• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Smart phone, gadget and computer tutorials

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About

Screen Font

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Mel Hawthorne

A screen font is half of a pair – it pairs with a print font. Where the print font is the one that is installed and stored on a printer, the screen font is the one that is shown on the monitor. The two are identical in appearance, but not the same – a screen font is installed on the computer and mimics what the user will see once a document is printed on paper. Commonly, bitmapped fonts are used as screen fonts.

 

Technipages Explains Screen Font

These are fonts that are made up of individual dots that form each of the characters. On standard-resolution monitors, screen fonts show exactly what a print copy will show. As modern laser printers are somewhat limited in resolution to about 4800 dots per inch or dpi, that means that at an overly high screen resolution, what is shown on the screen will slightly differ from what would be visible on a printed page.

In order to improve the accuracy of the match between screen and print font, several type software programs were developed. Examples include Microsoft’s ClearType, Adobe’s Type Manager, and the joint Apple-Microsoft project TrueType. Each of these programs served the same purpose, and by now, versions of them are integrated into just about every operating system out there – to the benefit of the users. Screen fonts are part of what is called a WYSIWYG editor – What You See Is What You Get. Of course, not just fonts match what an editor prints later – images and layouts do as well. Those elements, along with the screen fonts the user chooses make up the entirety of the document both pre- and post-print.

Common Uses of Screen Font

  • Screen fonts are installed on the computer that displays them, unlike print fonts.
  • Different screen fonts can be of different types – both bitmapped and scalable fonts are possible.
  • While a screen font is supposed to match its print font exactly, at overly huge screen resolutions, this is no longer possible.

Common Misuses of Screen Font

  • A screen font is a web exclusive font that can’t be printed.

You Might Also Like

  • Windows: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen
    Windows: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen
  • macOS: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen
    macOS: Bring Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen
  • How to Customize Font on Android
    How to Customize Font on Android
  • How to Identify the Font from an Image
    How to Identify the Font from an Image
  • How to Change the Font in Google Chrome
    How to Change the Font in Google Chrome
  • Change Font Size in Windows 10
    Change Font Size in Windows 10
  • Google Font Options for Galaxy S10+
    Google Font Options for Galaxy S10+
  • Microsoft Teams: How to Increase Font Size
    Microsoft Teams: How to Increase Font Size
  • Windows Command Prompt: How to Change the Font and Colors
    Windows Command Prompt: How to Change the Font and Colors

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Set Up a Recurring Meeting in Teams
  • Fix: Microsoft Teams Keeps Freezing My Computer
  • Are you having problems with the Galaxy S21 Wi-Fi? Here’s how you can fix it
  • How to Migrate Skype For Business Users To Teams
  • How to Get the Most out of Google Files App
  • Fix Microsoft Teams Channel Email Not Working
  • Microsoft Teams: Cannot Create New Folder in Files
  • Fix: Microsoft Teams Guests Can’t Chat

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.

You May Also Like

  • Postscript Font
  • Bitmapped Font
  • Printer Font
  • Screen Saver

© Copyright 2021 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy