A Little Font Primer

Anyone interested in fonts should first become acquainted with basic typographic nomenclature. Let's start at the top.

The word font, as used in Windows, really refers to a typeface. Those people in typesetting circles believe the term is misused in PC jargon, and you should really be calling, say, Arial a typeface. But, oh well. There goes the language (again). Fonts are specified by size as well as by name. The size of a font is measured in points. A point is 1/72 of an inch.

Windows XP comes with a basic stock of fonts (about 60). The exact number of fonts depends on the printer or printers you have installed and the screen fonts you have chosen to install.

To learn more about installing printers, p. 191.

If your screen fonts (such as text under icons on the desktop) seem too large or too small, see "Icon Fonts Too Large or Small" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.