29
Oct 2008
10 Comments
Users, say hello to Gabriola. Gabriola, say hello to your users.

During the Direct2D and DirectWrite session (more later), Kam Vedbrat announced a new font, actually present today within the Windows 7 pre-beta bits given out at PDC ‘08 via hard drive/DVD. It has exciting new “sets” available to be taken advantage of by the new DirectWrite engine.

Hello Gabriola! You look fab.

  • Tom C

    So is the new font family (btw: Hello Gabriola) dependant on the new DirectWrite engine, or can it say, be put up for download and installed on a Vista machine? :P

    If it is DirectWrite/2D dependant, will >=Vista have a version of the new DirectX made available?

    Wow, my computer just Spontaneously Combusted/Rebooted and Chrome saved my comment. Neato!

  • vaibhavk

    Rafael, do you see any major difference between Vista and DirectWrite? Is DirectWrite enabled in the build that was distributed.

  • http://aalaap.com Aalaap Ghag

    I don’t like it. I hope this isn’t to Windows 7 what Segoe UI is to Windows Vista.

  • http://neowin.net/forum/index.php?showuser=151800 Ambroos

    It won’t be replacing Segoe UI. It’s just a new font.

    I don’t think DirectWrite is active in the currently released Windows 7 bits.

  • Martin Leng

    I highly doubt they would use a handwriting font for the UI.

  • http://blogs.msdn.com/leonardo_blanco/ Leonardo Blanco

    Gabriola is an OpenType font, so it is usable by any system that understand OpenType, not just DirectWrite. GDI, of course, understands OpenType fonts, so Gabriola will be available for all Windows applications. Some of the more advanced OpenType features, however, are not supported by GDI, so to take advantage of those an app will have to use WPF or DirectWrite.

    Just to clarify another point, DirectWrite is a new text technology available for application developers. It does not *replace* GDI, however, so no applications will “magically” look different in Windows 7 as a result of DirectWrite.

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  • http://www.daydreamgfx.com Daydream

    This font is hideous, what a step backward. The thicknesses of the stroke are inconsistent and the round part of the B looks so awkward. The only possible explanation for that is that parts of the font are exaggerated for optimizing the font for small point size rendering… I really hope this doesn’t become the next Arial.

  • dmex

    @Daydream

    Its just another font you can use from the hundreds already available…its not replacing anything so dont expect to see it unless your going to be using it…

  • http://besttravelstories.com Johnny

    Great font!