Installing And Uninstalling Free Fonts

If you do find that you wish to uninstall a font, you can simply go to the Free Fonts folder and delete the unwanted fonts. A better idea might be to move the font file to another folder. This will keep the font from loading but will not remove the font information from the Registry. Should you want the font back, then it is a simple matter of putting the file back into the Fonts folder.

The fonts that come with Windows or that other software programs install are by no means the only fonts that you can use. To augment the fonts that come with Windows, there is a coterie of font fanatics who love nothing better than Design Tutorials new fonts, some of which are freely available on the Web. Many others are for sale. Once they start adding new fonts, some people seem to find it hard to stop. Anyway, there are many sites on the Web for obtaining new fonts and getting information about fonts (sidebar).

Windows has support for a number of modern languages but if you need fonts in more esoteric languages, the Yamada Language Center Font Archive has fonts from many non-Western languages (and some very Western ones like Cherokee and Cree) not to mention Gaelic, Old German, Slavonic, and more.

To install or reinstall a font go to the Fonts folder, either through Control Panel or by opening Windows\Fonts. In the "File" menu, select "Install New Free Fonts". A dialog box will open. Select the drive and the folder where the new font file is located. A list of any font files that are found in the indicated location will appear under the "List of fonts" heading. Highlight the desired font and check "Copy fonts to Fonts folder". To select multiple fonts, hold down the Control key and highlight all desired fonts. Click "OK".

The procedures for installing and uninstalling fonts are also given in this Microsoft Knowledge Base Article.

If you use fonts that are not standard in Windows, keep in mind that documents or Web pages that you prepare with these Free Fonts may look nifty on your machine but will probably have a different appearance on any system lacking any special fonts you use.

Clear Type

In Windows XP, Microsoft introduced some new technology called Clear Type. It is designed primarily for LCD displays and is therefore mostly applicable to notebooks and to desktops using flat panel displays. It improves font display resolution and screen readability for this type of display. Some people claim that it helps regular CRT monitors also but I could see no effect when I tried it on my CRT. (Of course, my eyesight isn't too good.)

• To turn Clear Type on:
• Right click on the desktop and select "Properties".
• Select the "Appearance" tab and click the button "Effects…".
• Put a check in the box next to the words "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" and select "Clear Type" from the drop down box.
• Close the Effects dialog by clicking "OK" and click "Apply".
• Microsoft also has a Web site where you can turn Clear Type on and go through a configuration process for the best settings.