Go to font??

[Bruce Dorworth]

Is there a go to font that you use?? Every time I do a project I scroll through all the fonts and try and find one that might look pleasing. To agrivate the matter I have NO artistic ability, so I thought I would post the question .........

Favorite script font..

Favorite fancy font...

Favorite all around font...

Lately I have been using the font named Jester for all around font. That should tell you something.

Bruce

[Martin Boekers]

95% of what I do is Times New Roman, It's easier to stick with a basic font unless they request a different one for me.

[Dee Gallo]

I also use Times almost all the time, although the second most commonly used is Copperplate Bold. Script or fancy fonts depend on the job so there is no favorite.

~ dee

[Bruce Dorworth]

This is good to know. I appreciate the info!!! Lets hear from more artists.

Thanks,
Bruce

[matthew knott]

Another vote for times new roman, i think there to many fonts, the world and my life would be much better if there where only 10 fonts !!!

[Scott Shepherd]

I hate Times New Roman! Why? Because cutting and weeding it in vinyl can be a real bear. Those tiny serifs on small letters are a nightmare to deal with. I like the look of it, but a lot of what we do is engraved, then vinyl applications as well, so I try not to use it.

I've used Minion Pro- Semi-bold for a few years now. It's a really nice font for engraving (and vinyl work).

[Michael Hunter]

Customer's No 1 favourite for glass picture frames is Deloise with Andalus a poor second.
Favourite for boat names (engraved and vinyl) is Souvenir.

My favourite fancy/title typeface used to be Monotype Corsiva, but that is now grossly overused here in the UK and has become "common".

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

It really depends upon what you are engraving and who it is for. I use a lot of Helvetica for my customers because they need something easy to read and somewhat industrial. I also use Souvenir a lot. While I personally do not like either, I have a lot of customers want Park Avenue and Saginaw Script aka Laramie Pro when they want something fancy or casual.

[Hilton Lister]

I almost never use Times NR, preferring something like Old Centurion in it's place. To my eye the spacing in capitals is not so hot with TNR. Why limit yourself? We use a rotary engraver, Laser engraver,
sand blasting, sublimation and printing. Different fonts for different moods you are trying to convey. Casual message, Bickley Script, Murray Hill Bold. More Formal for Weddings etc, Snell, Shelleys or similar. (Script MT Bold for Sand blasting 'cos it's easy to weed) Trophy Titles, Roman types, Clarendon, Titania. Amherst, all different weights for different shaped plates. Non serif fonts for electrical labelling. There are thousands of fonts
available, and I'm always looking for something different. Just got to be sure that the customer can easily recognise the letters. Even then, I've had disputes over certain Initials. Script "I" & "J' spring to mind.

Half the fun is in the creativeness of the work. Goodness knows how I would have survived over 50 years in the trade, if it wasn't so.

[Jiten Patel]

We use thousands of typefaces, is all types of variations. We have a typeface list we send to our clients of our "favourites" for them to choose from. Love Copperplate light rather than bold. As we do stationery, script is very important. Love Bickham Script 2, Aphrodite Slim and my new favourite is Burgess Script - absolutely incredible typeface when used with glyphs.

An echo on what everyone else has said, depends on the job and the clients preference.

Here's a question, something I have never looked into - if as Hilton mentioned, you do not like certain characters in a typeface and want to change them permanently, how would you go about doing that?

[Mike Null]

My first rule is to try to use a common font that other engravers will have an easy time matching. I always use Arial/Arial narrow for my labels. I don't often use scripts but I like Bickley, I use Castle T and Bookman Old Style.

[David Fairfield]

TNR is stodgy, with all the charm of a legal brief. I really like Go Long, Century Gothic, Arial and Helvetica. Dafont.com has Go Long, possibly also Century Gothic.

Dave

[Michael Hunter]

My first rule is to try to use a common font that other engravers will have an easy time matching.

You must be the only person in the whole world who thinks this way!

Everything that I have tried to match has had obscure expensive fonts, been distorted or even had characters from a different font inserted just to make life more interesting.

[Mike Null]

Michael

My reason exactly for trying to do this. I've fought that battle many times. I'm trying to help my customers even though they won't ever know about it.

I doubt that I have over 20-30 years left in this business given that I'm 75 so I'm trying to make it easy for the next guy.;)

[Hilton Lister]

I must be quite a nasty guy! I try to make it difficult for others to match my work!

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Here's a question, something I have never looked into - if as Hilton mentioned, you do not like certain characters in a typeface and want to change them permanently, how would you go about doing that?

I have done this many times where I didn't like a character in a typeface. For some typefaces, I found very similar fonts and replaced the "bad" characters with ones I liked from another typeface. For others, I have converted the font to curves and manually edited it such as making the dangle in the "y" not so long. For fonts I like to use all the time, but dislike something about a certain character, I will edit that font using a font editing program and save it under a new name such as 'Arial2' or 'Roman2' and use my edited font instead.

[Robert Tepper]

I use so many different fonts. Ariel works great for labels. I don't manufacture awards and trophies, most of my work is rubber stamps and Franklin Gothic is usually my go to font.

[Tony Daurio]

I'm a Corel user. For text I usually use Aldine 721 or Zapf Calligraphic. Recipient names in Arrus Bold, Century751, or Zapf Humanist Bold.
Scripts are usually Snell bold or Edwardian Script. Sans Serif is usually Futura. I try to stay away from the Old English if possible.

[Mike Null]

Tony

Good choices. I also like those fonts. I don't like Old English but there are times when nothing else will do.

[Jeff Belany]

I'm another one who hates Times Roman. I love fonts -- favorites: Tiffany, Black Chancery, Lydian & Lydian Cursive, Goudy (esp. Handtooled), Souvenir, Windsor, Zaft Chancery. Love outline and inline fonts. Of course use a lot of Arial Bold & Black. I have more fonts on my computer than anyone really needs. Subscribe to a site that send out hundreds a month -- most are garbage but I scan through them anyway and have a save fonts folder where I stick anything interesting. I should delete the rest but with TB drives so cheap it's easier just to keep them just in case.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

[Hilton Lister]

Mike, Try some of the Kingthings fonts. Good Substitutes for Old English. Much more readable.

[Chuck Stone]

lately I've been doing a lot of monograms. One customer sent me Colonna and i took a pic
of the result. Since then, about 90% of the monograms have been with that font.
Not sure why.. maybe just because they saw it. Doesn't seem like anything special.

i also use TNR, Arial, Helvetica a lot. Script is often English157 (almost like English, not Old English)
and lately everyone is asking for Gabriola. It might be the *new* Monotype Corsiva