Author Topic: What font do you like to use for interior?  (Read 4672 times)

guest78

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What font do you like to use for interior?
« on: March 06, 2020, 01:30:37 AM »
What font do you like to use for the body of your books? I usually use Garamond as it's easy on the eyes, but every now and again, I'll think I hate it. Maybe it's the spacing or the size...I don't know. What do you all like?  I'm open to trying something different.
 

Jane Killick

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2020, 03:47:00 AM »
Minion Pro

I did an online design course where they were using this font so I kinda used it by default. Then I experimented with others, but kept coming back to this one. I like it.
 
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feste

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2020, 05:02:15 AM »
For print, I use Palatino Linotype, which I think looks clean and readable.  For ebooks, I don't designate a font, since readers have their own needs.
 
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RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2020, 06:54:26 AM »
It all depends on the book. I am in an Alumina phase at the moment and it's magnificent. Probably the best digitization of Electra. Really a stand up typeface. Plus it works for so many books. Garamond is another one of those good typefaces that can be used for most books. Same with Minion (it's the Caslon of fiction).

What font do you like to use for the body of your books? I usually use Garamond as it's easy on the eyes, but every now and again, I'll think I hate it. Maybe it's the spacing or the size...I don't know. What do you all like?  I'm open to trying something different.

Which Garamond are you using? If it's the one that comes with Word, then yeah, it has some baggage. But using Garamond from Word and not Georgia is a huge step up, so when all else fails.

You might want to give Alegreya a shot. It's a pro typeface available for free. It's really good too.
 
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j tanner

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2020, 07:12:30 AM »
Adobe Garamond.
 
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guest78

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2020, 12:04:26 PM »
It all depends on the book. I am in an Alumina phase at the moment and it's magnificent. Probably the best digitization of Electra. Really a stand up typeface. Plus it works for so many books. Garamond is another one of those good typefaces that can be used for most books. Same with Minion (it's the Caslon of fiction).

What font do you like to use for the body of your books? I usually use Garamond as it's easy on the eyes, but every now and again, I'll think I hate it. Maybe it's the spacing or the size...I don't know. What do you all like?  I'm open to trying something different.

Which Garamond are you using? If it's the one that comes with Word, then yeah, it has some baggage. But using Garamond from Word and not Georgia is a huge step up, so when all else fails.

You might want to give Alegreya a shot. It's a pro typeface available for free. It's really good too.

The Garamond with Word.
 

Shoe

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2020, 12:21:05 PM »
Georgia for text, Helvetica for subtitles and non-chapter headings.
Martin Luther King: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
 

RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2020, 01:43:46 PM »
Georgia for text, Helvetica for subtitles and non-chapter headings.

Georgia was specifically designed for screens. It shouldn't ever be used in print despite what some people claim.


The Garamond with Word.


This is fine for personal use, but if you are using it for print purposes, I recommend giving Alegreya a try. There's also EB Garamond, another free typeface. Use this version https://github.com/georgd/EB-Garamond instead of the one on Google Fonts.
 
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Shoe

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2020, 01:54:43 PM »

Georgia was specifically designed for screens.

Yeah. Aren't Kindles screens? Anyway, in Kindle Create my fonts default to Bookerly. What readers end up with hell if I know. I don't own a Kindle or e-reader of any kind. If I ever do a print I'll go with Bakerville or Palatino.
Martin Luther King: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
 

dgcasey

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2020, 03:37:14 PM »

Georgia was specifically designed for screens.

Yeah. Aren't Kindles screens? Anyway, in Kindle Create my fonts default to Bookerly. What readers end up with hell if I know. I don't own a Kindle or e-reader of any kind. If I ever do a print I'll go with Bakerville or Palatino.

Bookerly is the font Amazon created specifically for the Kindle. You have a couple of other options available in the Settings, but if you don't make a change, you get Bookerly.
I will not forget one line of this, not one day. I will always remember when the Doctor was me.
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RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2020, 10:13:01 AM »

Georgia was specifically designed for screens.

Yeah. Aren't Kindles screens? Anyway, in Kindle Create my fonts default to Bookerly. What readers end up with hell if I know. I don't own a Kindle or e-reader of any kind. If I ever do a print I'll go with Bakerville or Palatino.

Bookerly is the font Amazon created specifically for the Kindle. You have a couple of other options available in the Settings, but if you don't make a change, you get Bookerly.

Bookerly came from Dalton Maag and Bookerly wasn't designed for screens, it was designed specifically for e-ink. If Amazon ever allowed DM to sell Bookerly, I wouldn't pass go before buying it.

