# A Quick Poll About Fonts **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 31, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773 "2005-10-31T19:53:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/1 "2005-10-31T19:53:29Z")
I kind of have a font fetish. My collection of regularly used fonts numbers in the hundreds. The downside is that when I am drafting documents that’ll be sent about electronically I forget what fonts people generally have installed on their computers. So, check your word processing program at work or home or wherever and tell me if you have Georgia or Copperplate fonts installed. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/2 "2005-10-31T20:03:31Z")
In MS Word, here at work, I have both. The Copperplates are only Light and Bold. At home I have a couple others variations of it. And I use them, too! ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/3 "2005-10-31T20:05:28Z")
Good. I can be lazy and not change anything then. Of course, this means in the next 10 minutes a whole slew of people will come in and insist they only have Times, Courier, and Arial. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/4 "2005-10-31T20:55:52Z")
Copperplate, yes. Georgia — would have to load using Suitcase X. Meaning I’d have to anticipate needing it. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/5 "2005-10-31T21:01:13Z")
Yes to Georgia, no to Copperplate. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/6 "2005-10-31T22:04:55Z")
No Copperplate on our corporate PCs running Win 2000 and Word 2000. We do have Georgia, though. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/7 "2005-10-31T22:09:09Z")
> [@inkleberry](#): > > The downside is that when I am drafting documents that’ll be sent about electronically I forget what fonts people generally have installed on their computers. Make PDFs, embed the fonts and don’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/8 "2005-11-01T00:03:01Z")
Sure, PDF would work, but a lot of people get really squicked about it for some reason. What is the target audience, and the material? If you’re making marketing brochures, then PDF probably is the best option as the recipients are most likely accustomed to receiving PDFs. If it’s a family Christmas newsletter, then it gets really iffy really fast. Can you count on Uncle Bob having the Acrobat Reader and the technical wherewithal to install it if he doesn’t have it, or only has Version 3 that was pre-installed when he bought the computer? If you really want to use Copperplate for headlines or whatever, you could create them as graphic elements. ie: jpeg or gif images. This will kick up the file size, though. If everyon’e got DSL/cable, not a problem, but you might annoy the heck out of anyone with dial-up. If you want something to work on the most possible PCs, stick to either Arial or Times New Roman. By now, probably 99% of the PCs and Macs out there have these faces, and if they don’t, they can generally slide in Helvetica and whatever basic serif face is available. Also, are you guaranteed that everyone will have Word? (I’m assuming that’s what you’re using) Home users may have Works instead, or even nothing at all that can read a .doc file. Another possibility is to create the documents in HTML, so they’ll appear in everyone’s web browser. Copperplate may or may not survive [Panose](http://www.w3.org/Printing/stevahn.html) translation into Arial/Helvetica. Likewise, Georgia may or may not translate over to Times. I can guarantee that the layout will be pretty badly mucked up with the font substitution, though. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/9 "2005-11-01T00:57:27Z")
On my personal laptop, I do have Copperplate Gothic Bold and Light, as well as Georgia. Dunno about work; I’ll have to check my client’s machine when I get back there tomorrow. I kind of suspect that I have more fonts than they do, however. (FYI: Since I have many clients, about 3-5 per year, my machine of necessity has to have a lot of extra stuff on it to be compatible with whatever the client is using.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/10 "2005-11-01T01:02:09Z")
Georgia - yes Copperplate - no ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/11 "2005-11-01T01:05:20Z")
BOTH Georgia & Copperplate and a WHOLE BUNCH MORE!!! ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/12 "2005-11-01T01:44:04Z")
> [@inkleberry](#): > > I kind of have a font fetish. My collection of regularly used fonts numbers in the hundreds. The downside is that when I am drafting documents that’ll be sent about electronically I forget what fonts people generally have installed on their computers. > > So, check your word processing program at work or home or wherever and tell me if you have Georgia or Copperplate fonts installed. I have both. But I prefer Verdana and Palatino for regular work. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/13 "2005-11-01T01:52:23Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Make PDFs, embed the fonts and don’t worry about it. I plan on it. However, my client may send out the .doc file anyway. I will strongly advise against this course of action. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/14 "2005-11-01T03:02:09Z")
Neither. I’m not on Windows, though. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/15 "2005-11-01T04:07:04Z")
WinXP and a fairly new install. I don’t seem to have too many fonts on this machine (I don’t do much work from here). Georgia yes Copperplate no Don’t send out .coc files. They’re not professional. For this font reason, and because they can be changed, and because they are NOT universal. I know many people who don’t have Word (weirdos!). Every time I send out a PDF I also put a link to Adobe Reader in the footer of the email. If people can’t get that installed - fuck 'em 😉 (btw i know you want to send out PDFs. Good for you. Now you have to convince others.) ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/16 "2005-11-01T04:46:01Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Don’t send out \*\*.coc \*\*files. They’re not professional. :eek: Certainly not for my clients. I’m a [career coach](http://www.directedcoaching.net), but sadly, not for porn stars. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/17 "2005-11-01T06:40:31Z")
I have and regularly use Georgia. Copperplate is there but I think the last time I used it was for a title page, over a year ago. Are you aware that in most versions of MS Word, there’s an option in the “File” menu to save fonts used in the document, so that when it’s transmitted to someone else who doesn’t have the fonts, it’ll display as you intended? ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/18 "2005-11-01T06:55:23Z")
Georgia, yes. Copperplate, yes also, but it’s CP “Gothic.” Don’t know if that makes a difference. But what’s wrong with the TNR? Great, classic font, easy to read. It’s what I use. ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/19 "2005-11-01T08:33:56Z")
Yes to both. (Running Mac OS X) ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-quick-poll-about-fonts/328773/20 "2005-11-01T08:35:48Z")
Yes to both. I think they come standard with XP?