Any person who works with computers or the internet will have to understand the concept of fonts. Understanding which fonts to use, and choosing the right fonts, is an important decision for any web designer, web developer, business owner or executive. When designing a winning web page, for instance, it is important to choose a font that will be both pleasing to the eye and easy to read on any type of computer monitor.

The history of the word font goes back far more than the history of the computer, all the way back to the middle ages in fact. In Medieval times the French term fonte, meaning “something that has been melted” referred to the letters of a typeface. The term made sense at the time, since these typefaces were in fact made by casting molten metals.

At the demand for a different number of fonts increased, a number of different typefaces, using a variety of different weights, styles and colors, were designed, including italic fonts, bold fonts and the like.

For many centuries now printers in English speaking companies have used the term font to refer to the multipart metal type which is used to assemble and print in a particular size, style or typeface. These type foundries have been casting fonts using lead alloys from the fifteenth century to the present day. During the 19th century, the advent of mechanical typesetting allowed for the automatic casting of fonts as needed. This innovation was known as continuous casting, and the process remained widespread and profitable all the way into the 1970s.

During the period from the 1950s through the 1990s, phototypesetting, or photographic technology, was able to product fonts that came on discs or rolls of film. This phototypesetting allowed for optical scaling, thus allowing designers to produce different sizes of a single font.

By the mid 1970s, all major typeface technologies were in use, including letter press, continuous casting, manual phototypesetters, computer controlled phototypesetters and the newly developed digital typesetters. These early digital typesetters were huge machines with very small CRT outputs and tiny processors, but the technology would soon grow and change.

During the mid 1980s digital typography for fonts had grown, and users around the world have since adopted the American spelling font. These days this nearly always refers to a computer file which contains a number of scalable outline letter forms, known as a digital font.

Some of these fonts, like Verdana, are designed primarily for display on computer screens, while others are used in a variety of different applications. Those involved in printing, web design, writing and other applications continue to be concerned about using the right fonts, but the process of creating and changing those fonts has been made a great deal easier by modern computer technology.

Whether you're a graphic designer, business owner, or just someone who loves unique fonts, you'll find that there are many types of fonts readily available on the Web today. There are Web sites that offer free font downloads and there are also sites that offer paid fonts for download. Some sites even offer both options - free or paid. Below is a detailed look at the advantages of both free and paid font sites, and a brief look at what you might expect during your font search.

Benefits of Using Free Font Sites

Free font sites have been around many years. There are so many of these sites that you must pick and choose carefully. Before discussing the benefits, you should understand how to find good quality free fonts. First, use targeted keywords to narrow your search. Type in various "rights" of free fonts to conduct your searches. For example, the keywords "royalty free fonts" or "freeware fonts" might be used. Make sure the free font site you choose is legitimate, and has permission from the font's designer to redistribute the fonts for free.
Also, many free sites are categorized, giving you the option to search by category or theme. So, at a search engine you might narrow your search to find a particular type of font, such as "royalty free sans serif fonts" or "freeware handwriting fonts." This will save you much time during a search. The more specific your keywords, the better.

It's Free - Save Money!

One of the main benefits of downloading free fonts is - of course - they're free! You can build a site with great fonts and keep costs down to a minimum. This is great if you're building a small business site on a tight budget or your own personal site that's not for profit. Using free font sources, you can experiment with many different fonts without emptying your wallet, and build a fascinating site as a result.

Abundant and Easy to Find

You can locate free font sites easily on the Web. Once you narrow your search using the suggestions above, many great sites that offer free fonts will appear within minutes. If you're in a hurry or need lots of fonts quickly, these free sites can come in handy. Besides finding the fonts quickly, you will also benefit from the various styles of fonts available. Bookmark several free font sites and visit each one to discover new font styles and formats. You'll never be bored with your fonts again.

Take Advantage of "Try Before You Buy" Fonts

One segment of the free fonts industry is shareware. Shareware fonts are those that you can try out for free before deciding if you want to buy it. These aren't actually "free" but do offer a great way to test new fonts without monetary risks. Shareware fonts are sometimes available at free or paid font sites. Some sites specialize in only shareware fonts. Either way, it's an easy way to find the right fonts for your project before you spend a dime.

Freeware Fonts for Your Own Use

Freeware fonts are those you can use with the author's permission, but cannot be redistributed. These fonts are typically limited in use, such as one-use only or use on one Web site only. With freeware, you get to enjoy the talents and creativity of many font designers as long as you abide by the rules. This gives you a broad selection of fonts without spending a fortune.

Download Free Fonts to Get Ideas for Your Own Creations

Though you should never copy someone else's font design, downloading free fonts is a great way to get ideas for your own font creations. Most "original" ideas come when viewing other designs to get the wheels turning. Free font sites offer the benefit of viewing unusual designs by various authors to keep fresh ideas flowing.

Benefits of Using Paid Font Sites

Like free font sites, paid font sites offer many benefits as well. One of the obvious benefits is that the quality is often exceptionally better with paid font sites. A paid font might be offered in a variety of types including italics, bold, etc., all while keeping its good quality with each style. The good quality can be seen when using the fonts on the Web or in print. So, if you're needing high quality fonts for design work online or off, paid font sites might be your best avenue.

