Dingbat Fonts

Dingbat fonts are cool, fun fonts that use symbols or pictures rather than letters. So, if you type the letter "a" with a dingbat font, you won't get the letter "a" - you'll get a Geisha, a Statue or a sealife image:

           
Why would you want a dingbat font you ask? I use them exactly like clip-art in my artwork, and they can be resized and colored very easily as you can see above. And, unlike clip art, you can enlarge these without degrading the image. While I would never do away with my stamps, I frequently have a need for a picture that I know I won't use often, or need a particular sized image but my stamp is either too large or too small. Enter dingbat fonts.

This is also a great idea for scrapbookers, as you can easily make your own borders, background papers and stickers or tags with these images.

Most Windows programs come with Web Dings or Wingdings fonts which have cute little symbols and decorations that can be used to jazz up your pages. However, there are some amazing, intricate dingbat fonts out there, using beautiful, artistic images. Here are a few more samples. Each was printed out using font size 149, and from left to right are Ladies of the 20's, Poptics One Extras, and Tiffany Corners:

           

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When dingbat font designers prepare the font, they assign a symbol or picture to each letter of the alphabet and then convert each of these images (by some magical process which we'll discuss in a future issue!) into an actual font. Some designers use both the upper- and lower-case letters, while others use just one or the other.

This is where the program X-Fonter I discussed last month comes in handy. (check last month's article). I open X-Fonter, Browse to the appropriate font folder I created, and I'm able to see all the pictures associated with that font. I can also tell whether the designer has used upper and/or lower-case letters. If regular letters, or rectangles appear, it indicates that there is no dingbat for that letter. The first sample shows dingbats for small and capital letters as well as numbers, while the second sample shows just the small letters used. Those rectangles indicate there is no image for that letter. In the third sample, only letters a - l were used - you can see that there are no images for the other small letters and capitals.

           

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I also print out a sample sheet of each font and file it in a three-ring binder that I keep on my desk. This is another way that makes it very easy to choose the image you want and know which letter it has been assigned to. Click here to download my sample sheet as a Word document. To create a sheet for a specific font, open the sample in Word. Click on the second line of letters (the large ones) to highlight, and change that line to the appropriate dingbat font. I usually use a size of 48 or larger so I can easily see the detail. Finish the sheet by clicking every other line and changing it to the dingbat font. An almost completed sheet is shown to the right.

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I made a card using two dings from the Egyptian font - the main image is small letter "j" in size 221, and the border is made by typing 4 small letter "p's", size 68. I had previouly made the colorful backgrounds by sponging metallic acrylic paint onto cardstock, and I finished the card with eyelets and some perfectly colored fiber from Fibers by the Yard.

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I had some fun with this card using the adorable Mini Pics Lil Pictures Dingbat font. This is a purchased font, but you can find many similar dingbat fonts at no charge at (House of Lime)or (Dingbat Fonts) These would be great on a Zoo layout, as well as the card I did. I created four rectangles and purposely made the images just a little larger than the rectangles so when I cut them out, the tails and some noses go beyond the border. The Letter and hot pink decorative buttons are from Junkitz.

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While you can color and size these fonts in Word, I don't think it's possible to add a gradient to a font (if anyone knows of a way, please email me). If you don't have a graphics program, you can use X-Fonter to apply the gradient, then save the image as a .jpg file. Click the first picture below for directions.

You can also apply a gradient to the background, while leaving your font a solid color. Directions are on the same pop-up window.

     

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There are some great Dingbat font sites out there, but my all-time favorite is House of Lime. She has some of the most wonderful and decorative fonts available - Geisha, Ladies of the 20's, Egyptian, Tiffany Corners and Sealife shown above are all from House of Lime. The link takes you to the home page so you can read the Terms of Use before clicking on the Dings link.

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I hope you have as much fun with dingbat fonts as I do. As always, please email me if you have any questions or comments. Next month, I'll be showing you how to use your fonts to make custom backgrounds.

Dyan Cross
dyancross@ssreflections.com
Captain's First Mate
Editorial Deck Crewmember
S.S. Reflections, Inc.


***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.