I thought TrueType fonts were for text only. How do logos work as TrueType fonts?

Most people naturally associate TrueType fonts with text. Arial, Courier New and Times New Roman are all examples of standard TrueType fonts containing text. There is, however, another standard TrueType font called Wingdings that contains symbols instead of text. Typing ‘abc’ produces symbols rather than text. We use a similar principle when producing a logo as a TrueType font. The logo is split into multiple characters and when the font is selected and you type the associated characters such as ‘abc’ you logo is displayed on screen.

Why do you need to split the logo into multiple characters?

We limit the complexity of a single cell within a TrueType font to ensure that it will display and print correctly at all sizes with all printer and screen drivers. In many cases we are able to use a single character but will split the logo if required.

Can any logo be produced as a TrueType font?

Almost all logos can be produced as a TrueType font, although there are a few exceptions. For example logos containing very complex, graduated colour may not be possible. Please contact us if you need confirmation as to whether it is possible for us to produce your logo.

Can colour logos be made into a TrueType font?

Although there is no support for colour within the TrueType font definition it is possible to create TrueType fonts containing versions of the logo which are ‘colourable’. We produce the font with each separate colour of the logo associated with a different character. Then using the colour capability of your application, the colour of each character is set to the required value.

As an example the Formula Solutions logo contains three colours; blue, green and black. In our own font we have split the logo so that the ‘a’ and ‘b’ are associated with the blue section, the ‘c’ with the black section and the ‘d’ with the green section.

As long as your application supports the required colours and allows the colour of TrueType text to be changed you will be able to use colourable logos.

Is there a limit to the size that I can use my TrueType logo?

The only limitations are those imposed by your applications. Almost all applications support very large point sizes so this is rarely an issue.

Will my logo work with all my applications?

Any Windows application that supports TrueType fonts will be able to use the logo. For colourable logos the application must support colouring of TrueType fonts. You can perform a simple test by typing in some regular text and see if you can colour the text the desired colour.

What resolution is a logo as a TrueType font?

Like standard text TrueType fonts, the logo is defined as a perfect outline which is resolution independent. The only time resolution becomes relevant is when the image is output to either the screen or a printer at which point the image will be created by Windows at the resolution of the output device. Therefore if you are using a 1,200 dpi printer the resolution of your logo will be 1,200 dpi.

How many logos have Formula Solutions produced so far?

We have been producing TrueType logos since 1994 and are currently producing over 500 logos each year.

How much does a TrueType logo cost?

The cost is dependent on the complexity of the logo and the number of colour masks that are required. For a free quotation please contact our sales department.

Do I have to pay a user licence?

No, there is a licence, but it isn't a user licence. We believe it is simpler to issue a region licence. The standard cost covers all users within one organisation within one country. We can also supply a licence which covers Europe or Worldwide.

I’ve heard the term ‘embeddable’ related to TrueType fonts. What does this mean?

TrueType embedding allows a document containing a TrueType logo to be sent to a user that does not have the font installed on their system. There are three main levels of embedding that can be set for a TrueType font.

None - This option does not allow a font to be embedded and is most often used by companies that wish to closely control the distribution of the logo.

Editable - Allows the user to view, edit and print the document without the font being installed on their system. The user will not be to use the font in other documents. This is the most common embedding level for TrueType logos.

Installable - This offers the same features as the Editable option with the added benefit that the TrueType font is permanently installed on the users computer. This level of embedding allows TrueType logos to be simply and quickly distributed throughout a organisation, but also reduces the control of the distribution of the logo.

We can supply TrueType logos with any one of the above levels of embedding configured. Click here for a more detailed look at font embedding.

Do documents containing TrueType logos have smaller file sizes than those using graphic images?

Yes, the reduction in file sizes can be quite dramatic. Not only does this save on required disk space, but smaller documents load, save and print significantly quicker. Click here for a detailed comparison of file sizes.

I have several versions of our company logo. Can they all be added in one font?

Yes, we generally keep related logos within a single font. It is quite common for companies to have a logo which can be used on its own, with the company name to the right and also with the company name below. In this example the logo on its own could be accessed using ‘ab’, the logo with text to the right using ‘cdef’ and the logo with text below using ‘ghij’.

I will need to distribute my TrueType fonts to a large number of users. Are there any tools that can help with this?

Yes, we have a utility called the TrueType Font Administration utility (TTF Admin) which we can configure so that just a single EXE file is distributed to all your users and they simply run the file. The utility can be configured so that old fonts can be removed as well as new ones added. TTF Admin uses version control to ensure that newer fonts are not replaced with older ones. Please contact our sales department for more information.