Immediate Downloads

Paid fonts are usually downloadable immediately once your payment is sent. No filling out lengthy surveys or wading through a load of advertisements to get your fonts. You can pay and download without delay. This is great if you're in a hurry and need a high-quality font fast.

True Type, Clear Type and Open Type

Three popular high-quality fonts are called True Type, Clear Type and Open Type. These can usually be found in more abundance at paid font sites because they are created using tedious methods that reveal amazing quality. True Type fonts were developed using a Microsoft and Apple interface called True Type. These fonts are automatically installed on computers as default fonts. Clear Type fonts are designed to appear very clear on the screens of laptops and flat monitors. Open Type fonts are an extension of True Type fonts.

At paid font sites, you can locate the type of font you want without worry of copyright violations. You will be assured of the availability and quality when making your purchase.

Working with Fonts as a Designer

Paid font sites also offer a tremendous advantage if you work with fonts on a continual basis. Tight schedules, client deadlines and pressure from the boss can all crimp your creative side if you're not careful. That's why having a few reliable paid font sources can be a lifesaver! As a graphic designer, you are always in search of ideas to add spice to your creations. One Web page might have two or three different fonts: a headline font, a text font and a special character font. Paid font sites offer fonts in many sizes, styles and formats so you can pick and choose those according to your design project needs.

If you create company logos, paid font sites offer the benefit of many fabulous styles to suit the needs of your clients. Every logo is unique and should reflect the goal of the company. Fonts can help you do just that.

Another advantage as a designer is the fact that you can often find fonts that are compatible to your needs. You might need fonts that will work with your printer, design program or computer system. Some fonts are compatible with Microsoft Windows but not with a Macintosh, or vice versa. With paid font sites, there is usually more flexibility in this area, so you are able to find exactly what you need, when you need it.

Match a Favorite Font

Some paid font sites offer the service of matching a font for you. If you have a favorite font from a magazine ad or Web site, they'll find either the exact font or one that closely resembles it for you. Some offer this service for a small fee, and some offer it free. It's much easier to use a service like this than to search through thousands of fonts to find the right match.

Order Custom Fonts

If you need a special type of font, you can sometimes request that someone design the font for you. They'll usually charge a design charge as well as a fee for using the font, but it's a great way to get the font you need if it has a rare design. Some paid font sites will put you in touch with a designer so you can request a custom font design directly.

Fonts in Different Languages

If you need a font in a different language, some paid font sites offer this service. In some languages, the letter formations are different, therefore, the font styles will be different from English. This is a custom service that's not usually offered at free font sites.

No Advertisements

With paid font sites, you have no need to worry about pop-ads for every download, ads embedded in your font pages or ads attached to the site itself that can slow the page's load time or download time. You're paying for the fonts, so the site doesn't have to be supported by all those advertisements. Many free font sites rely on advertising dollars to keep the site in operation, so it's the price you must pay for free fonts.

Font CDs

You might notice font CDs at both paid and free font sites. These are CDs that contain many fonts you can use by purchasing the one disc. With a font CD, you'll receive a variety of fonts from different designers that have been compiled onto the CD. If considering a font CD, always make sure that the fonts are being redistributed legally. Otherwise, you're putting yourself and your clients at risk by using someone's design without permission. CDs are usually affordable, however, there are specialized font CDs with extremely high quality that can be costly. The great thing about font CDs is you don't have to download all the different fonts - they're in one secure place already.

As you can see, both free and paid font sites can be advantageous. Either way, there are thousands (if not millions) of amazing fonts available today.

Writing for the web is seldom an easy task, and a little thing like the use of the wrong font can end up costing you lots of money in lost business and other unintended consequences. That is because some fonts do not appear properly on certain web browsers, while other fonts can be difficult to read no matter what browser the visitor is using. It can take some time to understand which fonts to use, and to find the sites where those fonts can be downloaded, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Of course commercial word processing, spreadsheet, web design and other software packages will come with their own set of fonts, but in many cases the choices they offer can be somewhat limited. Many web designers and owners of web based businesses will want to find additional fonts, or even to design their own fonts. For those in need of more font choices, there are a number of excellent web sites that specialize in all kinds of fonts. Some of these web sites offer fonts free for the taking, while other sites require web designers and others to purchase the fonts they need.

No matter what type of fonts you need to grow your business, it is important to look around carefully before making a final decision. Even though there are many free fonts available on the market, there are also a number of very good reasons for purchasing fonts instead. For instance, there are a number of specialized fonts, such as those used by the United States Postal Service (USPS), that many businesses use for bulk mailings. One such specialty font produces a bar code based on the destination ZIP code, and this bar code can in turn be used to lower mailing costs and increase efficiency.

Likewise, many scientific applications require specialized fonts, and those whose work requires the use of scientific symbols should consider the purchase of the fonts they need to make their work possible. Drafting, architecture and related businesses also often require the use of specialty fonts, as do a number of other businesses.