In 2013 Georgia got a face lift and is a huge improvement, but without knowing what version someone has of Georgia, it's hard to say it's even a good choice. When it comes to ebooks, I recommend using "serif" and letting the device default to the serif of choice, unless you want to embed a font that can handle multiple devices. Right now there are a few out there, and that number will be increasing going forward, but in all of those cases, I recommend using typefaces from Design Cut bundles because of the extended license. There's a specific typeface from a past bundle that was designed to work with both screens and print and was specifically designed for large bodies of text. Can't remember it off the top of my head, but it's a nice one from my tests.
 
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dgcasey

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2020, 02:04:55 PM »
Right now there are a few out there, and that number will be increasing going forward, but in all of those cases, I recommend using typefaces from Design Cut bundles because of the extended license.

I advocate Garamond or Palatino Linotype. Both of which have free versions, are easy to read and without license.
I will not forget one line of this, not one day. I will always remember when the Doctor was me.
"The Tales of Garlan" title="The Tales of Garlan"
"Into The Wishing Well" title="Into The Wishing Well"
Dave's Amazon Author page | DGlennCasey.com | TheDailyPainter.com
I'm the Doctor by the way, what's your name? Rose. Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!
 

guest78

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2020, 10:39:42 PM »
I'm going to give Palatino a try, see what it looks like on the page.
 

RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2020, 03:18:31 AM »
Palatino Linotype is most definitely not free. If it came bundled with software, it doesn't have a license to embed. If it is a "free" version, it's pirated. Same with Garamond, of which there are many different versions and only EB has an open source license and can legally be embedded in an ebook without needing to pay for an extended license.
 

dgcasey

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2020, 07:50:36 AM »
Palatino Linotype is most definitely not free. If it came bundled with software, it doesn't have a license to embed. If it is a "free" version, it's pirated. Same with Garamond, of which there are many different versions and only EB has an open source license and can legally be embedded in an ebook without needing to pay for an extended license.

That is true. That is why I said there were "free" versions that were free to use without license. In the Garamond family, like you said, you would use the EB varieties. In the Palatino  family you would use something like URW Palladio L, which is open source, free and without license. There is also TeX Gyre Pagella, which is a nice Palatino look alike.

I use Palladio and Pagella, both of which are very nice, clean and easy on the eyes.
I will not forget one line of this, not one day. I will always remember when the Doctor was me.
"The Tales of Garlan" title="The Tales of Garlan"
"Into The Wishing Well" title="Into The Wishing Well"
Dave's Amazon Author page | DGlennCasey.com | TheDailyPainter.com
I'm the Doctor by the way, what's your name? Rose. Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!
 

Marti Talbott

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2020, 10:48:44 AM »
Interesting. I started on Smashwords back when they required New Times Roman 12 and I've never used anything else.  I've haven't really thought about using anything else.
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Thorvald Meyers

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #16 on: March 08, 2020, 12:33:47 PM »
@Marti, I come from the academic world, where it's APA format, Times New Roman 12-point everywhere. I can spot it a mile away. When I read a fiction book in TNR12, it's distracting—like, why is this person ignoring APA or MLA rules? Oh yeah, this is just for fun... So for my own sanity, the last font I would use as a print typeface for my book is Times New Roman.

But I'm an odd bird. I don't know how many other people in the world have the same visceral reaction to Times New Roman. It might be a fine choice. But the world of typefaces and typesetting is deep and rich with nuance. A tasteful choice of typeface will distinguish your book from others and make it a pleasure to read. Even for those who don't realize that the typeface is part of what creates that pleasure. The atmosphere, tone, voice, and/or theme of your work is what determines which subtly-different typeface you might choose. Or which one a pro might recommend—until you are familiar with things like leading, kerning, serifs, etc. and can tell the difference between Georgia and Garamond at a glance, it's a good idea to let a pro make that call for you. This RPatton we're conversing with sounds like he might be able to help you.

(I know just enough to be dangerous, haven't worked as a copysetter since the 1980s!)
 

Marti Talbott

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #17 on: March 08, 2020, 01:14:59 PM »
@Marti, I come from the academic world, where it's APA format, Times New Roman 12-point everywhere. I can spot it a mile away. When I read a fiction book in TNR12, it's distracting—like, why is this person ignoring APA or MLA rules? Oh yeah, this is just for fun... So for my own sanity, the last font I would use as a print typeface for my book is Times New Roman.

But I'm an odd bird. I don't know how many other people in the world have the same visceral reaction to Times New Roman. It might be a fine choice. But the world of typefaces and typesetting is deep and rich with nuance. A tasteful choice of typeface will distinguish your book from others and make it a pleasure to read. Even for those who don't realize that the typeface is part of what creates that pleasure. The atmosphere, tone, voice, and/or theme of your work is what determines which subtly-different typeface you might choose. Or which one a pro might recommend—until you are familiar with things like leading, kerning, serifs, etc. and can tell the difference between Georgia and Garamond at a glance, it's a good idea to let a pro make that call for you. This RPatton we're conversing with sounds like he might be able to help you.

