Font identification tools

[morea]

www.whatthefont.com

www.identifont.com

[budafist]

Remember that Identifont is also great for finding font substitutes. Know the font you want but don't have it on your computer? Plug the name of that font into Identifont and see if you have any of the similar fonts before buying a font.

[urstwile]

Also, whatthefont does best with characters that are not touching each other in any way.

If that fails, sometimes the forum there is a good resource for identifying a font.

[bccreative]

Whatthefont willl also confirm that it does or doesn't recognize individual characters

[Bowfinpw]

I think the two tools mentioned can be useful, but at times their results can be laughably far from the mark. They are particularly poor at scripts.

WhatTheFont is limited to principally the collection of fonts sold at MyFonts.com, which is of course large, but not as comprehensive as it sounds, since there are often multiple versions of the same families.

I have found that Identifont will ask you good questions about the attributes of your mystery font, and then apparently ignore some of your answers (based on what it shows for results).

I am a great believer that indivduals are better at identification than software, so I will recommend two forums: The Type ID Board (http://typophile.com/forum/29) and the WhatTheFont forum at MyFonts. I am a participant who helps out at the Type ID Board, and I have been there for several years. I can tell you that rarely does a posted font go unidentified for more than an hour. Usually the font is identified in a few minutes.

[urstwile]

Good to know Bowfinpw. Thanks for the link.

[MD]

If someone was smart they would create a font identifier that is a cross between whatthefont and identifont, embed it into a font management program and include links to all of the type foundries for purchase. GOLDMINE!

[urstwile]

Go for it, MD! :D

[MD]

I have enough trouble coding a website and flunked BASIC in high school. I am not the right candidate to pull this off :D

[urstwile]

It's a brilliant idea, though. :)

[Red Kittie Kat]

MD that is a brilliant idea. I wish you could whip something up for us :D

[GraphixNPrint]

I think the two tools mentioned can be useful, but at times their results can be laughably far from the mark. They are particularly poor at scripts.

Wow, I was just supringly impressed with whatthefont! I received a poor quality scan of a business card a customer needs recreated. Attached is the only 3 characters that was usable for identification of the font used in the company's name, the rest is obscured over a picture.

See the attached image I uploaded to whatthefont, and a click away was my answer.

Steccato 555 BT was the font I was looking for (yes it is down right ugly, but if it keeps the customer happy I was able to recreate it, great!)

[ritchelclips]

Good to know these tools. Thanks!

---------------
Clipping, Photomasking and Removing Backgrounds

[ieattype]

i always try and just try and use a font explorer book sometimes much more useless, currently making a site to help people identify fonts.

[urstwile]

ieattype, I removed your site link, as it doesn't appear to be active, so it didn't seem right to post it in this resource thread.

[Pensiur]

I am a great believer that indivduals are better at identification than software, so I will recommend two forums: The Type ID Board (http://typophile.com/forum/29) and the WhatTheFont forum at MyFonts. I am a participant who helps out at the Type ID Board, and I have been there for several years. I can tell you that rarely does a posted font go unidentified for more than an hour. Usually the font is identified in a few minutes.

Thanks, I love a new resource!
Another good tip for identifying script fonts is just to submit a cap. Mostly all font identifying sites can name that font in 3 seconds. LC scripts are attached and thus non identifiable to a computer.

[urstwile]

This seemed an appropriate place for this: Font Shaker (http://www.typedna.com/shaker.html)

[budafist]

This seemed an appropriate place for this: Font Shaker (http://www.typedna.com/shaker.html)

Interesting! I like how you can find fonts on your computer that are similar to a particular font.

I can see that being helpful for if you are using a font, but say it has a heinous looking ampersand and wanted to do a check on similar fonts to replace the offending ampersand.

[okeegraphicgirl]

Does anyone know of a site/tool that would recommend a complementary font based on one you pick?
I have taken typography, and am familiar with many older fonts that are what you could consider timeless. However, I now work at a sign shop and sometimes have limited time to browse through our 300+ fonts (I honestly have no clue how many we have) to find fonts that work well together. I know what works and what doesn't as far as combining serif/sanserif/script, sometimes I just don't have the time to match them up.

[urstwile]

I've never put this through its paces, really, but you might find it useful: http://www.esperfonto.com/

[podium06]

i once saw a cool font in the credits from an old movie.
i ran and took a picture with my camera.
the credits where over an image and the photo came out a bit blurry. but what the font still got it right.