Times New Roman has been the default font of a generation of computer users. But … in Office 2007, the default font is … Calibri?
It’s a major change — Calibri is a san serif font, easier to read onscreen (though perhaps not when printed). But it raises some interesting questions.
But what will happen to Times New Roman? In ten years, will it be just another term-paper alternative? Will instructors’ syllabi accept Calibri, or will they stand firm with Times because so many Word documents are still printed out to be read? Would you ever write a paper in Calibri because it’s easier to read on a screen, and then change it to Times at the last moment for your print reader? What about Phil’s theory about The Secret Lives of Fonts—is Calibri so pretty that universities will experience a round of aesthetics-inspired grade-inflation? And wtf is up with the new fonts’ not being available on Macs without a separate license? In general, what are we in for if the font-king is dead?
Actually, it’s that latter question about Mac availability that I find the most irksome. Micro$oft has been steadily reining in all the “standard” (read “free”) fonts it once distributed about through the aether, no doubt because somebody there figures they can make money off of font sales. Unlikely, but highly irritating.
Much more info on the fonts in question can be found here, including examples.
Of course, how likely the corporate (let alone private) world is to adopting Office 2007 (quickly, or at all) is anyone’s guess. Times New Roman may be safe for a looooong time.