About Well-Defined Fractions

Carl Shank • October 9, 2021

Fractions

We all use them, especially in texts that reference recipes or construction of some kind. If we don't use the words, like one-half, three-eighths, and so forth, we stick them into all kinds of writings — however they look. So, using a typical program like Microsoft Word, if the fraction we want is contained in the typical 256 character description of the font, Word will usually automatically and successfully put the font in the text so that it looks like it belongs, like the illustration below. But fractions that go outside the bounds of the normal character set of the font we are using create problems in how to type them into our document so that they look good and naturally belong. Workarounds are limited. Some ways to construct and use fractions in documents are given in the insert above. However, these are constructed in layout programs, like Adobe InDesign which are not normally used in typical day to day letters and publications.


Rather than purchasing a subscription to Creative Cloud from Adobe to download and use a program like InDesign (Adobe Creative Cloud) what should we do? We could find a free or minimal cost font that is mostly made up of fractions, like Fraction Free Fonts or settle for a less than suitable word translation in running texts, like five-thirtysixths (instead of 5/36). The fraction Free font will most likely not reflect the typeface you are using. That may be acceptable in a recipe listing where the fraction stands outside the line of text, but it will not look professional at all. Another solution would be to use a font that has plenty of fonts already built-in. And still another (perhaps better) solution would be to contract out a font designer, like CARE Typography, to develop or enhance your preferred typeface with fractions you use. This latter solution is usually costly and takes time to develop.


Successful Layout & Design

Typeface Characteristics: Which Type Where?

By Carl Shank • September 9, 2026
Typeface characteristics are the visual and structural features that distinguish one typeface from another. They determine a typeface’s historical appearance, readability, personality, and appropriate use. Useful Ways to Analyze Any Typeface. When examining an unfamiliar typeface, ask these questions in order (provided by ChatGPT) — Does it have serifs? What kind of serifs? How much thick/thin contrast is present? What is the stress angle? What is the x-height? How wide or narrow are the letters? How are the counters constructed? What do the terminals look like? What are distinctive letters such as a, g, e, R, and Q doing? How does the typeface behave in a paragraph—open, dark, dense, airy, mechanical, or calligraphic? What historical or technological process does its construction suggest? What personality does the combination of these characteristics produce? There are a number of online sources to help identify typefaces ( See Feb. 6, 2022 Blog for more explanation and use.) Sources include — MyFonts ( www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont ), FontSquirrel ( www.fontsquirrel.com/matcherator ) WhtFontIs ( www.whatfontis.com ) Identifont ( www.identifont.com ) is one of the best. Here are the questions it will ask you — Does it have feet (serifs) or not (sans-serifs)? What style is the tail on uppercase Q? What style is the ampersand (the &)? Is the numeral “4” open or closed? What style of vertical line does the Dollar sign ($) have? How high is the center vertex of the uppercase M? Sit on the line or not? What type of bar does the uppercase G have? How far below the baseline does the uppercase J extend? What about the uppercase R? How far does the center bar extend? Is there a gap with the vertical part of the letter? Does it meet or cross the vertical? What about the question mark (?) What shape is the dot at the bottom? Is it circular, square, triangular, rectangular or even missing? The important point is that a typeface should not be identified by a single characteristic. Its identity comes from the interaction of serifs, contrast, stress, proportions, counters, terminals, spacing, and letterform construction.

More on Variable Fonts (2)

By Carl Shank • September 5, 2026
Google’s variable font selection includes IBM Plex Sans, Inter, Newsreader, Open Sans, Playfair Display, Express Fraunces and Roboto. FF Meta Variable is now a licensed font from Monotype (myFonts.com). Formata Variable is a demonstration only font from CARE Typography. We consider two Google Variable typefaces here — Playfair Display and Express Fraunces. Playfair Display Playfair Display is a high-contrast transitional/display serif typeface designed by Claus Eggers Sørensen and released through Google Fonts in 2011. It was designed primarily for large display sizes, especially headlines, titles, and editorial typography. Its appearance draws inspiration from the late eighteenth-century transition from traditional broad-nib writing toward pointed steel pens, as well as from the elegant typefaces associated with the European Enlightenment and neoclassical period. Playfair Display is a contemporary high-contrast serif designed primarily for display typography. Its visual ancestry lies in the 18th-century transitional period, particularly the movement from broad-nib calligraphic forms toward the sharper, more vertical forms that ultimately produced Didot and Bodoni.
Show More