Reference basics with you to understand fonts
Font Basics
the term
Font and font
Now commonly translated as "font" in Font in the traditional printing industry refers to a specific size, weight specific word a word Typeface information even spacing, such as "size 14pt, the word weight of Helvetica Bold" is a Font, and here is its Helvetica Typeface. But now Font size is usually not included, and different mold with the times, the computer font sizes can be easily changed.
Another title is Typeface Font family (font family), the word is actually better than Typeface confusing and does not understand, can obviously express Font is a subset of the meaning of Font family, so the standard HTML & CSS It is used in the Font family (family word). In simple terms, "Helvetica" is a Typeface, and specify a specific weight of words: "Helvetica Bold." This is the Font.
There is a concept Glyph , it represents the word of some kind of wording or font of "bones", such as letters \ (a \) and ɑ is different Glyph, Namida - Tears, strong - strong Glyph is different.
The Font, Typeface and Glyph in Chinese translation on the mess, according to the national standard (GB / T 16964) should be:
| English | GB |
|---|---|
| Font | Font |
| Typeface | Fonts |
| Glyph | Font |
However, in actual use fonts and font chaotic, often called the Font font, font and font is more often engage in anti. The common folk said the law is called the Font font, but do not use Typeface Font family namely font family, then Glyph called glyphs or fonts. This said the law actually more popular than the standard translation.
Roman and italic
Roman refers serif, this title is because inscriptions originated in the Roman serif. Because usually regarded as a serif font text, so many occasions, Roman became synonymous with the text font.
The Italic (italic) refers to a first use of handwriting Italy, and later Italic (italic) is often used as a text in italics and Roman mix, has become synonymous with italics. Another call is in italics Oblique (single italics, imitation italics) also called Slanted , which typically means directly to the text italic font generation processing is inclined to do, and Italic Font (italic) is the difference between the body and a specially designed larger italics.
↑ Roman Roman
↑ the same font (Adobe Garamond) of Italic (italic Italy) and Oblique (single italics)
Font structure
Character pitch, character pitch even monospace
Character spacing ( Spacing in the ) suggests that it is the distance between the character size and the character is the location of the outer boundary box character pattern in the blocks on the implementation.
↑ word spacing - "typefaces"
Even the word spacing ( The Kerning ) also called kerning, is based on the word spacing to achieve even different words (a pair of character) to adjust the value of the word may have different spacing. Different letters have different shape, so only the same font word spacing is uncoordinated, such as between "AH" is a standard word spacing, and because "AV" \ (V \) and (A \) \ shape, its position may overlap, it is necessary to achieve the negative word even spacing coordinated look. Even word spacing and word spacing are an integral part of the font, spacing and word even need a lot of words even ready.
↑ a word even more fonts - "typefaces"
In addition, there is the concept of kerning monospaced font ( Monospaced ) and proportional fonts ( Proportional ), and proportional fonts is above that set by the character outline different kerning of fonts, font appearance such coordination and readable. And monospace (Monospaced) every word spacing is the same for each font, the advantage that the layout can be well controlled alignment, so the current programming code editor usually used monospace (Monospaced) most display fonts.
Word weight and width
Word weight divided according to different manufacturers have different fonts, different words may not re-call the same common divided as follows:
| Chinese name | English | Other names |
|---|---|---|
| Special rough | Black | |
| Very thick | Heavy | Extra-bold |
| Crude | Bold | |
| Thick | Semi-bold | Demi-bold |
| medium | Medium | |
| conventional | Regular | Normal Novel |
| Show | Display | |
| Fine | Semi-light | Demi-light |
| fine | Light | |
| Very fine | Thin | |
| Ultra-fine | Ultra-Light | Extra-Light |
There are also narrow Font: Condensed, wide-body: Expanded, italic: Italic, Slanted (usually refers imitation italics).
Ligature
Ligatures (Typographic ligature) is also known as co-word, even from the pen of handwriting, such as the "fi" is often associated with a point i f the hook. Traditional text printing often use ligatures, and after the 1970 popular photographic typesetting rarely even use the word, but also due to the limited screen resolution, even if the difference is not the word, so it is not very popular to use ligatures.
Even there are two words implementations, one of PostScript font ligatures function, which requires publishing or displaying software support, the other is the use of co-word character, such as:
Literal rate, the Palace, the center of gravity
Rate literally, literally, in the palace, the center of gravity is a common description of the characteristics of Chinese font appearance attributes. Literally is relative to the actual range of font size font frame, the same size in different fonts large literal actual size will be larger.
Literally literal ratio of the outer frame size, simplified Chinese fonts are typically about 92% of the literal, Japanese Kanji font literal rate generally is higher, about 94%, relatively speaking, Japanese Kanji font pursuit of more and more average large literal rate.
