Font Fairy FAQs

Last Update: February 18,2001
Font Fairy Frequently Asked Questions
How do you decide which font offers to list?

I have made some arbitrary restrictions to keep this site useful and manageable:

1) Fonts have to be free. Not shareware. No strings attached.

2) Fonts have to be offered from the foundry or other sponsoring organization. 100% legal. No bootleg fonts to my knowledge.

3) Fonts have to be available for the Mac. Additional versions will then be noted.

4) Fonts have to be sold commercially or be designed by typographers whose work is sold commercially.

5) Fonts have to be a Roman alphabet or dingbats (as opposed to Japanese, etc.).

6) Fonts have to be usable. Not significantly crippled or sampler (ransom note) versions.

7) Fonts should be in Postscript Type 1 or TrueType format.

8) This is a family-friendly site. If a page isn't appropriate for my children, you won't find a link to it here.

What about all those other good shareware and freeware fonts?

I realize there are many "commercial quality" fonts out there, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Besides, there are plenty of other excellent sites where you can get freeware/shareware fonts. I recommend you try FontPool.com and FontParty.com if you can't find what you need here as these seem to have the best Mac selections.

How can convert PC fonts to Mac format?

You can convert TrueType fonts with a shareware utility called TTConverter. The shareware fee is $10 and you can get it from most Mac shareware sites like MacDownload.com. To convert other formats you will need Fontographer or something like that.

Since you are a font expert, can you help me find the right font for my project or help me with a font problem?

Yikes! All of a sudden I feel like the Wizard of Oz. I'm just a savvy shopper hiding behind a cute web page, not a font expert by any stretch. Chances are I can not answer your font questions, no matter how much I wish I could. I recommend you post your question on the comp.fonts newsgroup. Contact your ISP for information on how to access this newsgroup or try Deja News. For Mac users, I highly recommend Robin Williams' book, How to Boss Your Fonts Around, now in its Second Edition.

Can you help me identify a font?

I don't have the time or qualifications to do this myself, but I can recommend the free font identification service at MyFonts.com called WhatTheFont.

Can you e-mail me a font from your list?

Nope, these fonts are free to you if you follow the offerors links, but they are not free for me to give you or for you to give anyone else. Please honor all applicable license agreements. It's not only the right thing to do but it will help keep these free deals coming.

What is the font you use on your Font Fairy pages?

The font is Whimsy by designer Patricia Lillie. In keeping with the theme, I got it for free on the inaugural MacAddict CD, which is no longer available. Whimsy can be purchased from EyeWire.