Free, High-Quality Fonts

stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Bitstream has just released a family of open-source fonts. I know there are some font geeks lurking around these parts and I was wondering what their impression was.



You can get them here:

http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sourc...ra-1.10.tar.gz



The family, called Vera and designed by Jim Lyles (if that means anything to anyone), consists of a sans and sans monospaced with bold, oblique and bold oblique variants, and a serif with bold variant (possibly with italic version to come).



These will become the default fonts on Linux and other free OS's and are designed (and hinted) for onscreen use at small sizes.



I think I'm going to use the monospaced font in the terminal and to read plain text mails in Mail. For that purpose it seems superior to anything else I've got on my machine.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Awesome, I'll check it out.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox Posts: 1,618member
    Anyone wanting to use them on Linux should read on here: http://www.gnome.org/fonts/ as you need to upgrade a few other components to get the best type rendering.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    I assume Apple would be able to include this in an update to the OS, correct? I love fonts. I hate paying for fonts.



    EDIT: I don't mean to imply that Apple would need to include these for them to be free.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox Posts: 1,618member
    Yeah, the license isn't totally straightforward as they want to prevent their font producing rivals simply taking this font, renaming and selling it but it can be included with any software product, regardless of whether it is given away or sold.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    A little tidbit to add, related to this cool "free, high-quality" font talk:



    The last time I was at Barnes & Noble, I saw a book called something like that (Free Quality Type or something). It was a GORGEOUS, softcover, full-color book with about 100 fonts, all displayed one on each page, with sample usage/design accompanying it (different designers/artists on each typeface, so a real wide-ranging, cool book to look at for design ideas too).



    Anyway, there would be a URL listed on each page where that particular font could be downloaded totally for free (TrueType AND Type 1 versions on most all of them too).



    These fonts were AWESOME: scripts, hand-written, modern/techie, 70's-inspired, etc.



    I'll go poke around and try to find the name, author and publisher of that cool book...
  • Reply 6 of 8
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    That would be great, scates. I love to find great new fonts, but I can't afford hundreds of dollars worth of collections, and finding stuff a la carte tests my patience to say the least!
  • Reply 7 of 8
    bradbowerbradbower Posts: 1,068member
    I like House fonts.



    High quality, god yes. Not free, no. They're free for me because I got the hookup, fo shizzle. Or something.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I've got quite a few House Fonts myself. Great stuff.
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