Trying to Match the 'Perfect' Font?
Try FontMatch
A new software program developed by a Jacksonville company will save graphic designers both time and money when tackling re-design projects, particularly those involving hard-to-identify fonts.Searching for a specific font used to take hours for graphic designers, but now can take only minutes with a new software tool called FontMatch. Developed by Stretched Out Software, FontMatch searches the computer hard drive to electronically identify the supplied character. FontMatch eliminates having to manually search through all of the fonts installed on your computer visually.
"When I worked in the printing industry, customers would bring in their business cards to buy new ones and it became very time-consuming trying to match the fonts on their card to what font we had available on our computers," said Greg O'Lone, president of Stretched Out Software. "FontMatch takes away the need to hand-match fonts because it compares a scan of the font to the ones on your computer."
For example, a customer comes to your design center needing new business cards, but does not have access to the original design files. They want to keep their company's image consistent by using the same letter styles employed previously. Occasionally the customer does not know which fonts were used in the original design.
"We had a job saved as outlines and had to add text. No one knew what the type was originally, so we did a screen shot and saved it as a jpeg," said Denise McDonald, a graphic designer at Lithographic Services, Inc, based in Jacksonville, FL who tested a beta version of the software. "It was an unusual font too, Bradley Hand. [FontMatch] really worked great."
If FontMatch does not identify the font completely, it will provide a list of fonts that most closely match the desired font.
Stretched Out Software
- FontMatch $49.95 - look for specials as low as $39.95.
- FontMatch will work on Mac OS 9, Mac OS X and Windows platforms.
- www.stretchedout.com
- Stretched Out Software: Founded in 1999, Stretched Out Software brings together a wide range of technology and multimedia design expertise to provide businesses with products and services such as workflow management tools and interactive multimedia products.
- Stretched Out Software is also the developer of the AirCard 555 Driver for Mac OS X.
- It is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
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