First look: new Ubuntu font boosts Linux typography

“When Canonical unveiled Ubuntu’s branding overhaul and new
desktop theme earlier this year, the company also revealed that it
had commissioned well-known type foundry Dalton Maag to design a
new font specifically for Ubuntu. The font will likely be used by
default in Ubuntu 10.10, which is scheduled for release in
October.

“Today Canonical launched a closed beta for the new font, making
it available to testers and Ubuntu contributors. I tested it on my
desktop computer, running Ubuntu 10.04. After installing the
package, I enabled it in the GNOME appearance preference dialog. It
matches the new Ubuntu logo font, but it’s designed for optimal
screen readability. It looks very smooth on my LCD monitors and is
very easy on the eyes. I think it’s a big improvement over
Bitstream Vera Sans, the font that currently ships by default in
Ubuntu.

“The quality of user interface typography on Linux is often
criticized as one of the platform’s weak areas. Some key software
methods that are needed to achieve high-quality TrueType font
rendering are encumbered by patents, which means that open source
implementations such as FreeType have to rely on technical
workarounds that aren’t quite as effective.”

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