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Can you present the concept of the site identifont.com ? Identifont is designed to solve the problem frequently encountered by graphic artists, designers, and printers of identifying a typeface from a printed sample. For example, a designer may need to match an existing typeface supplied by a client, or have seen a typeface in another piece of work and want to use it. Previously this would involve spending hours looking through type catalogues, trying to spot the typeface. With Identifont it takes a few minutes! How does it work ? Identifont
uses a patented expert system containing information about a large number
of typefaces, and from this asks a series of questions about key features
of the typeface. For example, one question is: "Does the upper-case
J descend below the baseline?". How do you fill your database of typefaces ? Foundries and designers have been extremely supportive in providing samples of their fonts for use by us in adding the information to Identifont. We do the work of training the expert system and creating the character-set GIF sample images ourselves, to ensure accuracy and consistency. Is there any business model behind the site or it’s just for fun ? Since Identifont was first launched, in November 2000,
we have financed its development and expansion in two main ways. Who is behind the project ? After managing the software division of the Cambridge-based
personal computer company Acorn, who developed the BBC Microcomputer,
I set up my own information design company, called Human-Computer Interface,
specialising in technical documentation and consultancy.
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