AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Lingo font style9/16/2023 ![]() What will happen is this: You’ll be typing in Microsoft Word (in Japanese), go to change the font to a different character set and once you’ve selected the font, the software automatically reverts to a different Japanese font while your typeface hasn’t changed.ĭespite doing some research, I couldn’t come up with an answer to this question though I did find a warning sign of this problem: the font, strangely enough, appears in the English section of your font list (as opposed to the bottom, with the rest of the Japanese fonts). You may find that certain fonts, upon uploading to your library, just won’t render the Japanese characters. Microsoft Office isn’t compatible with some Japanese typefaces. This is also where I have to give you guys a bit of bad news: Just like most countries, Japan runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems. The formats used for Japanese fonts ( id est, Opentype, Truetype, Postscript etc.) are the same as most other fonts. Download the font and upload it to your fonts folder. This process is just like any other font. Putting It To Use Downloading and Installing ![]() It means and implies that each individual character has been condensed independently for the sake of readability. “P” is often attached to the names of a typeface that you’ve found and it stands for “proportional”-yes, English. Look at the image for “gothic” and compare it with this one, you’ll see what I mean. If a typeface isn’t created with “maru” and “kaku” versions, you’ll most often find that the standard “gothic” style incorporates the “kaku” qualities. It’s not quite as intuitive as “maru” but it represents the opposite style: sharp and pointed corners. Maru is great for quick readability and less-imposing typographic applications. It’s because of this that most “maru” typefaces have, you guessed it, rounded corners. Maru is most often combined with a “gothic” or sans-serif style of typography. Often, this style of typeface is used in digital application as well as designs that embody modernity. These typefaces, similar to western sans-serif fonts, often have consistent stroke-weights as well as more simplistic strokes. If “mincho” means “serif”, what do you think “gothic” means? That’s right, sans-serif! It represents the “pause” in the brush stroke as the writer prepares to continue the stroke or complete it. Most often it can be found on the top or top-right edge of the stroke. You’ll also notice that mincho typefaces often have, what appears to be, a small triangle nestled into the stroke. Visually, the “Mincho” style of typography is comprised of contrasting vertical and horizontal strokes. If all of this is too much to remember, just think of “mincho” as the western version of “serif” and you’ll be good. As it’s based off of an ancient writing method, the style is equally historic. So the “Min” in “Mincho” stands for “Ming”. ![]() If you’re familiar with Japanese and some of the kanji, you’ll find that China shares similar characters. The Japanese alphabet is based on the Chinese character set. Have you ever heard of Ming or the Ming Dynasty? That’s right, it’s Chinese. “Mincho” is the most common suffix and style you’ll see in Japanese typography. Read this article before you choose a typeface so you know what you’re getting and avoid issues later. In this article, I’m going to give you a quick yet complete overview of Japanese typography and how to select the typeface that’s best for your project. How do you download and use Japanese fonts? What do the font names mean? What problems may I run into using them? If you’re an English-speaking native and you’ve found yourself trying to weave the intricacies of Japanese typography, you may find yourself in over your head. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |