Text Aliasing and Anti-Aliasing

Picking a font style is important. Should it be a “safe” font, a professional font, a bold font, etc.? Any font style needs to display well and anti-aliasing is a big part of that. So, what is anti-aliasing?

antialiasing-2

The simple description of anti-aliasing is that it makes fonts display with smooth curves and angles, not jagged, low res looking edges. So if “anti-aliased ” is smooth, the opposite, hard edged fonts would make sense to be called “aliased.” However, the better term is “bit-mapped.”

Here’s a visual showing Aliased and Anti-Aliased Text:

Aliased (Jagged, Hard Edges):

text_03

Anti-Aliased (Smooth Edges):

text_07

The good news is PowerPoint applies anti-aliasing to text (which has not always been the case). But it is applied when in slide show. Objects and text may appear to have jagged edges (aliased) when editing. Anti-aliasing is also applied when printing, but through a different ‘engine’ than when presented. So, when running as a slideshow, everything is smooth, when printing, everything is (almost always smooth), when editing, it may not look as smooth.

In addition, Microsoft Windows OS has its own term and feature for anti-aliasing called ClearType. ClearType is basically Microsoft’s technology for doing anti-aliasing and making fonts have nice smooth curves and angles. ClearType is currently used by web browsers (all web browsers) and the operating system dialogs. But not Microsoft Office at this time.

On PowerPoint, when using the PowerPoint web app it is viewed through a browser for editing and slideshow. So, all text is anti-aliased in both views because the Microsoft ClearType works with all major web browsers.

So, should you be worried about anti-aliasing or smooth fonts with PowerPoint? Yes, it is a concern, but with Windows 10 and PowerPoint 2007-2010-2013-2016 all fonts display anti-aliased in slideshow – and I can attest to being happy with text that is projected 20′ tall is HD is smooth and looks good (with the caveat that there is room for it to be better!).

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:14:06-07:00May 13th, 2016|Resource/Misc|

How to Install Custom Fonts

Custom fonts can make a presentation unique, dynamic, align with corporate branding and many other fantastic things. But if a custom font is not installed on the device being used to show the presentation, the presentation may fail visually.

CustomFonts-1

If your presentation is using a custom font, here is an overview on how to get that font installed on all the main device types – if it is possible to install.

Windows Desktop OS

custom-fonts-2

Installing a custom font is a simple process on Windows.

Option 1: Select Install

Confirm the font files are copied to the computer (not on a portable drive or network folder). Right-Click the font file and select > Install. Windows will do everything and the font is now available to all programs on that computer.

custom-fonts-3

Option 2: Drop and Drag into Fonts Folder

Manually copy font files into the Windows Fonts folder. When a font file is copied into the Windows Font Folder it is automatically installed.

Windows 10: To see what fonts are installed, go to the Windows icon> Settings > type “Fonts” in the search bar on the top right. Your fonts folder should open, displaying currently installed fonts. Drag-and-drop, or copy/paste, font files to be installed.

Win XP, 7 and Win 8.1: To see what fonts are installed, go to Windows Start > Control Panel > Fonts, this will take you to a list of all fonts installed on your PC. Drag-and-drop, or copy/paste, font files to be installed.

custom-fonts-9

A few notes about PowerPoint using custom fonts on Windows:

PowerPoint (all versions) can only recognize TrueType (TTF) and OpenType (OTF) formats.
PowerPoint needs to be opened, or restarted, AFTER the custom font is installed. If a font is installed while PowerPoint is open, it will not show up in the font list until PowerPoint is restarted.

Mac OS

custom-fonts-3

Option 1

Double-click the font file to open a dialog fonts displaying the font. Click “Install Font” button.

custom-fonts-13

Option 2

Launch Font Book, a Mac OS application. This displays all fonts on the computer. Choose Add Fonts from the file menu and select the font you want to install.

custom-fonts-12

A few notes about PowerPoint and Keynote using custom fonts on the Mac OS:

PowerPoint and Keynote can use TrueType (TTF), OpenType (OTF), and PostScript (PS) formats.
The Mac OS fonts cannot be used on Windows computers.
PowerPoint needs to be opened, or restarted, AFTER the custom font is installed. If a font is installed while PowerPoint is open, it will not show up in the font list until it is restarted.
Keynote dynamically recognizes newly installed custom fonts and are immediately available without restarting the app

iOS on iPad and iPhone

custom-fonts-15

Custom fonts can be download and installed, but not all apps can use/see the custom fonts.
iOS uses TrueType (.TTF) and OpenType (.OTF) fonts.
PowerPoint for IOS installs with selection of preset “safe” fonts that are available on all platforms.
Microsoft has recently implemented a new dynamic font library that will download and install additional fonts if they are used in a presentation. The presentation opens and if the font is not currently installed on the iOS device, a substitute font is automatically used. Then in the background, if the device has online access, the additional fonts are downloaded, installed and the presentation is dynamically updated to use the fonts. So a slide with a font not currently installed (but a Microsoft font) may initially display with a font substitution, and while you are looking at it, change to the correct font that has been downloaded and added to PowerPoint’s font library.
The dynamically installed fonts on iOS are only “Office compatible” fonts, or fonts from Microsoft. So true custom fonts, non-Microsoft fonts, are not available.
Keynote application uses the preset fonts installed with IOS. Third party apps can be used to install other fonts onto the IOS device, which are then available to Keynote.

Android and Chromebooks

custom-fonts-20

Android uses TrueType (.TTF) and OpenType (.OTF) font formats.
The Android OS is similar to IOS, it has preset fonts installed. There are several addon apps that allow additional fonts to be installed.
One confusing thing when talking about fonts for Android is they have a font named “Android” and another named “Droid”, but other fonts are available. what happens when other fonts are used in a presentation – I will send details when I get them so you can add to post)
PowerPoint for Android installs with selection of preset “safe” fonts that are available on all platforms.
Microsoft has recently implemented a new dynamic font library that will download and install additional fonts if they are used in a presentation. The presentation opens and if the font is not currently installed on the Android device, a substitute font is automatically used. Then in the background, if the device has online access, the additional fonts are downloaded, installed and the presentation is dynamically updated to use the fonts. So a slide with a font not currently installed (but a Microsoft font) may initially display with a font substitution, and while you are looking at it, change to using the correct font that has been downloaded and added to PowerPoints font library.

Windows Mobile Phone

Windows 10 Mobile installs with a preset list of fonts.
Additional fonts cannot be installed on Windows 10 Mobile beyond those provided with the OS and the ones apps add.
Microsoft has recently implemented a new dynamic font library that will download and install additional fonts if they are used in a presentation. The presentation opens and if the font is not currently installed on the Win10 Mobile device, a substitute font is automatically used. Then in the background, if the device has online access, the additional fonts are downloaded, installed and the presentation is dynamically updated to use the fonts. So a slide with a font not currently installed (but a Microsoft font) may initially display with a font substitution, and while you are looking at it, change to using the correct font that has been downloaded and added to PowerPoint’s font library.
The dynamically installed fonts on iOS are only “Office compatible” fonts, or fonts from Microsoft. So true custom fonts, non-Microsoft fonts, are not available.

Prezi

custom-fonts-14

Prezi is not a device, but because it can be used on all devices listed, here is basic overview of font use by Prezi.

Prezi uses preset fonts from its own font library. All of the Prezi fonts are mapped to common Microsoft fonts (for example, Prezi’s Arimo font, maps to Arial)
If the desktop version of Prezi is used, custom fonts can be used, but only on desktop Prezi and it can be tricky to have Prezi recognize the custom, non-Prezi, True-Type fonts.
Prezi uses .Keg (Prezi’s own font format) and TrueType (.TTF) Fonts.
A nice option is the ability to install the full Prezi font library on your computer if desired. Here is a tutorial on the process: https://prezibase.com/how-to-use-custom-fonts-in-prezi-tutorial/

PowerPoint Web App

custom-fonts-16

The online version of PowerPoint can be used on all devices in a web browser. PowerPoint online is basically the same story as Windows 10 Mobile – it has a list of preset fonts and no additional fonts can be added to the list. But Microsoft has expanded list with additional fonts as this variation of PowerPoint has matured.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:15:24-07:00May 9th, 2016|Resource/Misc, Tutorial|

Can I Use Google Fonts?

PowerPoint and Google Fonts:

Professional fonts that display great in presentation apps (PowerPoint, Keynote, Adobe apps, etc.).
The ENTIRE library is FREE!
Primarily for web use and designed to dynamically load when a website or web-connected app uses them (so they do not need to be installed on a device to be used. Unfortunately both PowerPoint and Keynote are not able to leverage the web-based dynamic use of Google Fonts).
Can be downloaded as actual font files, installed on any computer, and both PowerPoint and Keynote can use them.
A few considerations about using locally installed Google Fonts in PowerPoint and Keynote:
- get previous post details.

Details about Google Fonts

Google describes their font collection as “hundreds of free, open-source fonts optimized for the web.”
They have 708 font “families” (a Family is one typeface with several styles).
Find them here.
The online Google Fonts viewer has some great features, that can be used on any device. All fonts are displayed with a sample sentence that you can change to be any test. There are also options to see fonts used in a sample paragraph, a single word or very large in poster size text (good example for presentation callouts).
The ENTIRE library can be downloaded!
- Use the down arrow icon in upper right of webpage to download Google Fonts to your computer.
- Optionally, fonts.com has the SkyFonts app which works with Google Fonts and works similar to the Adobe Typekit. It will sync selected fonts to any computer that has the SkyFonts app installed. Go to it here.
- Download the library at GitHub here.

GoogleFonts-3

So, should Google Fonts be a part of your workflow?

Adding Google Fonts to your presentations is a good option, assuming you are prepared for managing Custom Fonts in a presentation and assuring everyone has knowledge of how to install custom fonts on a computer, has web access to get the font to install, and is prepared for things not displaying as designed if not installed. The other consideration is, do you need another font option? With our internal library of thousands of custom fonts, and the addition of Adobe Typekit providing its thousands of fonts to our design options, too many options can be more to manage and may provide more design options that are not really needed. But, Google Fonts is a great resource every presentation designer has available if needed.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:17:06-07:00May 6th, 2016|Resource/Misc, Tutorial|

Using Adobe Typekit Fonts

Adobe Typekit is a combination between an online tool that previews fonts and an installer that adds them to a computer. Adobe TypeKit is included with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions.

Adobe TypeKit -1

Can Presentation Apps Use Adobe Typekit Fonts?

Yes, if we are talking about desktop PowerPoint and Keynote. Once the Adobe Typekit font is selected and synced to the computer, the font is available in other applications. At TLC, we use PowerPoint for Windows and Mac and Apple Keynote – we can confirm Typekit fonts are available for all of them. Note: PowerPoint may need to be restarted for the font to become available in the font menu.

Adobe Typekit	Windows	Mac
PowerPoint	YES	YES
Keynote	N/A	YES

HOW TO FIND AND INSTALL ADOBE TYPEKIT FONTS

Adobe Typekit is a hybrid app that is web-based, and can also be viewed through the Adobe Creative Cloud app and most Adobe applications (PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.). For our example, we are looking at Typekit through a web browser, which has the most options. Select the font to use in your presentation by going through the font library, select by clicking +USE FONTS (there are a lot of ways to view and search for fonts, and there are thousands of fonts).

This is where things get a bit confusing. There are two options for using the font: (1) Web Sync, which will make the font available for web use (ie. a website), or (2) Creative Cloud Sync, which will make the font available for use in Desktop apps on a computer. We are installing fonts to a computer for use in PowerPoint.

adobe typekit

After selecting fonts and use, click SYNC SELECTED FONTS and they will be installed on the computer.

adobe typekit sync

The Creative Cloud Desktop application will open and prompt you to add fonts from Typekit. Below that is a list of all Adobe Typekit fonts currently available.

adobe typekit -1

PowerPoint and Adobe Typekit

All Adobe Typekit fonts can be used by PowerPoint on both Windows and Mac, but there are some considerations:

PowerPoint needs to be started AFTER fonts are installed, or the new fonts will note show up in the font list.
Typekit fonts are considered “custom fonts” and will need to be installed on any computer that is going to show the presentation.
Only a computer that has Adobe Creative Cloud installed and has an active user account logged in to an Adobe CC account is going to be able to sync and install Typekit fonts.
PowerPoint will not warn you that fonts are missing, nor will it tell you where the fonts are from (So an end user needs to look at the font list for missing fonts and know they are Typekit fonts that they can install. TIP: Add a hidden slide or off-slide note about custom fonts and where to find them to help other users).
Typekit fonts installed on a computer are not actual files that can be accessed and copied to other computers.

Keynote and Adobe Typekit

All Adobe Typekit fonts can be used by Keynote, but there are some considerations: Keynote dynamically recognizes newly installed fonts, so there’s no need to restart it after fonts are installed (great!).

Adobe Typekit fonts are considered “custom fonts” and will need to be installed on any computer that is going to show the presentation.
Only a computer that has Adobe Creative Cloud installed and has an active user account logged in to an Adobe CC account is going to be able to sync and install Adobe Typekit fonts.
Adobe Typekit fonts installed on a computer are not actual files that can be accessed and copied to other computers.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:17:25-07:00May 4th, 2016|Resource/Misc, Software/Add-Ins, Tutorial|

Fonts You Can and Can’t Use in PowerPoint

With the millions of designs available, fonts have the ability to make text display anywhere from serious to fun.

Fonts_1

Fonts are separate files that must be installed on each device the custom font is needed. There are Microsoft Fonts, Adobe Creative Cloud Typekit, Google Web Fonts, custom fonts from Font Foundries and websites everywhere – but what is a presentation to use? When selecting fonts, you are selecting physical files.

For example, in PowerPoint, all fonts shown in the font drop down menu are actually individual files installed on that computer (TIP: If there is not an “O” or “TT” icon next to a font, it is not installed on that computer and is not going to display as designed). So first, let’s overview the common types of fonts that can installed.

font-type-3

OpenType

font_types-1

In the history of digital fonts, OpenType is the newest format, with applications adopting its use around the 2,000’s. The extension for OpenType fonts is .OTF and in PowerPoint’s drop down font list, OTF fonts are identified by a large “O” icon. One advantage of OpenType fonts over others is the font file format provides more typographic design options which means more symbols/glyphs/language support/display options. The greater display options (OpenType does not have one display method, but the ability to use legacy display standards and new display standards) mean it is the font file format of choice for newer devices and OS’s – think mobile everything.

Fun Fact: OpenType is a registered trademark of Microsoft, and was developed because Microsoft was unable to license Mac’s “GX Typography” system. Microsoft and Adobe partnered to develop OpenType. Get the full history of OpenType development at this wiki page.

TrueType

font_types-2

TrueType is still the most common font file type. The extension for TrueType is .TTF and in the PowerPoint font drop down, TrueType fonts are identified with a “TT” icon. True Type is older (than OpenType), a bit less robust when it comes to designing and displaying fonts, but it is the dominant font format used – partially because it is less expensive to license.

Fun Fact: Apple was the first to use TrueType in its 1991 OS with 4 fonts (Times Roman, Helvetica, Courier, Pi), which is originally licensed to Microsoft for free. Full history of TrueType development at this Wiki page.

PostScript

The last font file format for this discussion is our oldest digital font format, which is the most complex. PostScript fonts are actually 2 files. One is for the onscreen display and the other is used for printing where it literally outlines every letter and symbol sent to the printer. The extension is .PS, and PowerPoint does not support PostScript fonts – so we do not see them in the font drop down menu, even if they are installed on the computer. What makes PostScript fonts important for today’s presentations is PostScript fonts were the first font technology to use mathematical computation to dynamically redraw fonts with vector Bezier curve to allow fonts to be any size. PostScript fonts were also the first to contain multiple character sets (ie. multiple languages).

Fun Fact 1: I remember working with PostScript fonts as the only solution for high quality graphic design and typographic work – and spending huge amounts to buy a custom font for projects.

Fun Fact 2: Printers used to be “PostScript-Ready,” meaning the printer actually had PostScript processing built into it.

Fun Fact 3: Adobe developed Type 1 and Type 3 fonts, which are PostScript file types, back in 1984! There was an earlier Type 0 before those, and development with Type 3-4-5-up to 42 (which was introduced in 2010). Full history of PostScript development at this Wiki page.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:18:10-07:00May 2nd, 2016|Resource/Misc, Tutorial|

Replace Font Dialog Update

Back on October 10, I did a post about a key feature missing in PowerPoint 2013 “Replace Font Dialog, PowerPoint 2010 vs. 2013.” Unfortunately, no solution has been added to PowerPoint 2013, the font type icons are still missing.

PowerPoint 2010 has font type icons (with no icon indicating the font is not installed on the computer):[br]
ReplaceFont-2010

PowerPoint 2013 does not have the font type icons:
ReplaceFont-2013

One area I did not include in the original post – and the reason for this post – is that the font type icons have not been completely removed from PowerPoint 2013. The font type icons can be seen in the Font drop down menu on the Home tab.[br]

Font_icon_1

That’s all. Just a clarification to the earlier post. Hopefully in the near future I can do another post on this same topic showing that the font type icons have been restored to the Replace Fonts dialog.

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T09:14:24-07:00December 19th, 2014|Resource/Misc|

Replace Font Dialog, PowerPoint 2010 vs. 2013

PowerPoint is very weak in the area of font management. One of the few features PowerPoint does offer, Replace Font, has unfortunately become even less useful in PowerPoint 2013.

Here is the Replace Font dialog in PowerPoint 2010 (it remains the same for PowerPoint 2003 and 2007):

ReplaceFont-2010

Note that the drop down menu provides some good information. It indicates the type of font (True Type, Open Type, etc.) and if the font is not installed on the computer (indicated by a “?” next to the font name).

Here is the Replace Font dialog in PowerPoint 2013:

ReplaceFont-2013

The drop down menu no longer displays any of the icons indicating format and if missing from computer (arghh!).

Hopefully I will be able to update this post in the future with a note that Microsoft has returned these features to the dialog (or better, they have implemented new features to provide true font management!).

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T09:24:33-07:00October 10th, 2014|Resource/Misc|

Does PowerPoint Know I Need a Font?

There are dozens, actually 1,000s, of ways to display your ABC’s. Font styles are created to display each letter in unique ways. Microsoft supplies a set of fonts with Office. Adobe supplies many fonts with the Creative Suite (now Creative Cloud) software packages. And there are many ways to download and add custom fonts to your computer.

If you use a custom font in a presentation, and that custom font is not installed on the computer that is viewing the presentation, a font default – or substitution – is used. We cannot control which font is used as the default and we cannot guarantee what the slide will look like with the default font in use.

PowerPoint has a few tools to help with this situation. The tools are not extensive, and definitely do not do enough to aid us users in identifying font issues and resolving font issues.

The first step is to identify if PowerPoint is using fonts on the computer or substituting fonts. The tool is very simple, and simplistic. Select a text box, then on the home tab click the font selection drop down. In this menu, each font has 1 of 3 icon options to the left of the font name.

1. The Open Type icon is a large stylized “O.”
2. The True Type icon is two letter “T”s overlapping.
3. NO ICON, just blank space, lets you know PowerPoint recognizes a font is needed, but it is not installed on this computer. When there is no icon, PowerPoint is substituting that font with a default font (of its choice).

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T10:28:04-07:00July 22nd, 2013|Resource/Misc, Tutorial|

Microsoft Security Update Causes Fonts Not to Display in PowerPoint

I was contacted by another presentation designer yesterday about a really bad presentation issue he experienced after installing Microsoft updates (thanks Don!). Then, a number of other users started posting their issues on MS Answers.com. This is a big deal for many presentation designers!

ISSUE: After installing Microsoft Security Update KB2753842, PowerPoint is unable to display certain fonts.

FONTS AFFECTED: OTF, Open Type Fonts. Microsoft ships TT (True Type) fonts, so all standard Microsoft fonts are unaffected.

