Re: The name of the typeface


"Konrad Viltersten" <tmp1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3i2cbbFjgfnkU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Normally, when i write, i use the typeface that Office will
offer me (i think it's Mincho, Ming and maybe something
more). It's fully enough but i'd like to enchance my writings
with a nicer font.


Gosh, I can put my new-found knowledge of Japanese typefaces into action
again. "Minchou" is a font with thick vertical and thin horizontal lines.

I like the one used in Genki, textbook, if anybody is
familiar with it.


I'm not familiar with it. I had a look on the Amazon.com in case there was
the possibility to look inside the book, but there was no possibility. The
font used on the front cover for the word "genki" is something called
"goshikku" (gothic). A Japanese "gothic" font is the equivalent of a
"sans-serif" font like Helvetica. The word "gothic" apparently was used for
sans-serif fonts, a Japanese web page claims, in America, and it comes from
that.

All this I learnt yesterday, literally.

Of course, i'm opened to different kinds of
suggestions. So, any hints on different fonts? Preferably
free but that's not an absolute must.


My MS Office comes with buckets of fonts on it, isn't there a Microsoft
download? Anyway there are lots of pages on the web.

Is there a list of available font on the net, perhaps? I
understand that every font-maker will have it's own breed
on display but maybe some devoted fan has set up a website
just on that topic that i didn't locate using Google?


I recommend searching adding the word 書体 as in 明朝書体, ゴシック書体.
There are loads of images on Google images, take one of the names below and
"Google image" it and you'll see plenty of examples.

Here is my preliminary list of font styles used in Japan, by the way, in
case anyone wants to contribute.

Danny's list of styles 

* Chinese letter styles used in Japan

** tenshotai (篆書体・てん書体)
This style is used in seals. There are two variations, daitenshotai (大篆書体), 

created in the (Japanese shuu, 周) era, and shoutenshotai (小篆書体),
created in the (Japanese Shin, 秦) era.
** kointai (古印体)
This style is used in rakkan (落款) or seals.
** reisho (隷書体)
This style is square and simple in form. It is a simplified version of
shoutenshotai.
** minchou (明朝)
Minchou means "Ming dynasty". This type style is characterized by thick
vertical and thin horizontal lines. This style is called soutai 宋体 in
China.
** kaisho (楷書体)
The most traditional square style of characters, with horizontal lines
slanting upwards going from left to right.
** souchoutai (宋朝体)
This style, originally created for use in woodblock printing, closely
resembles the kaisho style.

* Japanese letter styles

The following lettering styles were created in Japan:
** goshikkutai (ゴシック体)
This is similar to sans-serif type in English. The name goshikku is derived
from English "gothic", but it has very little in common with "gothic" type
in English. Apparently the word "gothic" was once used to describe
sans-serif typefaces.
** marugoshikkutai (丸ゴシック体)
A development of the goshikku typeface with rounded corners on the kanji.
** gyoushotai (行書体)
A "cursive", flowing style of writing using a brush.
** sousho (草書)
The so-called "grass style", this is an even more flowing, cursive style
than gyoushotai.
** edomoji (江戸文字)
This general term covers many Japanese type styles which were invented for
various reasons in the Edo period. For example,

*** kanteiryuu (勘亭流)
*** yosemoji (寄席文字)
*** kagomoji (篭文字)
*** higemoji (髭文字)
*** sumou moji (相撲文字) This style is the one used for sumo wrestling
posters.
*** chouchin moji (ちょうちん文字) Lettering style used on Japanese hanging
lanterns (chouchin).
*** kakuji (角字) Very thick and heavy style with strong verticals and
horizontals used for seals

** kyoukashotai (教科書体)
This style was created in the Meiji era for use in primary school textbooks
(shougakkou). It resembles hand-written characters.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< End of Danny's list.

My own favourite is probably "kagomoji" but it's hardly appropriate for
using to write letters.

BTW good web links in Japanese I found by Google Images:

http://www.atelier-u.com/page107.html
http://ohkadesign.cool.ne.jp/wabunfont/study/category/category.html

Both have lots of samples of different typefaces.

Also

http://www.y-adagio.com/public/standards/tr_fnttrm/main.htm

This page is where I got most of the above information.

There is a little bit in English at

http://www.nihongoresources.com/grammar/typefaces/typefaces.htm

but Danny's number of typefaces is much more comprehensive. (this guy Danny
thinks he knows everything).

Wikipedia also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Gothic_typeface

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_calligraphy


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