Bitstream Charter
 | |
| Category | Serif |
|---|---|
| Classification | Incised |
| Designer(s) | Matthew Carter |
| Foundry | Bitstream Inc. |
| Date created | 1987 |
| License | [1] |
 | |
| Sample | |
Bitstream Charter is a glyphic serif typeface designed by Matthew Carter in 1987 for Bitstream Inc. It was optimized for printing on the low-resolution 300 dpi laser printers of the 1980s, but is suitable for printing on both modern high-resolution laser printers and lower resolution inexpensive inkjet printers.
In 1992 Bitstream donated the Charter font, along with its version of Courier,[1] to the X Consortium under terms that allowed modified versions of the font to be redistributed. This has resulted in derivatives of Bitstream Charter becoming available, including Charis SIL.
The Bitstream Charter typeface is licensed through Bitstream's online interface MyFonts. A new version of the face was released in 2004 with an expanded character set including additional symbols, ranging figures (old-style) and small capitals.
Some still consider Bitstream Charter to be one of the best free fonts available.[2]
External links
- Bitstream Charter updated and for sale
- Link for donated open-source version of Bitstream Charter
- Bitstream Charter converted into OTF, TTF and webfonts
References
- ^ Stephen Gildea (March 29, 1992). "Bitstream contributes Type1 outlines for Charter and Courier fonts". Newsgroup: comp.archives. agate.r3j0kINNa64. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
- ^ Butterick, Matthew (2013). "Charter". Butterick's Practical Typography. Retrieved August 1, 2013.