(I know just enough to be dangerous, haven't worked as a copysetter since the 1980s!)

I guess I always thought the font would be changed into whatever the bookseller wanted it to be. I looked at one of my "look inside" and it looks okay to me. What's it suppose to look like? I've never gotten a complaint about font.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #18 on: March 09, 2020, 01:42:51 AM »
@Marti, I come from the academic world, where it's APA format, Times New Roman 12-point everywhere. I can spot it a mile away. When I read a fiction book in TNR12, it's distracting—like, why is this person ignoring APA or MLA rules? Oh yeah, this is just for fun... So for my own sanity, the last font I would use as a print typeface for my book is Times New Roman.

But I'm an odd bird. I don't know how many other people in the world have the same visceral reaction to Times New Roman. It might be a fine choice. But the world of typefaces and typesetting is deep and rich with nuance. A tasteful choice of typeface will distinguish your book from others and make it a pleasure to read. Even for those who don't realize that the typeface is part of what creates that pleasure. The atmosphere, tone, voice, and/or theme of your work is what determines which subtly-different typeface you might choose. Or which one a pro might recommend—until you are familiar with things like leading, kerning, serifs, etc. and can tell the difference between Georgia and Garamond at a glance, it's a good idea to let a pro make that call for you. This RPatton we're conversing with sounds like he might be able to help you.

(I know just enough to be dangerous, haven't worked as a copysetter since the 1980s!)

I guess I always thought the font would be changed into whatever the bookseller wanted it to be. I looked at one of my "look inside" and it looks okay to me. What's it suppose to look like? I've never gotten a complaint about font.

An epub will always default to the device unless you have set a default with the CSS. Then the device will default to your default, assuming it's on the device (hence embedding). Except for Kindles, which always default to Bookerly no matter what default you set in the CSS.

Bookerly is an amazing typeface design that would probably be amazing in Print, but it's proprietary. I have a ripped copy and have played around with it and it looks amazing, but I wouldn't ever consider actually using it. It does have a close cousin in the wild, Literata by Type Together and commissioned by Google (they have a similar brief).

If you are publishing to Apple, you can use New York (also similar). The problem with New York is it can only be used for items on Apple and I don't think you can embed the font. Vellum could theoretically use it.

Athelas is another from Type Together, commissioned by Apple, but it has a commercial release available.

As far as TNR goes, it's a good typeface. It's good for a pocket paberbacks or books with a trim size under 4 inches in width because it's such a narrow typeface and columns are narrow enough. The reason APA uses TNR isn't because journals publish with it or because it's brilliant in print (it's not), but because it's a standard that almost everyone has a version of. But for fiction (both epubs and print) there are much better typefaces available than TNR.
 
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Gessert Books

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #19 on: March 09, 2020, 09:12:18 AM »
Right now there are a few out there, and that number will be increasing going forward, but in all of those cases, I recommend using typefaces from Design Cut bundles because of the extended license.

I advocate Garamond or Palatino Linotype. Both of which have free versions, are easy to read and without license.

Palatino has the added benefit that most Zapf-designed typefaces work well together, so it's easy to choose complements such as e.g. Optima for chapter heads.
 
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guest78

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2020, 03:20:47 AM »
I love the look of Palatino. It's very easy on the eyes. Nice spacing. However. My quotes are now straight quotes. Is that part of Palatino? I tried to change it, but it didn't work. This is in Word.
 

Gessert Books

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2020, 04:02:41 AM »
Palatino's curly quotes don't curl, IIRC; but they should still angle in.

Edit: doublechecked and it seems I was wrong, my cut of Palatino does indeed curl, it's just subtler than e.g. Garamond.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2020, 04:05:46 AM by Gessert Books »
 

RPatton

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2020, 04:29:18 AM »
Palatino has somewhat of a spikey look to it and this is obvious in the double quotes that tend to look like oblique straight quotes (Palatino BQ and Palatino LT). Palatino Nova (which is closer to Zaph's design) has a slight curve to the quotes, but it's not obvious. Aldus, also designed by Zaph, has a similar oblique straight quote for its smart quotes.

Trump Medieval has more of a curl, but isn't a Zaph design, although Trump is considered a Zaph contemporary.

Now, I'm not one to recommend system defaults because I think there are better options available and the typefaces that come with Word are great for word processing, but maybe not for formatting purposes. However, Book Antiqua is a rip off of Palatino done by Monotype. When Monotype acquired Linotype it kind of stopped being a rip off sort of.
 

guest78

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Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #23 on: March 11, 2020, 05:12:26 AM »
I looked at Book Antiqua and liked it.
 

spin52

Re: What font do you like to use for interior?
« Reply #24 on: April 09, 2020, 01:33:15 AM »
I use Book Antiqua for my title page and listing the other books in the series, and TNR for the body text.
     


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