Underlining issues

Question

Underlining issues

I am using Pages 2.0.2 to do a program for a play. I am using the American Typewriter font which does not have an italic counterpart (yes, I know they sell one, but to my mind, it doesn't look like the same font, although the 2 do look nice together). This means that I have to underline some things that I would normally put in italics, like the titles of other plays the actors have been in. My problem is that I can't get Pages to give me a black underline. It will give me the default gray or various other colors, but not black. The gray is so light as to be barely visible when I print. Is there any way to make it either a) darker or b) bigger so that it will show up better? Or should I just change my font?

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Jan 23, 2007 4:22 PM

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Answer 1

DennisG

Level 5

6,520 points

Jan 23, 2007 4:38 PM in response to twirlingelephants

twirl,

Yeah, I see what you mean. I was able to make a slight improvement, the operative word being "slight." Highlight some text you want underlined, then open up the font window. Click on that "T" button, and select Double from the menu. In that typeface, that seems to double the thickness of the line (making it easier to see), although it doesn't darken it.

Really, though, I think you'd be better off with Courier or some other typewriter font you might have.

-Dennis

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Answer 2

Jan 23, 2007 4:48 PM in response to DennisG

Yeah, I see what you mean by "slight". Better than nothing, but not a whole lot.

Really, though, I think you'd be better off with
Courier or some other typewriter font you might
have.

That's what I was afraid of. I tried using Courier, but IMO it didn't look as nice. Maybe I'll just have to use the American Typewriter Italic instead. I was going for an old-fashioned newspaper look (our school is doing "D * Yankees" and I wanted to get that newspaper feel), but ironically the newer American Typewriter font looks better than the old fashioned Courier.

Thanks for your help.

Nancy

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 3

Walt K

Level 4

2,946 points

Jan 23, 2007 7:07 PM in response to twirlingelephants

Nancy,

In the font window click on the first box at the top left, the one with the T underlined, and you will be presented with the following choices for an underline: None, Single, Double, and Color. If the underline is not black enough, use the Color choice to darken it (or make it any color you like, it doesn't have to be the same color as the text, though in this case you want it the same).

Break a leg.

Walt

(EDIT) I'm not referring Font Book, but the window you get from the Tool Bar.

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Answer 4

Kurt Weber

Level 6

13,969 points

Jan 23, 2007 7:06 PM in response to twirlingelephants

Mess of free typewriter fonts here:

Fancy > Typewriter fonts | dafont.com

Kurt

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Answer 5

DennisG

Level 5

6,520 points

Jan 24, 2007 6:55 AM in response to Walt K

Walt,

I tried that, and it has no effect on the darkness of the underline with that particular face.

-Dennis

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Answer 6

DennisG

Level 5

6,520 points

Jan 24, 2007 6:57 AM in response to twirlingelephants

Nancy,

I could certainly be wrong about this, but I don't think newspapers, past or present, used a typewriter-like face for their headlines. I always thought newspapers used sans serif faces.

If these are available on your computer, take a look at Lucida Sans Typewriter and Playbill.

-Dennis

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Answer 7

Jan 24, 2007 7:45 AM in response to DennisG

I could certainly be wrong about this, but I don't
think newspapers, past or present, used a
typewriter-like face for their headlines. I always
thought newspapers used sans serif faces.

Dennis,
Actually, today's L.A. Daily News has a sans serif face for their largest headlines, and serif faces for the smaller headlines and the articles. But I'm really going for feel, not authenticity. After all, it's theatre! Anyway, in the end, it's all going to depend on what the director wants.

Kurt,
Thanks for the referral to dafont.com. It looks like there's a lot of choice there. Maybe I'll find something better than what I have.

And if either of you want to come see a great middle school production of D * Yankees, you'll be more than welcome. Just be sure to mention to me how fabulous the program looks! grin

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 8

Tulse

Level 5

5,812 points

Jan 24, 2007 7:48 AM in response to DennisG

There are a wide variety of "vintage" style fonts, many free, available from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Several might be helpful for this kind of project. For example, "HPLHS-Headline One" is a replica of real newspaper headline type. It has the look of lead type of the era, with softly rounded corners, slightly uneven spacing, and a bit of distressing. It looks great. And "HPLHS-OldStyle1" is a font revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s, and it would be very suitable for doing body type in a vintage newspaper (there is also an italic version available). All of these can be had for free (and there are many additional fonts to be had there for a very nominal fee - 49 fonts in all for $20).

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