New Font on Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

[Paolo Sevilla]

It seems that the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY has changed the font it is using.

 

Here is a snapshot of the site's Bible page from Wayback Machine last August 25, 2018:

 

And here's what it looks like now, October 4, 2018:

 

The first one looks like Segoe font, while the new one looks like FreeSans. I love both of them, they're stylish and very legible.

[digital_dreamer]

Subtle, but easier to read.

[Doug]

We were told at the release of the 2013 NWT that the brothers created an original font for this special translation.

 

Could it be the same one now online?

[Lance]

It is not the same font as used in printed edition of NWT 2013.. which is serifed 

I like it ... the “ J” looks like a J  now as opposed to a lazy “J”. With a weak ascender 

 

[jwhess]

We have the capability of making a new font for our own use.  So we may have made a new one or we may have chosen a commercial version.  Perhaps someone who has a friend in the computer department will ask for us....😉

[dove]

2 hours ago, Lance said:

It is not the same font as used in printed edition of NWT 2013.. which is serifed 

I like it ... the “ J” looks like a J  now as opposed to a lazy “J”. With a weak ascender 

 

I've tried and tried to see a difference in the shape but I can't, only that the new one seems Bolder making it easier to read..

[jwhess]

2 hours ago, Dove said:

I've tried and tried to see a difference in the shape but I can't, only that the new one seems Bolder making it easier to read..

If you look at the picture, the capital "J" (like in King James) is not as 'complete' in rounding out the bottom of the letter.  The newer version is more rounded and completed in the upward turn.  This is a subtle but quick example.

[Brother Arellano]

Acording to inspecting the fonts on the page these are the fonts that you may be seeing. Depending on the available fonts in your system or device.

 

Helvetica Neue,Roboto,Segoe UI

[ReadYourBible]

Fellow font snobs unite!!!  

 

I am serious.  Many people don't twig to a different font, but the font in a document can greatly improve the readability of the document.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our GB for thinking of this.  

Edited October 4, 2018 by cerebral ecstasy

[Tortuga]

I thought the Fellow Font Snobs all died in the Great Font War when the Serifs and the Sans Serifs font to the death. War is Helvetica!

 

I read it in the Times Roman...

Edited October 4, 2018 by Tortuga

[Brother Arellano]

I have always been a sucker for a well designed typeface.

[Meditate!]

On 10/4/2018 at 7:30 PM, Dove said:

I've tried and tried to see a difference in the shape but I can't, only that the new one seems Bolder making it easier to read..

I too can't see much difference. Probably because  I'm on my phone screen right now. I agree it is higher contrast.. It may be that the text colour uses  black instead of grey. I want a much contrast as possible. Some other sites are not reader Friendly at all with light grey text on white. The Font may be different but the contrast is more helpful for me. 😉

[Meditate!]

On 10/5/2018 at 12:03 AM, Tortuga said:

I thought the Fellow Font Snobs all died in the Great Font War when the Serifs and the Sans Serifs font to the death. War is Helvetica!

 

I read it in the Times Roman...

Hmmm. I saw an old  Font in a church once.. There was a baby in it! 

[Brother Brother]

One major reason for the new font is copyright laws.

 

When we use a commercial font, the copyright is only on the content of the page.

 

When we have our content in our own font, we have a 'double' copyright which protects us legally so anything copied is completely ours and traceable to our site.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

1 hour ago, Brother Brother said:

When we have our content in our own font, we have a 'double' copyright which protects us legally so anything copied is completely ours and traceable to our site.

So did we create a new font? Purchase a font? Or just use a non-commercial font? 

[Brother Brother]

10 minutes ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

So did we create a new font? Purchase a font? Or just use a non-commercial font? 

It's my understanding that a new font was created in house.

 

From memory, I think the NWT Bible print edition is a custom font that only we use as well...

 

There's a rumour that our Jw.org logo was also dangerously close to the wh.gov logo.

 

I am guessing that might be a reason the Brothers registered the new logo which is a new custom made font also.

 

 

[Shawnster]

On 10/4/2018 at 10:43 AM, Doug said:

We were told at the release of the 2013 NWT that the brothers created an original font for this special translation.

 

Could it be the same one now online?

No.  Browsers work only with a certain number of fonts. A single organization is not able to add a special font 

[Brother Brother]

15 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

No.  Browsers work only with a certain number of fonts. A single organization is not able to add a special font 

When you download a PDF from the website, you can look into properties, and all the fonts have either MEPS or WT as a prefix.

 

Does this show ownership of the fonts?

 

Just interested to ask someone who is across the technology...

 

Thx

[digital_dreamer]

Yes, most PDFs will have embedded fonts and text will display just as the creator intended, with the correct metrics (spacing between letters and words, etc.) Otherwise, font substitution will take place, using whatever is installed on your system. If you don’t have that specific font installed, then it will usually be Monaco, a mono-spaced type (yuck).

 

Although the tools for creating your own typeface is easily available, creating another set that’s legible at various sizes with all the character pairs possible is incredibly tedious. For body-copy type, the so-called “holy grail” is having a typeface that is both easy to read and doesn’t take up much space. Many professionally created fonts have builtin hinting, where the type changes its specifications slightly so it can be easier to read at smaller sizes.

 

I’m just speaking from 30 years in the printing business, battling thousands of font conflict wars. Not nearly as horrendous as it used to be. 

[Brother Brother]

On 10/5/2018 at 8:18 AM, Brother Arellano said:

Acording to inspecting the fonts on the page these are the fonts that you may be seeing. Depending on the available fonts in your system or device.

 

Helvetica Neue,Roboto,Segoe UI

 

[Brother Brother]

On 10/5/2018 at 2:33 AM, jwhess said:

We have the capability of making a new font for our own use.  So we may have made a new one or we may have chosen a commercial version.  Perhaps someone who has a friend in the computer department will ask for us....😉

 

[Brother Brother]

3 hours ago, digital_dreamer said:

Yes, most PDFs will have embedded fonts and text will display just as the creator intended, with the correct metrics (spacing between letters and words, etc.) Otherwise, font substitution will take place, using whatever is installed on your system. If you don’t have that specific font installed, then it will usually be Monaco, a mono-spaced type (yuck).

 

Although the tools for creating your own typeface is easily available, creating another set that’s legible at various sizes with all the character pairs possible is incredibly tedious. For body-copy type, the so-called “holy grail” is having a typeface that is both easy to read and doesn’t take up much space. Many professionally created fonts have builtin hinting, where the type changes its specifications slightly so it can be easier to read at smaller sizes.

 

I’m just speaking from 30 years in the printing business, battling thousands of font conflict wars. Not nearly as horrendous as it used to be. 

Very interesting. thank you for the info.

 

Are you able to shed light on the jw.org font.

 

Is it just UFC+8 character set, and if so, are custom fonts able to attach to that?

[Brother Brother]

On 10/5/2018 at 9:23 AM, Brother Arellano said:

I have always been a sucker for a well designed typeface.

Adds new meaning to-

"You're not my type."

[Luigi62]

14 hours ago, Brother Brother said:

It's my understanding that a new font was created in house.

 

From memory, I think the NWT Bible print edition is a custom font that only we use as well...

I always remember that from the 2013 AGM.

[jayrtom]

I created fonts my self back on the days of ZX Spectrum