ESQ Fonts - The Best Solution for the Screen

by Tom Rickner

It’s no secret that one of your most important business tools is fast becoming your computer screen! As the paperless environment becomes more of a reality in your company, the quality of your image on-screen becomes increasingly important. This includes fonts—you can’t afford anything less than crisp, easy-to-read type. Whether you need a custom design or a particular text face, Monotype Imaging’s Enhanced Screen Quality (ESQ) TrueType fonts offer a superior, affordable solution.

Not all TrueType fonts are created equal

TrueType is a powerful, industry-standard font technology that allows font engineers to fine-tune the font outline for use on computer screens and low-resolution printers. The proper level of fine-tuning—or hinting—prevents letters from becoming distorted or difficult to read. However, not all TrueType fonts benefit from a high level of hinting. Monotype Imaging ESQ fonts far surpass typical PostScript and TrueType fonts in clarity and readability.

Hinting and its effect on screen image quality

Most computer screens have resolutions of 72 or 96 dots per inch. At these coarse resolutions, the subtleties of a font design become difficult or impossible to represent faithfully. Adding proper hinting to the font outline improves the consistency and readability of a font. However, most TrueType fonts are produced using simplistic and automated tools, resulting in only modest improvements in legibility and readability.

Instead of using automated procedures, Monotype Imaging ESQ fonts are the result of highly trained typographers using superior hinting tools to create exceptional TrueType fonts. Each ESQ font has been tuned to provide an optimal representation at a full range of sizes.

Monotype Imaging—your partner for optimal screen display

Monotype Imaging has a growing library of ESQ fonts. In addition, we can work with you on a custom design, or we can turn an "ordinary" font into an ESQ font, providing you and your associates the best solution that truly represents the high-quality image of your business.