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Subject:
From:
Joe Clark <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Joe Clark <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 7 Dec 2005 16:57:13 -0500
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>From:    Matthew Dull <[log in to unmask]>
>
>While i am not an authoritative source on font history and usage, a 
>quick search for "helvetica" on Google revealed that Helvetica and 
>Arial are essentially identical,

!

PostScript Arial and PostScript Helvetica have the same widths. Arial 
is a knockoff of Helvetica. Using it is a great way to show you 
really don't understand type. Then again, Grotesk typefaces like 
Helvetica, Arial, Univers, Akzidenz, and Imago have too many 
confusable character shapes and *much* too tight spacing for reliable 
onscreen usage.

Arial Rounded is, strangely, a nice face, but one you definitely have 
to buy, and Arial's bitmaps are usually better than Helvetica's 
because they were hinted for ClearType.

<http://blog.fawny.org/2005/10/09/etroit/>
<http://www.flickr.com/groups/anti-arial/>
<http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/>
<http://www.ms-studio.com/articlesarialsid.html>
<http://www.ms-studio.com/articles.html>
<http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/>
<http://blog.fawny.org/category/typography/?s=Arial>

>Therefore, i would assume that Web designers who use Helvetica:

know that using Arial is appalling.

Please do not specify Arial. Specify Helvetica if you must, 
particularly for display type.

-- 

     Joe Clark | [log in to unmask]
     Accessibility <http://joeclark.org/access/>
     Expect criticism if you top-post

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