Re: [NTG-context] What are the best fonts to use

Cecil, thanks for asking this question. Even though the answers may/will be subjective, it is quite likely that there are people here who have given some thought to font choice. I agree with previous responses that reading a book on typography would certainly be helpful. Nevertheless, I am interested in hearing what fonts people like (if they do not mind sharing). I, and perhaps some others, may learn about a few fonts. Bharat On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 8:31 PM, David Rogers wrote:

* Cecil Westerhof [2011-03-14 12:44]:

...

At the moment I use for my ebook: \usetypescript[palatino][texnansi] \setupbodyfont[palatino,rm,12pt]

Does not look to bad, but layout is not my forte. So if people have tips about the fonts to use, I like to hear them.

Do you use other fonts when using a printed book?

I don't think this question can have one answer. There are many good answers, depending on the kind of book (or other printed material).

1. I think the layout of the page itself can have a great deal to do with whether a certain font looks good (e.g. amount of white space, length of lines, etc). Paying proper attention to the "gross" aspects of your layout, such as margins and line heights, goes a long way to improving the appearance of the whole work, and brings out the best in whichever font you choose.

2. To some extent, different fonts can suit different material (e.g. a book of poems vs a financial report, or a textbook vs a novel). For extended reading, the conventional wisdom is to choose a "normal-looking" font that doesn't call attention to itself too much, but obviously you also want one that is at least somewhat attractive to look at.

3. Frankly, giving people what they are already used to is often the best plan - probably more often than typographers would care to admit. In my opinion, variation for its own sake is over-rated and over-used.

-- David ___________________________________________________________________________________ If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

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