Desktop publishing isn’t easy, even with today’s advanced tools. Finding the right look and feel for your publications as well as your web pages and other projects isn’t always easy, and quite frankly, matching unknown fonts can be really difficult. Thankfully, WhatFontIs.com provides you with some interesting alternatives when you don’t have the typeface you need. WhatFontIs.com is a web app that works in just about any web browser on any PC, any platform.
I’ve heard many people say that desktop publishing is more art than skill, and I believe them. When it comes to laying out pamphlets, fliers, programs and other kinds of collateral, if you don’t understand design life can get challenging quickly. Completing projects can also get difficult when you don’t have the right typeface or font to help you get the job done. Thankfully, WhatFontIs.com can solve that problem quickly and easily.
All you have to do is follow a simple process:
1. Take a screenshot of the font you wish to identify
2. Open your browser and surf to www.WhatFontIs.com
3. Register on the site
4. Upload the screenshot you took in step 1
5. Allow WhatFontIs.com to suggest a matching font
If you can’t take a screen shot, WhatFontIs.com can also use a URL with the image you want to use, but that can take a while, especially if you don’t have a fast broadband connection
I like WhatFontIs.com. It’s a great resource as it suggests both free and for purchase fonts, or just one or the other, if you wish. I had some problems with the screenshots I uploaded, however.
I found that the simpler the shot, the better chance you have of the site finding a matching font. The best shots were one line of text. Multi-line screen shots just confused the site, especially if you were using exotic fonts. Best to use the KISS principle here.
I also found that the site’s didn’t recognize or match up all the letters in the screen shot, even after it required you to type them in next to the broken down screen shot. That confused me a bit.