WHAT HAPPENS: PowerPoint behaves normal and in edit view, all fonts display fine. When run as a slide show, all Open Type Fonts (OTF) do not display.

FIX:
– Remove Microsoft Security Update KB2753842
– To Remove: Start >> Control Panel >> Unistall a Program >> View Installed Updates(link on left) >> scroll to Microsoft Windows section >> search for “Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB2753842)” >> right click >> select Uninstall >> say “Yes” to confirmation >> restart computer

Update 12/20/12: MS has confirmed “An updated security patch has been released at 10:00am today, fully tested this week by Office teams.” So PPT is once again safe to use.

Update 12/17/12: Earlier note that the update has been pulled is not completely accurate. The update has been ‘pulled’ from the auto install status, but still shows up in the optional installs. If you see it in the optional installs, see note below on how to hide update.

Update 12/16/12: This issue is much larger than only affecting OTF fonts. In PowerPoint and Word (2010), several TTF fonts (you can test with Myriad Pro) will also disappear is any formatting (shadow, outline, bevel, etc.) is applied. This text will actually disappear in the edit view, as well as in slide show. Plus the KB update creates similiar issues in several other applications (Flash, Corel Draw, etc.).

Update 12/15/12: Microsoft has a KB information article on the issues caused by installing KB2753842 here.

Update 12/14/12: ~~Microsoft has confirmed that it has pulled the update~~ and working on a fix. So if you have not installed, it should not show up. If you uninstall, it will not be an option to install again. And if you are in an enterprise environment with automatic group policy updates, it will not reinstall again the next day.

Update 12/14/12: If the update KB2753842 has not installed, but is pending (ie. downloaded automatically, but not automatically installed), it will not show up in the above Uninstall a Program instructions. Launch WINDOWS UPDATE >> view available updates >> if KB2753842 is listed >> Right-click >> select HIDE UPDATE.

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-16T08:54:26-07:00December 13th, 2012|Tutorial|

Web Fonts in Presentations

Web Fonts have been a big topic recently and several companies are offering them. TLC staff designer, Amber, spent some time researching them for us and put together a good overview and example of their use with the Google Web Fonts.

– Troy @ TLC

———————————————–

Web Fonts are a font format with a specific license that permits web designers to use real typography online without losing the benefits of live text (dynamic, searchable, and accessible content). Until recently, type on the web was very limited. Most sites could only display the small selection of system fonts installed on user’s computers. Designers who wanted to integrate individuality to their pages would need to create jpeg images (which don’t get read for Google search results) or use Flash or JavaScript to render their fonts, even though not all end-users had started using that software.

Now, there is a CSS declaration called @font-face that web designers can use to specify a font. The font file will either be saved on your server like images are, or it can be hosted by a third party.
The issue that is still being debated is achieving an approximate consensus on how the producers of fonts could continue to control and therefore profit from their work.

Click here for a list of commercial font foundries which allow @font-face embedding.

Cick here for a list of fonts available for embedding.

Google offers a library of web fonts with no restrictions here.
Plus, all of the Google Web Fonts are offered under the Open Font License which means you can use them even in commercial projects without having to worry about licensing issues.

You can utilize Google’s Web Fonts in your PowerPoint presentations too. Although I am not using it as a true “web” font, but really adding it to my computer as a custom font, here are the steps for use:

1. In the Google Web Font library, select the font you would like to use in your presentation, and select “Add to Collection.”

2. Once you’re done adding fonts to your collection, click the “Download your Collection” link at the top right of the page.

3. A window will pop up letting you know that you don’t need to download the font to use on the web – however, we do need to download to use in PowerPoint, so click the link to download the font collection as a zip file.

4. Once you’ve downloaded and extracted the font file from the zipped folder, you can install the Web Font on your system and use in your PowerPoint presentation. (Note: If you are planning on sharing your presentation, you will need to also provide the font or risk having the font default to a generic font when PowerPoint can’t find the file installed on others’ computers).

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-16T08:55:32-07:00December 5th, 2012|Tutorial|