Of course even for highly specialized applications there may well be some free fonts available, and it never hurts to check around to see if what you want is available at no cost. When looking for free fonts, however, it is important to download those fonts only from reputable businesses, and to carefully scrutinize the web site, including the terms of service and other such agreements, before agreeing to the download. Like other pieces of software, fonts can contain viruses, spyware and other harmful code, so it is vital to download only from well known and reliable font sites.

No matter what types of fonts you need to make your web site complete, however, it is important to keep in mind how writing for the web differs from other forms of writing. In some ways, of course, the rules of fonts that apply in the offline world apply in the world of the Internet as well. That means that the fonts you choose should provide a consistent and professional appearance. Using a mixture of different fonts can give visitors the impression that the web site is unprofessional or poorly designed. While using a mixture of underlining, bold print, italics and other such enhancements can make the text on the web site stand out, in general it is best to use a single font throughout the page.

Consistency is the key when it comes to designing a web site and providing content for that web site. It is a good idea to provide visitors to your web site with a consistent look and feel across the various pages that make up your web site. If you use different fonts, colors and styles, visitors may be confused and think they have inadvertently left your site. It is important to use a consistent style throughout the pages of your web site, while using bolding, underling, italics and similar enhancements to accent the parts of your web site you want visitors to focus on.

When it comes to choosing the best free and paid fonts for your web site, there are a number of important factors to consider. Some of the most important considerations when it comes to both free and paid fonts include:

• Consider the type of web site you have, and the type of visitor you are trying to attract. Using a large font, or a fancy font, in addition to bolding and italics, is a good way to capture the attention of the casual web site visitor and keep them around long enough to see what your site has to offer.


• Think about the availability of the font. If you choose a font that is too rare or off the wall, many visitors to your site may not see it properly. It is important to choose a font that is both attractive and widely available. It is possible to create your own fonts and use them on your web site, and many webmasters use this technique to get around this common limitation.


• Remember to choose free and paid fonts that are compatible with all the major web browsers. While Internet Explorer still captures a huge share of the browser market, it is no longer the only game in town, and alternate browsers like Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Deepnet and others are quickly making inroads into Microsoft’s territory. Choosing fonts that display properly on these alternate browsers is important today, and likely to be even more important in the future.


• Consider compatibility with search engines. The fonts which are used within an image can be displayed on all computers, but they cannot be read by the search engines. If you design your own fonts using images, it is important to include an alt tag to describe the image. The search engine will need to read this alt tag in order to properly classify your site. It is important as well to use the important keywords in the web site copy itself, as this will help Google and the other search engines to more easily and accurately index your site.


• Think about the size of the font. Using a variety of different font sizes is a great way to add flair and variety to any web site. Like bolding and other enhancements, font size is a great way to entice visitors and keep them looking at your business and what it has to offer.


• Remember as well that fonts will often look different on PCs and MACs. When designing fonts for a web site it is generally better to use pixels instead of points. While points will look fine on a PC, they will appear smaller on MACs. Even though Macintosh commands a small market share, it is a market that no web business owner can afford to ignore. Another important consideration when it comes to writing for the web is to think about the readability of the fonts. There are two distinct types of fonts, and it is important to understand their differences.


• Serif Fonts – Serif fonts are the most commonly used fonts in print media, but serif fonts are not recommended for Internet writing. The nature of serif fonts tends to make them difficult to read on the screen. Serif fonts are those fonts that have the fine cross lines and other little touches at the extremities of each letter. Some examples of serif fonts include Times New Roman and Georgia.


• Sans Serif Fonts – As the name implies, san serif fonts lack the fine cross lines that typify the serif fonts. The name san serif comes from the French for without, or sans. Some of the most well known san serif fonts include Arial, Verdana and Helvetica. While san serif fonts are perfect for reading on the screen, they are not recommended for print media such as books, newspapers and magazines.

Some of the best known sites for downloading paid fonts of all kinds, both specialized fonts and general purpose ones, include:

• Linotype.com
• Gbs-design.com
• Barcodingfonts.com

No matter which type of free or paid fonts you choose, it is important to vary the size of the text throughout the body of the text. Using a large font size for the main header, a smaller one for the secondary header and a still smaller pixel size for the main text is a good practice.

One good tip for web site designers is to take advantage of cascading style sheets. These handy formatting tools enable writers to create a consistent look, feel and style across several different pages of text. In addition, when the owner of the web site wants to change the font on the web site, all he or she has to do is make a single change, and allow the cascading style sheets to do the rest.

Of course there are many other important factors to be considered when it comes to writing for the web and designing a winning web site for your business. The Internet is full of opportunities, but it is important to think carefully about how your web site is perceived by the casual visitor. Designing your web site, and writing your content, with the end user in mind is the best way to ensure a profitable web based business. While it is certainly true that content is king when it comes to building quality web site traffic and link synergy, it is vital to remember that writing for the web has its own special set of rules. Paying attention to those rules and using them to grow your business is what separates the most successful web site owners from all the rest.