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Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

pcaro.es

21–30 of 195 posts

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#21

It's hard for me to imagine ever finding anything better than Ubuntu Mono, but for those who haven't found a love of their font-life, now might be a helpful time to relink to the one slant article I ever saw: http://www.slant.co/topics/67/~what-are-the-best-programming...

Don't know if it's only me, but I keep changing/cycling fonts and color schemes of my terminal every few weeks or so. Currently using Source Code Pro with ZenBurn. Will give Ubuntu Mono a try tonight.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#23
I don't think it's perfect, but I respect the attempt.

One quick note, though. One header in that write-up boldly states: "I am not a designer." Have some self-esteem! You're totally a designer. You're taking the steps that real designers [should] take when creating functional designs. You have design principles and goals and are aiming to satisfy those with a little ingenuity and creativity.

You're a designer. Own it!

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#25

It's hard for me to imagine ever finding anything better than Ubuntu Mono, but for those who haven't found a love of their font-life, now might be a helpful time to relink to the one slant article I ever saw: http://www.slant.co/topics/67/~what-are-the-best-programming...

ubuntu mono doesn't seem to scale well, at least on my tests in notepad++ on windows. Once I get to 12 point it starts acting like it's bolded. Source Code Pro and Consolas don't seem to have this problem.

I've always used Consolas since it's been out, but after seeing Source Code Pro, that does seem easier to read.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#27
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seconded. I used to use Menlo, then Incosolata. Ubuntu Mono is by far the absolute best available for programming. Love it!

Still prefer inconsolata at the moment, any particular feature of ubuntu mono that you feel puts it far ahead of others?

Can't say, just how it looks. It looks incredibly smooth and well thought out. I don't know, specifically. Just like how it looks.

Re: Hermit: a font for programmers, by a programmer

#30

> a font for programmers, by a programmer > Every glyph was carefully planned and calculated, according to defined principles and rules. For this reason, Hermit is coherent and regular. I hate to say this, but a font by a programmer makes as much sense as a database library by a font designer. Good font design is not about calculations or following principled rules; it's about what looks good to the eye, and it takes…

It's important not to oversell the touchy-feely/what-looks-good side of this. Font design is certainly about planning and calculation, it's just that those calculations need to be based on optics rather than geometry.

Instead of perfect circles, we use a shape that is taller than it is wide; instead of splitting the space in half, cross-strokes should be higher than the middle; different strokes need to be different widths in order to appear the same, etc.

There are plenty of actual scientific studies and theory behind this. See Ruder's Typography [0] and Hochuli's Detail in typography [1] for more info.

[0] http://www.amazon.com/Typographie-Manual-Design-Emil-Ruder/d...

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Detail-Typography-Jost-Hochuli/dp/0907...

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