Fonts folder, right-click the font's icon and choose Delete.
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In the Fonts folder, select one or more font icons; then press the Delete key.
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Drag one or more font icons out of the Fonts folder to the Recycle Bin or another folder.