courier new vs courier dark?

sassafras · Feb 8, 2008

I have both Courier New and Courier Dark installed.

Does it matter which one I use - they appear pretty much identical on the screen - though I haven't printed either one.

(Courier Dark appears to be slightly ... uhmm ... well, darker! Presumably it would print slightly darker as well - is that a good thing - or no?)

Also - which SIZE do I set for?

I remember reading that Courier12 was the NAME of the font and NOT the SIZE of the font - but I don't recall seeing what size we should use for manuscripts.

Ta!
Sass

Julie Worth · Feb 8, 2008

I used to use dark, but now I use Bitstream Vera Serif.

caromora · Feb 8, 2008

I use Dark because it shows up better. I can barely see regular Courier when it's printed. 12 pt.

Haggis · Feb 8, 2008

I like dark. But either one is fine.

IceCreamEmpress · Feb 8, 2008

sassafras said:
I have both Courier New and Courier Dark installed.

Does it matter which one I use

No.

I remember reading that Courier12 was the NAME of the font and NOT the SIZE of the font

That's incorrect. The "12" in there means it's a 12-point font. Use 12.

James D. Macdonald · Feb 8, 2008

Courier Dark prints darker than Courier New.

BTW, Courier 12 is 12 Characters Per Inch (CPI) (10 point; Elite), while Courier 10 is 10 CPI (12 point; Pica).

sassafras · Feb 8, 2008

Thanks everyone - Courier Dark in size 12 it is.

Now, if I can just quit dithering and make a start ...

Sass

blacbird · Feb 8, 2008

sassafras said:
Now, if I can just quit dithering and make a start ...

The . . .

caw

wayndom · Feb 8, 2008

I guessing Courier Dark came into existence because Courier New looked too thin when printed on an ink-jet printer.

Though frankly, if it's true that editors will (finally!) accept ms's in Times New Roman, I'd be happy to never see Courier Anything ever again...

wayndom · Feb 8, 2008

James D. Macdonald said:
BTW, Courier 12 is 12 Characters Per Inch (CPI) (10 point; Elite), while Courier 10 is 10 CPI (12 point; Pica).

Okay, now you've opened a whole can of worms... If you'd only said C-12 is 12 chars per inch, fine, but what's that parenthetical "10 point; Elite" mean?

I've long wondered where on earth the "point" numbers come from, since different fonts with the same point numbers are radically different sizes.

What up with that?

Lyra Jean · Feb 8, 2008

wayndom said:
I guessing Courier Dark came into existence because Courier New looked too thin when printed on an ink-jet printer.

Though frankly, if it's true that editors will (finally!) accept ms's in Times New Roman, I'd be happy to never see Courier Anything ever again...

But Courier is better when writing papers for school. It takes up more space on the page and most teachers just give a page count not a word count.

girlyswot · Feb 8, 2008

IceCreamEmpress said:
No.

That's incorrect. The "12" in there means it's a 12-point font. Use 12.

Actually, I think the OP is right. The font was originally called Courier12, but was renamed Courier New - I'm guessing when it came to be used on computers. But either way, the manuscript should be in 12-point, too.

Ravenlocks · Feb 9, 2008

wayndom said:
Though frankly, if it's true that editors will (finally!) accept ms's in Times New Roman, I'd be happy to never see Courier Anything ever again...

I used to hate Courier, but I've learned to love it (familiarity bred something other than contempt). Now I don't much like Times New Roman, although it used to be my font of choice. It's too small!

rosemerry said:
But Courier is better when writing papers for school. It takes up more space on the page and most teachers just give a page count not a word count.

Courier's not proportional, so it takes up more space. The default line spacing on Courier New is too big too. I always change it so it's only six lines per inch, because the default is more than that.

caromora · Feb 9, 2008

Ravenlocks said:
I don't much like Times New Roman, although it used to be my font of choice. It's too small!

I use TNR at 13 pt. instead of 12. It's only a bit bigger, but enough bigger to make a difference. Plus, I've found that it comes very close to the 250 words/page that Courier can give. If the agent/editor requests 12 pt., of course I change it (oh, the wonder of word processors

), but so far no one has complained.

Dave.C.Robinson · Feb 9, 2008

I go for use whatever you like better-- can always switch it to what the editor wants later.

Pica and Elite bring me back to typewriter days. I'm so glad not to be using a manual typewriter any more. I've almost got the "snap" out of my keystrokes now.

IceCreamEmpress · Feb 9, 2008

girlyswot said:
Actually, I think the OP is right.

Uncle Jim was right--I was wrong. The OP was orthogonal.

I should have remembered this, too, from my high-school Office Job Training class.

Back in the days of typewriters, fonts used to be described by their "pitch"--characters per inch. Courier12 is, as Uncle Jim said, the "12 characters per inch" version of courier; there was a larger, 10 characters-per-inch version called Courier10.

Naturally they changed the name because the pitch and the point size would be hopelessly confusing.

Smaller fonts, the 12 characters-per-inch fonts, were called "elite"; larger fonts, the 10 characters-per-inch fonts, were called "pica".

I remember snapping the "golfball" character elements on and off the old IBM Selectrics to change the fonts. Good times.

courier new vs courier dark?

sassafras

Fabulator

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

caromora

Still alive. Kind of.

Haggis

Evil, undead Chihuahua

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

sassafras

Fabulator

blacbird

wayndom

wayndom

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

girlyswot

Ravenlocks

How novel.

caromora

Still alive. Kind of.

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago