Flaminia Font

[DiscoverIT]

Hello,

I wish to make use of the Flaminia font that is available from www.mintea.org/flaminia/ but discovered this to be a VFB file type.

Having Google'd the VFB file type, on one hand it for Apple Macs and on the other hand it can be used on Windows. Can you please confirm for me whether it can be installed on a Windows system, if so, how do I install this?

Thank you, DiscoverIT

[gwpriester]

I had a look and am as confused as you are.

I suspect that you have to somehow convert the vfb files to a font file. And probably with a font management utility. Here is a link to a Google search for how to convert to TTF.

[Soquili]

Are you sure the link you provided is where to find the font you want to use?

There is a link within the page you linked to for the Flaminia font: http://andinistas.net/2008/10/flaminia/

The site you linked to is part of a Masters Degree Thesis and the topic is a method to evaluate fonts for traffic signage. The .vfb files are font description FontLab files. You would need to purchase one of FontLab's applications to read the .vfb files and create a TrueType or OpenType font.

[Soquili]

The .vfb files are not complete font descriptions, they only contain the letters shown in the images of the traffic signs.

Namely: C a p r l b

[EJ]

Hi Guys,
I chased Flaminia because I was interested also. It needs the FontLab program before you can take it further.

I googled Flaminia.ttf and the first site says in the comments

"DavidOctober 5th, 2010 8:43 am
Flaminia update: Stop looking for a usable TrueType, OpenType, or Postscript version of Flaminia (aka Flaminia OS). There are none. The designer himself says it right here http://goo.gl/Oj9y on typophile dot com. It’s the comment by berga83. It’s a beautiful proof of concept but an incomplete one at that.

“Although its glyphs are not all completed yet, the multiple masters and the variables I decided to take into consideration are already all present, and the .vfb files provided allowed the design of the signs pictured above.” — Andrea Bergamini

When the League of Movable Type states the Flaminia Type System “can be used free of charge for further researches in this field” at http://goo.gl/xm9K they aren’t kidding.

I commend Andrea Bergamini and The League of Movable Type for what they’re doing. I just wish they would be completely clear that Flaminia is not complete.

That Smashing Magazine presents Flaminia here as a ‘fresh high quality free font” is a testament to the lack of clarity at the League of Movable Type.

Would a generous type designer care to pick up where Andrea Bergamini left off? “Further developments of the project will be uploaded on this page http://www.mintea.org/flaminia/, and credit will be given to those who contribute to it.”

Or maybe Google could commission someone to complete Flaminia OS as an addition to the Google Font API.

I hope this comment can save somebody a lot of time searching for something that does not yet exist (eg. flaminia.ttf or flaminia.otf)."[/I]Andrea Bergamini also has two comments on that site."

So, there is little point in searching for a Flaminia.ttf. At this stage it does not exist.
Erik

[DiscoverIT]

Hello and thank you for your replies.

Even though I did my research into this font, I was not aware that Flaminia was an incomplete typeset. I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by EJ hoping that it will be finished off, preferably sooner than later.

EJ – As you were interested in this font too, I thought I share with you a couple of alternative fonts that I am considering using.

The Transport font that we use on the UK road signs that are available from www.cbrd.co.uk/fonts/ .

As an alternative, the Mittelschrift font used on the German road signs available from www.roadsuk.com/downloads/fonts.html .

Thank you, DiscoverIT