Microsoft finds new font with Windows Vista
The new Calibri font is the result of a search commenced by Microsoft in 2002 that involved a call for submissions from typographers working around the world. The main motivation in choosing the new font was to take advantage of new computer technology and improve the readability of text on PC monitors.
Colin Wood, editor of Australian design publication DG Magazine, has given the new font his seal of approval, claiming it brings Microsoft one step closer to the design aesthetic of Apple Macs.
“Microsoft has a long way to go in catching up as far as design and typography goes and the new Calibri font looks much better than what's been used in the past,” says Wood.
“While the popular Helvetica font is probably one of the most serviceable choices for print production it has never looked quite as good on screen. Calibri has a warm and friendly feel to it and is clearly legible, which counts for everything when it comes to choosing fonts,” he says.
The new choice represents a departure for Microsoft as the default font in its current Windows XP operating system is serif, meaning the characters fan out in the base to make them easier to read on computer monitors. Wood again approves this decision by Microsoft and claims that a sans serif font is the better choice for an operating system default.
“The Times New Roman font was designed for newspapers, but because of the limitations of monitor technology and their ability to render small text, has never looked quite as good on the computer screen.”
Geraldine Wade, program manager of Microsoft's Advanced Reading Technology group, claims the new Calibri font is a clean, humanistic and robust choice that will bring a level warmth to the impending OS.
Wade headed up the group of seven typographers at the company that were tasked with replacing the existing Times New Roman font that is the default for current OS Windows XP. The team eventually helped create a font based on a submission from Dutch typographer Lucas de Groot.
