Big letters, small letters

Apologies for the random font sizes that are now on the blog. I read this very interesting and useful article, which said you should make your online fonts bigger. And it does make a huge difference. So I've changed my default font size. The trouble is, a lot of the articles were not using 'default', but I had specifically set the size to 'normal'. Which gave the same result. But now that the default's bigger, those ones haven't changed.

Terms & Conditions

"you agree that Monotype Imaging’s liability for such physical injury or death shall not exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars (U.S. $100,000)"                   

This is from the terms and conditions of font software. I never knew typefaces could be so dangerous :-o

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Fonts

"A good font should be invisible. In other words, if you've done it right, your audience shouldn't even notice it."

Jason Brubaker

Hallellujah - praise the Lord!

I have found a tutorial on the internet showing me a way you can create bleed in Publisher. I've tried it (with a bit of adaption), and the art editor says it's fine.

I have found a website which will convert any type of font to ttf. This means I don't need to change the fonts in my book, which could cause all kinds of problems. I have tried it, and it works. 

Although buying copies of the clipart I used was going to be prohibitively expensive, I was able to draw some new pictures to replace the clipart ones. I used an easy style I like doing, and it took under 2 hours.

I can go out tonight with a clear conscience!!!

Also, it is snowing :-)

Warning 2: making a pdf involves embedding fonts

Why does this matter? Because you can't embed otf fonts.

I have just designed 50 pages of a book with otf fonts (and others) used throughout. I need to pdf it to send to the printers.

Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!!!!!

Warning: otf fonts cannot embed in Microsoft Office

You can only embed true type (ttf) fonts in programs such as Word or PowerPoint.

I didn't know that. I do now. I wish I had known sooner. 

Like, before I chose the fonts for a project. Or at least before I made all the PowerPoint presentations.

I designed the PowerPoint slides using Myriad Pro, which is the font used in the whole project, and is an otf font (I have no idea what the difference is).

I embedded the font, which means that whoever uses it will have the text appearing properly, even if they don't actually have Myriad Pro on their computer. Or I thought I had embedded the font. No helpful warning was given, such as 'You can't do this".

They were meant to look like this:

 Photograph ©iStockphoto.com/urbancow

  Fortunately, I decided to test it, by uninstalling the font on my computer, and opening the PowerPoint again. It should have looked the same. That's why I embedded the font. Instead, it looked like this:

 

Slight problem, I think! Some were even worse, with words overlapping. (The reason it's so odd is because each word is in a separate text box, and you click on them to make them disappear one by one, to teach the verse. And Arial, which it has changed it to, is wider than Myriad Pro).

Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!!!!

After a bit of looking, I did find a very similar font (Raldo RE), which will do for the PowerPoints. So, after three hours and £31.74 for a new font, we now have this:

Not bad, though I don't like the square full stops, and the word spacing isn't quite even in places now - hopefully no-one will notice, as I really don't have time...

Don't you just hate computers?

OK, rant over.