The Helvetica of the terminal?
November 12, 2011 6:25 PM   Subscribe

Help me find a truly beautiful fixed-width typeface that scream TERMINAL and that doesn't cost me a comical sum of money!

So I have taken to using terminal to write. All the fixed-width typefaces that I've seen that I can use are kind of really ugly.
What are some splendidly well designed fixed-width typefaces?

Bonus points if it's a sans-serif!
posted by ooklala to Computers & Internet (14 answers total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Andale Mono is a classic. Consolas is a hybrid that looks pretty nice. Monaco is another great alternative. DejaVu Sans Mono, Inconsolata and Droid Sans Mono are well-designed and free.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:35 PM on November 12, 2011


Programmers tend to use this sort of font a lot, there's a pretty good roundup at Coding Horror. I like Consolas (and it's ubuntu knockoff inconsolata), but your tastes may vary.
posted by jenkinsEar at 6:36 PM on November 12, 2011


Inconsolata is not an Ubuntu knockoff of Consolas.

It's a very good font inspired by a selection of the greatest work in font history, and also Consolas. The designer gives it away for free. Ubuntu may happen to use it these days, I don't know. Website.

It's probably the font the OP is looking for.
posted by krilli at 6:42 PM on November 12, 2011


Inconsolata is not an Ubuntu knockoff of Consolas.

Excellent, good to know- I made an assumption, since it seemed derivative,and I'd only seen it on my ubuntu box. Thanks for the info!
posted by jenkinsEar at 6:50 PM on November 12, 2011


You might also give Terminus a try as another option.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 6:52 PM on November 12, 2011 [1 favorite]


Consolas is what you want if you're going to stare at it all day because you're a programmer. If you're using it for a decorative purpose, might I suggest OCR A Extended as looking definitively computer-y?
posted by ob1quixote at 7:02 PM on November 12, 2011


Mark Simonson designed the well-regarded sans-serif Anonymous Pro font especially for coders. I like it a lot for that purpose; it also has the benefit of being free.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 7:05 PM on November 12, 2011 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Perhaps I should have said this in the question but I am not a coder and I know about (and have used) Consolas (and all the other fixed-width typefaces on Wikipedia) and it's not really what I am looking for. I'm looking for something that would look amazing outside of the console, basically. Something like Wim Crouwel's Gridnik. (which is sadly impossible to find)
posted by ooklala at 8:33 PM on November 12, 2011


I'm looking for something that would look amazing outside of the console, basically.

Audimat Mono?
posted by en forme de poire at 9:27 PM on November 12, 2011


Pragmata Pro
posted by tepidmonkey at 9:34 PM on November 12, 2011 [1 favorite]


Droid Sans Mono

Good in the terminal, beautiful outside the terminal. And free.
posted by CrystalDave at 9:50 PM on November 12, 2011


Anything useful on this page?

http://www.flickr.com/groups/type/discuss/72157594411132298/
posted by epo at 7:41 AM on November 13, 2011


Best answer: Not free, but Nitti is beautiful. As used in the appropriately pretty Writer.
posted by Magnakai at 8:27 AM on November 13, 2011 [1 favorite]


The sample of Gridnik on the wikipedia page is clearly not a fixed-width font. The "ij" pair is kerned and the "w" is wide. You may not be looking for what you think you are looking for.
posted by chairface at 11:48 AM on November 13, 2011 [1 favorite]


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