The palace is the size of the main structure of the Chinese characters, similar to the English font \ (x \) height. In the house can be used to judge the tightness of the size of the font, in the palace, horizontal and vertical, but usually in the palace to see the transverse dimension enough.
Another major focus is on appearance attribute font, font visual center point, is located in the center of gravity is generally the font portion.
Chinese font classification
History into
Oracle
Seal
Official script
Han on behalf of the font. Official script had been born in the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty but did not become mainstream, it is also called "Han Li."
Lishu stroke thickness variation smaller than the straight, flat appearance, neat, dignified. Pay attention to "silkworm head dovetail" (dignified pen, pen light junction disease), "twists and turns" (brush line change).
Common font: Annie official script, Chinese official script, little Mona Li
Cursive
Cursive originated in the early Han Dynasty.
Illegible cursive writing from the official script, divided into Zhang Cao, this grass, Cursive, Cursive. There are a large number of simplified cursive font, even the pen is more difficult to identify. And typically at a slant.
Common Font: Founder grass, yellow grass Founder, Genyou Ye blast cursive, cursive white boat, Benxing ka na
Running Script
Running script from the Eastern Han Dynasty.
From the development of official script running script, is between a font between the regular script, cursive, divided into "Xing Kai" and "Cursive", "Cursive" more imaginative than "Xingkai" stroke, more closely cursive. Compared cursive, running only on the basis of the official script of the more prominent strokes change between the stroke increased "gossamer", composed of essentially the same shape, so there is no more significant simplified cursive, with pen and tilt, can easily identify.
Common fonts: Chinese Xing Kai, Han Xing Kai instrument, DF body running script, Wang Hanzong in Xingkai, Founder hard brush running script, running script star grass, Founder writing - Lvjian De Xing Kai
Weibei body
Tablet script font is representative of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Order between tablet script and official script and regular script than official script, unlike crude official script as flat, compared to regular script stroke thickness changes and becomes more apparent. Characterized in that the downwards-unique will extend to both sides, and carry the significant peak before meal crude received document, so that the whole stable in shape and slightly flying.
Many times will put tablet script as a kind of regular script.
Common fonts: Chinese New Wei, Founder Weibei, Han-yi weibei
Regular script
Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to Tang Dynasty on behalf of the font. It can be divided into the early 'Rubbings "and later" Tang Kai. "
Regular script starts off in official script, official script is not so thick flat, with obvious brush strokes to write traces high "cross" is still evident in the lower left and right.
In common Chinese typesetting in italics similar Western in Italic (italic) role, namely Arial as the body, and as emphasized in italics, font references.
Common font: Hua Wenkai body, Founder new italics, Han-yi Full Tang, Founder poetry Liu Kai Su, Founder Kai Song edition show
Times New Roman
Ming on behalf of the font, originated in the Song Dynasty.
Although it is known as Times New Roman Times New Roman, but not popular in the Song Dynasty, but is more common in the Ming Dynasty. Due to historical reasons on the mainland known as Times New Roman, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan called it "Mincho."
Times New Roman font printed origins in Song, when wooden planks for letterpress printing, to conform to the natural wood grain, straight smooth vertical and horizontal strokes, horizontal thin vertical coarse, angular from pen down (obviously serif), shaped square. It is also known as "Carpenter human body."
Since the thin vertical cross-italicized coarse features, it is suitable for vertical, horizontal usually modern layout, so now commonly used in horizontal and vertical strokes strokes italicized slightly lower contrast than conventional italicized.
Also due to 12 ~ 14 pt Times New Roman size comes with Windows (easy to Times New Roman) shows a dot matrix font , Times New Roman on behalf of people with often referred to as dot matrix characters, real \ (2 \) who did the relationship .
↑ easy to Times New Roman 12 ~ 14 pt appear as bitmap fonts
Common font: Annie book Song, travel Mincho, a small mound Ming Pro, Hikaru ra gi Techno Ming, ri ュ Dow ミ nn (Ryumin Pro), Founder book Song, Fang Zhengya Song, Founder Times New Roman, Founder Daily News Song, created characters Kobo carved Song, Munnar long Song
Italics
Song can represent fonts.
Italics are generic in the Southern Song Chen Qi Chen book shop books publishing house font, the actual flourished in the Ming Dynasty but was called "Times New Roman" Times New Roman font is more representative of the Song Dynasty style. In Japan directly called "Song body."
Arial is actually significantly italics style print, strokes straighter, but not as good as "Times New Roman" as completely to go straight, "horizontal" still with a low right high left features regular script, the stroke thickness is not italicized horizontal thin vertical coarse, but more evenly.
Common fonts: Arial Founder, Wen Yue archaic italics, italics Munnar
Qing body
The representative of the Qing Dynasty regular script font should be said that, with the upgrading of woodblock printing techniques, printing font Times New Roman with more features compared to the performance of the stroke. One feature of the Qing Dynasty fonts are generally more compact in the palace, but there is no decisive difference in italics and other terms, the "body of the Qing Dynasty" title in the country are rare, but more common in Japan.
