Google's new open source font Noto supports 800 languages and 110 writing systems. Why?

 Oh. Once again it's the money honey?  Are there 800 ACTIVELY  SPOKEN languages in the world or does that 800 include the dead ones? It just seems like an extraordinarily YOOOOOGE data base to support. And if they support 800 languages but only support 110 writing systems that makes no sense to me Glis. Does that mean that those other writing systems aren't  supported because they don't exist? The disparity is confusing to me. Thank you for your reply. Does it make sense to you apart from the money angle? :) 

 

There are over 3,000 languages just in Africa. Of course that depends on just how you count them.

That's true, but the word font has been expanded to mean a collection of typeface in digital applications too.  The word font is used because you are buying or downloading a complete typeface set and it is digitally analogous to a press font.  You buy the digital "font" that allows you to use a particular typeface.  The thing that is much different is a press font set is also the same size and weight,  but digital fonts are vector graphics so their weight and size can be changed without any distortion.

Yes. Thank you. A "digital" "font" is also "software", so you have to pay for the "license" to use them. But nobody does that. Now Google controls most of the webfonts unless you pay for them or use Typekit and pay Adobe a lot of money and/or pay programmers a lot of money to load them so they can buy Star Wars action figures to put in their open office cube while they eat their catered lunch and play foosball in the breakroom. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at October 8, 2016 10:15 AM MDT

True, but I'm with this guy.

I love programmers who think they're "artists" and the "most charitable demi-gods that walked Earth".

I LIKE that a lot Glis.  Make it like air. Free to all to enjoy. :)

Information want's to be free.

What don't you understand?

Ummm.  Okay try this.   You buy a set of drill bits in an index,  that would be your font. It's a set for making all the different holes you might want.   Now the 1/2 inch hole you drill isn't a font, it's the typeface you selected from the font.  Not exactly similar but maybe that helps.

A font is just a complete package of a particular typeface. Originally in metal castings for printing presses. All the different letters and symbols you would need to print something in the same typeface, weight, and size. In digital font packages we only worry about the typeface since they are vector based and the weight and size of vectors can be scaled to any size and weight without any distortion.