Windows & Macs: Common Fonts

[townsend]

A while back, I was testing an Android app, and noticed that the fonts I used on my desktop, looked different on my phone. My guess is the Android OS tries use a font, which best approximates the font used in the desktop IDE.

Now I have an desktop app which is to be deployed on both Windows and Mac machines. Right now I don't have a Mac, and I'm concerned the fonts used in my buttons, and the fonts I allow the user to select, might not match correctly between Windows and Mac environments.

Is there a list of fonts common to both Windows and Mac machines?
Or, can anyone suggest a few that reliably match, to get me started?

[gpb01]

If you search "Google" for "mac windows fonts common" you can find a lot of reply, like : http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html

Guglielmo

[Mark]

Hi,

My approach is to make sure that my software runs correctly, regardless of which fonts are used. Usually, I use Arial or Tomoha on Windows and Lucida Grande on Mac, because those are default fonts that are always available and are often used in interfaces. If you want to use the same font everywhere, you might want to use Bitstream Vera, which you can include with your software.

If you decide to distribute a font with your software, you could use Installer Maker to install the font correctly.

Kind regards,

Mark

[townsend]

Thanks Guglielmo-- that's exactly what I was looking for.

And Mark-- YES-- I will definitively be using Installer Maker!