Qing representative body fonts are modeled on Yangzhou Poetry Bureau of print and publish "Full Tang" and made full tang font, as well as the Qing dynasty official engraved body, in addition to a few years ago used rotten in the field of graphic design Kangxi body, but the body is not popular Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and body relationship, mainly because of its mottled writing scan ancient entered.
Common font: Kangxi body, Han-yi Full Tang, Hong Daoxuan body Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty official Tang joy carved body, DF ancient magnolia A
Blackbody
On behalf of the font since the mid-twentieth century.
That is bold sans serif Chinese character, with no serif decorative simplified stroke features, the difference is extremely small stroke weights. Also referred to as line body and the like, Gothic (Japan called). Is the first Japanese based Western sans serif and sans serif for the Chinese body, came to China (Wu bamboo body), the first title font just as thick, so called black body.
Blackbody is preferred font displayed on the screen .
常用字体：思源黑体（原生 Android 默认字体）、中易黑体、方正兰亭黑、冬青黑体（早期苹果电脑的默认中文字体）、方正等线、方正幼线、方正纤黑、汉仪旗黑（华为手机系统 EMUI 默认字体）、小塚ゴシック、游ゴシック 、信黑體、微軟正黑體 （蒙纳）、微软雅黑体（方正，Windows 系统默认中文字体）、方正悠黑简、メイリオ、苹方（苹果手机系统 iOS 使用的中文字体）
风格字体分类
上面是中文字体的主要划分方式，有些字体在其基础上又独特的风格，自成一体。
综艺体
综艺体是黑体的变种，通常用在广告、标题上。字面极大、追求尽量将空间充满。
常用字体：創挙蘭、方正综艺、汉仪综艺、造字工房力黑、造字工房版黑
圆体
圆体也是黑体的变种，最早在秀英舎的『活版見本帳』（1914年）中出现，早期流行的圆体是石井丸ゴシック体（1956）。
圆体的特征在于笔划的末端与转角呈圆弧状。因此圆体不但具有黑体清晰易读的优点，而且也予人较柔和的感觉。国内更加常见的幼圆体是圆体的一种，是笔画更加细的圆体。
常用字体：蒙纳幼圆、DF丸ゴシック体（華康圆体）、あいこフォント、方正圆体、造字工房悦圆
宋黑体
宋黑体是介于宋体和黑体之间，带类似宋体的衬线和黑体笔画特征的字体，和普通的的粗笔画宋体的差别是：粗宋体会有明显的“横细竖粗”的笔画粗细对比，而宋黑体没有。
常用字体：方正宋黑、锐字云字库宋黑体
圆宋
圆宋是基于宋体的变体，相当于圆体之于黑体。在日本被称为“丸明朝体”。相对于圆体，其有宋体的特征：笔画有“横细竖粗”的粗细对比、带有衬线。而相对于宋体其衬线圆滑，虽有宋体的笔画特征但把棱角都做了圆化，字体结构方正，但细节圆润，有马克笔书写的感觉。
常用字体：丸明オールド、汉仪润圆、方正秉楠圆宋
姚体
姚体通常认为是原中华书局聚珍部主任姚竹天于民国时期设计，上海解放日报社高级技工姚志良在二十世纪 50 年代改刻的字体。也有说法是姚体跟姚竹天的关系是误传。姚体兴盛于中国大陆的 60、70 年代，被用作报纸标题、宣称标语和招牌的字体。至今仍能在很多城市的车站中见到姚体的站名。
姚体是结合了宋体和黑体特征的字体，一般归类为黑体的变种。其特征是像宋体一样的直线笔画和“横细竖粗”的粗细对比，但没有宋体的衬线，但有明显的喇叭口和笔画出头作为装饰，最明显的莫过于竖长的字形和纵向的笔画走向。
常用字体：方正姚体、蒙纳小姚
金文体
这个金文体并不是指中国古代的金文，而是一个在日本流行的字体，实际上类似于篆书体，其特点是垂直延伸的字形，并且字的下半部分看起被拉长，有类似篆书的笔画曲线。这种字体看起来既有有古典气息，又有现代、神秘的感觉，非常多的用在日本科幻、魔法风格的小说、漫画、动画产品产品的标题和海报中。
常用字体：华康金文体（DFP金文体）、DFP金文体うめ
系统默认字体
桌面端
网页端
微软的网页核心（Web core fonts）字体，是微软在1996年所发起的一个计划，定义了一套基础字体集以供网页显示之用，这些字体是 Windows 中会预置的字体，而且微软提供免费的下载。这些字体直接使用在网页中有很好的通用性。不过这并不是 W3C 的标准，所以也不能保证在不同系统都可用，具体各种字体在不同操作系统中的支持情况可以参考这个列表：fontmatrix
移动端
