Fonts and text-related creative tasks

== Desktop team fonts whiteboard

We should improve our selection of fonts and most importantly improve the font we use by default.

Also See

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Free_software_Unicode_typefaces
• https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Public_font_lists
• http://duffy.fedorapeople.org/fonts/

Information about Typefaces used in other popular interfaces

• Windows Vista and 7
  • Segoe UI
  • Microsoft Typography
  • http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2005/11/28/497441.aspx

• Apple Mac OS X
  • Lucida Grande
  • http://typophile.com/files/menlovsdejavusansmono_6131.png

• Apple iPhone
  • Helvetica

• Palm Pre
  • Prelude

• Google Android
  • www.forbes.com/2008/09/25/font-android-g1-tech-wire-cx_ew_0926font.html
  • Droid Fonts
  • Wikipedia page for Droid Fonts

Fixing problems

We have a list of identified problems in Fedora or in the upstreams Fedora depends on. If you have the time and the skill, fixing them would help the Fedora text and font situation a lot.

Tagging problems
Problems are tagged by CC-ing the SIG bugs list when the upstream issue tracker allows it (any bugzilla) or by CC-ing a specific user (fedorafonts) otherwise.

Issue tracker	Description	Issues	Tagging method and other comments
bugzilla.redhat.com	Fedora package grouping (comps), specific Fedora code changes	Problem list	CC the bugs list
bugzilla.freedesktop.org	Fontconfig, HarfBuzz, DejaVu, Freetype…	Problem list
bugzilla.gnome.org	Pango	Problem list
bugs.kde.org	KDE (Konqueror…)	Problem list
bugzilla.mozilla.org	Firefox, Thunderbird…	Problem list
bugs.webkit.org	Webkit	Problem list

Also our desktop like every *nix desktop has an input language awareness problem.

Font creation

The best way to try one's hand at font creation, and learn the (technical and organisational) ropes, is to contribute some time to a free/open font project, such as the ones listed on this page.

Most free/open font projects fail not because of author lack of artistic taste, but because they do not attract contributors or distributors. Free/open font dynamics are very different from proprietary font dynamics, and usually not taught in art school.

To start working on fonts just install the font-design group (available in Fedora 11 and later).

# yum groupinstall font-design

Fonts in Fedora
The Fonts SIG takes loving care of Fedora fonts. Please join this special interest group if you are interested in creating, improving, packaging, or just suggesting a font. Any help will be appreciated.