“Of Mice and Megabytes Supplement”

MAKE YOUR DOCUMENTS STAND OUT FROM THE ORDINARY
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My last column dealt with addressing envelopes using Microsoft Word 2000. (Thank you Grace M. and MKK for your complimentary comments.) This week I raise the question: Would you like your documents to stand-out from the rest?

How? Simple. Try using a font other than Times Roman. Microsoft Word and various other applications use Times Roman as the default type face. Meaning, if you don’t consciously choose another font, you’ll end up with Times Roman. Unfortunately, most people don’t, thereby thrusting Times Roman into the ordinary and commonplace. It’s even boring.

Fonts play a key role in conveying the mood and feeling behind the writing. A light, breezy font like Tekton or Comic Sans is perfect for informal notes to friends. For technical information, try Helvetica or Arial. Bear in mind, different fonts have different functions. Some are designed for readability in blocks of text (i.e., books, newspapers, etc.) while others are intended for use in headlines or titles. A font like Broadway would be appropriate for use in a title, but not as the body of a document.

Let’s apply this to addressing envelopes. Try Arial for the recipient’s address (for its readability). But as for your return address, be creative: try Viner Hand, High Tower Text, or Top Hat.

To assist in selecting type faces, you can optionally preview the fonts in their actual appearance. For the PC version of Microsoft Word: Select “Tools” from the menu, then “Customize.” Click on the “Options” tab, then select “List font names in their font.” Click “Close.” You’ll probably experience a noticeable slowdown when selecting a font from the drop down list. If it’s objectionable, simply turn off the option.

For the Mac version: Select "Tools" from the menu, then "Customize." Click on the “Toolbars” tab. In the “Categories” box, scroll down to “Fonts” and a listing of fonts will appear next to the Categories box. At the bottom of the dialog box, a box will display the font names in their actual font. Select “List font names in their font.” Click “Close.”

In choosing type faces, bear in mind this golden rule: If the document can’t be read easily, try another font.

Re-printed from the Rafu Shimpo, March 2002. Copyright©2002 Rafu Shimpo. All rights reserved.