Fonts

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Windows comes with a standard set of TrueType and raster fonts. When designing an application to be deployed on other computers, realize that not all computers have fonts outside the standard sets.

Text components used in the application should all use fonts that are likely to be available on all deployment computers.

When use of a nonstandard font is absolutely necessary in an application, you need to distribute that font with the application. Either the installation program or the application itself must install the font on the deployment computer. Distribution of third-party fonts may be subject to limitations imposed by the font creator.

Windows has a safety measure to account for attempts to use a font that does not exist on the computer. It substitutes another, existing font that it considers the closest match. While this may circumvent errors concerning missing fonts, the end result may be a degradation of the visual appearance of the application. It is better to prepare for this eventuality at design time.

To make a nonstandard font available to a Windows application, use the Windows API functions AddFontResource and DeleteFontResource. Deploy the .fot file for the nonstandard font with the application.

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