Comments on: Where’s the Windings replacement “Cariadings”? http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/ All the stuff about Microsoft and technology you haven't read anywhere else. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:19:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Si http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24525 Si Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:18:09 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24525 “Replacement” – is a bit misleading. You can’t take existing Wingdings symbols and switch fonts to Cariadings and expect the content to make sense. Although default fonts change – for example Office document defaults switching from Arial and TNR to Calibri, or the Windows and Office UI switching from Tahoma to Segoe UI – the original core and UI fonts are still in Vista, and far from being mothballed have had thousands of glyphs added. “W” – text over glass does not use standard GDI rendering. For ClearType, black and white or regular anti-aliasing the type designer/hinter can control a font’s appearance via contextual hinting. Unfortunately the filter developed by the MSX team does not afford the type designer control over appearance. Segoe UI is well hinted, with light ClearType targeted hints applied at all sizes and specific tuning for key UI sizes 8,9 and 10 pt. “Segoe” – the Segoe Wikepedia page seems reasonably accurate, and includes details of the fonts design patent challenge in the EU. The Segoe trademark remains intact, as does its US design patent protection. So saying it has “no trademark protection in Europe” is incorrect. Font IP is complicated, but in simple terms, a font name, if properly trademarked, is the font’s most protectable asset. That’s why “Frutiger” is more valuable than “Humanist 777”. Copyright with respect to the font file itself comes next, and Adobe had some success against people who have created derivatives using a scaling utility. Design patents are largely unproven, and most font vendors don’t apply for them. “Replacement” – is a bit misleading. You can’t take existing Wingdings symbols and switch fonts to Cariadings and expect the content to make sense. Although default fonts change – for example Office document defaults switching from Arial and TNR to Calibri, or the Windows and Office UI switching from Tahoma to Segoe UI – the original core and UI fonts are still in Vista, and far from being mothballed have had thousands of glyphs added.

“W” – text over glass does not use standard GDI rendering. For ClearType, black and white or regular anti-aliasing the type designer/hinter can control a font’s appearance via contextual hinting. Unfortunately the filter developed by the MSX team does not afford the type designer control over appearance. Segoe UI is well hinted, with light ClearType targeted hints applied at all sizes and specific tuning for key UI sizes 8,9 and 10 pt.

“Segoe” – the Segoe Wikepedia page seems reasonably accurate, and includes details of the fonts design patent challenge in the EU. The Segoe trademark remains intact, as does its US design patent protection. So saying it has “no trademark protection in Europe” is incorrect.

Font IP is complicated, but in simple terms, a font name, if properly trademarked, is the font’s most protectable asset. That’s why “Frutiger” is more valuable than “Humanist 777”. Copyright with respect to the font file itself comes next, and Adobe had some success against people who have created derivatives using a scaling utility. Design patents are largely unproven, and most font vendors don’t apply for them.

]]> By: Jonathon http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24377 Jonathon Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:00:56 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24377 @tino: Unfortunately for the makers of Frutiger, font faces _can_ be copied. Only the binary font files themselves are protected by copyright. Influence from Frutiger can also be seen in Adobe's Myriad (most notably used as Apple's corporate font, in all their marketing materials) and Apple's Podium Sans (used in the iPod interface). Also, Segoe (the font upon which Segoe UI is based) was developed by Monotype in 2000-- they claim that it was a completely original design (although the similarities are so strong that someone was obviously influenced by Frutiger at some point). @tino: Unfortunately for the makers of Frutiger, font faces _can_ be copied. Only the binary font files themselves are protected by copyright.

Influence from Frutiger can also be seen in Adobe’s Myriad (most notably used as Apple’s corporate font, in all their marketing materials) and Apple’s Podium Sans (used in the iPod interface).

Also, Segoe (the font upon which Segoe UI is based) was developed by Monotype in 2000– they claim that it was a completely original design (although the similarities are so strong that someone was obviously influenced by Frutiger at some point).

]]> By: fracturex http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24369 fracturex Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:43:25 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24369 @tino, I had no idea about this, interesting. @tino, I had no idea about this, interesting.

]]> By: Phi http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24273 Phi Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:59:06 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24273 They all start with 'C' because they are the Cleartype fonts. They all start with ‘C’ because they are the Cleartype fonts.

]]> By: tino http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24041 tino Wed, 21 Mar 2007 01:15:43 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24041 @fracturex: Segoe UI is a real scandal for MS's font team. It's not only a proven plagiarism of the well known Frutiger Next and has no trademark protection in Europe anymore but it is also poorly hinted. @fracturex: Segoe UI is a real scandal for MS’s font team. It’s not only a proven plagiarism of the well known Frutiger Next and has no trademark protection in Europe anymore but it is also poorly hinted.

]]> By: Blake Handler http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24030 Blake Handler Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:40:34 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24030 Of course Windows XP users can install the "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2007 File Formats" which also includes the following Windows Vista fonts: Calibri Cambria Candara Consolas Constantia Corbel http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en Blake Handler Microsoft MVP http://bhandler.spaces.live.com Of course Windows XP users can install the “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2007 File Formats” which also includes the following Windows Vista fonts:

Calibri
Cambria
Candara
Consolas
Constantia
Corbel

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941B3470-3AE9 -4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

Blake Handler
Microsoft MVP
http://bhandler.spaces.live.com

]]> By: Lex http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24016 Lex Tue, 20 Mar 2007 23:36:22 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-24016 The reason was given on a Channel 9 video a long time back; if recollection serves the C was for the Clear type team. I agree though it's a pain remembering which is which (with the possible exception of the nicely named Consolas). The reason was given on a Channel 9 video a long time back; if recollection serves the C was for the Clear type team. I agree though it’s a pain remembering which is which (with the possible exception of the nicely named Consolas).

]]> By: fracturex http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23986 fracturex Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:19:43 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23986 tino, wow. after closely looking at it I see it too. good eyes is all I can say. very interesting... tino, wow. after closely looking at it I see it too. good eyes is all I can say. very interesting…

]]> By: Zim http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23955 Zim Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:58:30 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23955 I was thinking the same as JZ... Why all the fonts start with "C"? I was thinking the same as JZ… Why all the fonts start with “C”?

]]> By: tino http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23931 tino Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:13:41 +0000 http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070320/wheres-cariadings/#comment-23931 Don't know, Long. But I know that Calibri is really beautiful and its great that this is one of the default fonts in Office 2007. Did someone else realised, that the capital "W" of the new Frutig.... uhm Segoe UI renders a little bit too heavy in windows title bars? Just compare it with the "M" in Windows Media Player. Bad hinting! Don’t know, Long. But I know that Calibri is really beautiful and its great that this is one of the default fonts in Office 2007.

Did someone else realised, that the capital “W” of the new Frutig…. uhm Segoe UI renders a little bit too heavy in windows title bars? Just compare it with the “M” in Windows Media Player. Bad hinting!

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