Bitstream Vera
Encyclopedia
Vera is a group typeface
(font) with a liberal license
.
It was designed by Jim Lyles from Bitstream
, and it is closely based on Bitstream's Prima, for which Lyles was also responsible. It is a TrueType
font with full hinting instructions, which improve its rendering quality on low-resolution devices such as computer monitors. The font has also been repackaged as a Type 1 PostScript font, called Bera, for LaTeX
users.
Vera consists of serif
, sans-serif
, and monospace fonts, as follows:
Although Vera itself covers only common punctuation and the Latin alphabet
with some diacritics, its license allows others to make and distribute derivative work
s with some restrictions, and the DejaVu fonts
project is expanding it with additional glyph
s and styles. With over 80% installation base, the DejaVu fonts have been gaining on the role as sans-serif default fonts in GNU/Linux
. On Windows and Macintosh systems, DejaVu is, however, practically unknown, whereas Bitstream Vera Sans has installation bases of 25% and 20% there, and 79% on Unix, according to a survey. The Bitstream Vera Sans Mono typeface in particular is suitable for technical work, as it clearly distinguishes 'l' (lowercase L) from '1' (one) and 'I' (uppercase i), and '0' (zero) from 'O', unlike the more widely available Monotype Courier New. A derivative of Sans Mono, Menlo, is provided by Apple with the Mac OS X 10.6 operating system.
Also, the Bitstream Vera fonts are available for users of OpenOffice.org
to download through the FontOOo wizard.
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
(font) with a liberal license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
.
It was designed by Jim Lyles from Bitstream
Bitstream Inc.
Bitstream Inc. is a type foundry that produces digital typefaces . Founded in 1981 by Matthew Carter and Mike Parker among others, it claims to be the oldest such company...
, and it is closely based on Bitstream's Prima, for which Lyles was also responsible. It is a TrueType
TrueType
TrueType is an outline font standard originally developed by Apple Computer in the late 1980s as a competitor to Adobe's Type 1 fonts used in PostScript...
font with full hinting instructions, which improve its rendering quality on low-resolution devices such as computer monitors. The font has also been repackaged as a Type 1 PostScript font, called Bera, for LaTeX
LaTeX
LaTeX is a document markup language and document preparation system for the TeX typesetting program. Within the typesetting system, its name is styled as . The term LaTeX refers only to the language in which documents are written, not to the editor used to write those documents. In order to...
users.
Vera consists of serif
Serif
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface . A typeface without serifs is called sans serif or sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning “without”...
, sans-serif
Sans-serif
In typography, a sans-serif, sans serif or san serif typeface is one that does not have the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. The term comes from the French word sans, meaning "without"....
, and monospace fonts, as follows:
Although Vera itself covers only common punctuation and the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
with some diacritics, its license allows others to make and distribute derivative work
Derivative work
In United States copyright law, a derivative work is an expressive creation that includes major, copyright-protected elements of an original, previously created first work .-Definition:...
s with some restrictions, and the DejaVu fonts
DejaVu fonts
The DejaVu fonts are modifications of the Bitstream Vera fonts designed for greater coverage of Unicode, as well as providing more styles. The Bitstream Vera family was limited mainly to the characters in the Basic Latin and Latin-1 Supplement portions of Unicode but was released with a license...
project is expanding it with additional glyph
Glyph
A glyph is an element of writing: an individual mark on a written medium that contributes to the meaning of what is written. A glyph is made up of one or more graphemes....
s and styles. With over 80% installation base, the DejaVu fonts have been gaining on the role as sans-serif default fonts in GNU/Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. On Windows and Macintosh systems, DejaVu is, however, practically unknown, whereas Bitstream Vera Sans has installation bases of 25% and 20% there, and 79% on Unix, according to a survey. The Bitstream Vera Sans Mono typeface in particular is suitable for technical work, as it clearly distinguishes 'l' (lowercase L) from '1' (one) and 'I' (uppercase i), and '0' (zero) from 'O', unlike the more widely available Monotype Courier New. A derivative of Sans Mono, Menlo, is provided by Apple with the Mac OS X 10.6 operating system.
Also, the Bitstream Vera fonts are available for users of OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
to download through the FontOOo wizard.
See also
- Bitstream CyberbitBitstream CyberbitBitstream Cyberbit is a commercial Unicode font designed by Bitstream Inc. It is freeware for non-commercial uses. It was historically one of the first widely available fonts with support for a large proportion of the Unicode repertoire....
- DejaVu fontsDejaVu fontsThe DejaVu fonts are modifications of the Bitstream Vera fonts designed for greater coverage of Unicode, as well as providing more styles. The Bitstream Vera family was limited mainly to the characters in the Basic Latin and Latin-1 Supplement portions of Unicode but was released with a license...
- TITUS Cyberbit Basic
- List of typefaces
- Unicode fonts