SOME USAGE HINTS FOR DingMaps and EZBorder ------------------------- -- DingMaps -- 1. The top row of your keyboard in upper and lower case includes some additional characters of the USA, the world, continents, etc. There is a lot of detail in these characters. Depending on your printer and system (and maybe how nice you are to your computer) some of these characters may not print below 30-point in the TrueType version. In the PostScript version, most of these characters have been eliminated because not only would they not print, but they also generated a general protection fault. These additional characters were not part of the original conception of a DingMaps font. But I always like to include any additional value and capability that I can to a new font. Since the basic premise was a dingbat font of state maps, however many additional characters you have available are just bonus anyhow. 2. The state maps are arranged on the keyboard in alphabetical order starting on the "Q" key and moving right to "P"; beginning again on the next line with the capital letters and then on the third line, again using letters only. After "M", the states continue with "q" through the 50th which is on "b". This is not as hard as it sounds once you try it. To pick out a particular without using a keyboard guide, you just have to format your type for DingMaps and then "home in" by trial and error. For example, if you want Kansas, and you try "J" and get Kentucky, then you know that you just have to move left a key (i.e. to "H") to get the next name up the alphabetic ladder -- replace "J" with "H" and there's Kansas. 3. No, the state characters are not to any universal scale. These characters are not intended for mapmaking. They are expected to be used as highlights in text, replacements for round bullets, and other miscellaneous uses. Many of you will probably use only your own state. 4. All of the state characters are designed on the same em-square. That means that DingMaps is similar to a font with fixed-width characters rather than characters which kern automatically because of their varying width. In usage this means that you can replace one state with another state and it won't change the line placement or width. Or you can use a variety of states instead of bullets on a list; you won't have to manually adjust the spacing to make the text line up because all characters have the same width. -- EZBorder -- 1. There are ten borders included in this font. The styles include checkerboard, rough-edge (Flintstone-y), arrows, marquee, certificate, pearls, deco, postage stamp, jungle and zuni. 2. Each style starts on the numeral keys, proceeds diagonally down three keys to the bottom letter row and then continues on the same four keys with the shift key down. This will not seem confusing after you've made one border. For example, checkerboard starts on the unshifted "1" key and generates the upper left corner of the border. Moving down to the "q" key creates a top horizontal border, repeated to fill out your chosen border width. Next, the "a" makes the upper right corner. (Of course, then you'll do an "Enter" to get to the next line.) Then press the "z" key to make a left vertical. Now you'll need spaces to get to the other side of your frame. The key to the left of the "1" is a common space key which will accurately put blank space in the center of any border. Use this for all border types. It works the same shifted or not. Continuing our example, when you get to the right side of your border, we'll finish by repeating our first four keys, but this time in shifted mode. "!" makes a right vertical. "Q" makes a lower left corner. "A" makes a bottom horizontal. And "Z" makes a lower right corner. The other nine borders follow the same sequence. The zuni border starts on "0" (zero) and ends on "?". 3. Always set these border fonts "solid" (i.e. without leading). This font can probably only be used in a layout program, such as Aldus PageMaker, where you can overlap separate pieces of typography. I wouldn't try Windows Write, for example. (Although I suppose you could print the border on a page and then go back and run it through the printer again to drop in the type from a separate document.) 4. Do some experimenting to learn how to stretch the capabilities of the font. For example, by changing the point size , you change the appearance of the border pattern. Of course you'll have to add or delete lines of border type in the middle depending on whether you reduce or enlarge the apparent pattern. Reverses work, but naturally you'll need a background for the border to be visible upon. Mixing and matching patterns? I'm not so sure -- I'll leave that up to you! Have fun!

ABOUT YOUR FREE FONTS ... AND 35HEADS ... AND MORE! Please read this file. It tells you: How to install your new fonts! (Not really very difficult.) What our rights and obligations are! (Not much actually. It is just a font, after all.) How to get another 35+ fonts at ridiculously cheap prices! (Ah! Here's something of value -- to you AND me.) HINT If this line starts running off the end of your computer screen, right about now, then you need to look at this in an editor/processor with word-wrap capabilities. INSTALLATION For TrueType installation, simply open the Windows 3.1 Control Panel, click on "Fonts," and follow the normal procedure to add each font. If this is the first time you have added TrueType fonts to your system, you may need to check your Windows manual. YOUR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS These free fonts are provided as shareware. However, you have already fulfilled your obligation by receiving the complete archived file which includes the fonts and the promotional information about other fonts which you may purchase. For having received and read these files, you may use the free fonts for as long as you wish. You have unlimited rights to use these fonts in any form your software can use it ... except to re-create font files. You may not do anything with the complete font file itself except install it, make backup copies, and let your software use it to format and create characters. You may not convert the font to another format and re-distribute it. Your installation and use of the free fonts signifies your acceptance of these terms. MY RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS These fonts are distributed in the belief that it will be useful, but without any express warranty including even the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. I retain ownership of the creation of these font files and rights of distribution of these fonts in any form. ------------------------------------- 35HEADS -- QUALITY FONTS, REAL CHEAP! If you enjoy these fonts, then read the following offer! It's your chance to get more than 35 high-quality fonts for next to nothing (... less than half a buck a font). WHAT FONTS ARE AVAILABLE? There are more than 35 fonts in the complete package. There are fun fonts, traditional (but seldom-seen) fonts, very bold fonts, light fonts -- in a wide range of designs. Why don't you take a look now? Copy the file SEE35HDS.EXE to some temporary directory that has about 350,000 bytes available. "Run" the file. It will self-extract into a Windows CardFile file. Use Windows CardFile software to take a look at all the fonts in the package. You'll also find some additional technical information and details not included here. All of the fonts are intended for use in larger sizes. As headline type. As decorative type. For use in logo and other design work. Hence the name "35HEADS." Some of the fonts are readable in text sizes all the way down to 5-point. But you probably already have standard text fonts, such as Times or Helvetica, which will work better for paragraphs of body copy. All of the fonts are kerned and hinted. WHERE DID THESE FONTS COME FROM? I've been in advertising and design for twenty years and jumped from drafting table to PC five years ago. I had been wanting an Egyptian Bold Condensed font for Windows, but couldn't find any available. So two years ago, I sat down one weekend and created the font in CorelDraw!. I spent a lot of time working the bugs out of the font-generating system. I released that font, which I named "Cairo," into the freeware market and became famous. (Well, semi-semi-famous.) (Due to another font distributor's use of the name Cairo, I have since re-named the revised/hinted/kerned version "Akenaten.") With the bugs worked out, I then created another font, and another. Suddenly I had 15 fonts and started selling the whole package for ridiculously cheap prices. (Well, semi-ridiculous.) Soon, I had gotten up to 25 different fonts. (It's like peeling wallpaper. You get started and you can't stop.) And the ridiculously cheap income kept me in new software, hardware upgrades and an occasional dinner out. And this year the income bought me Fontographer for the PC. I had sworn that I was done with font-making when I finished the first 25. Now here we are talking about 35HEADS. I have always tried to create fonts that were not available in computer-usable format. Occasionally, after I've created a font, I learn that it is available elsewhere, though certainly not at the low prices you'll pay me. Some are not available in any electronic form. My complete package of fonts will not be available through any other source. The whole package will not be released into the public domain. There's only one way to get 'em, and it'll cost you less than half a buck per font. WHY SO CHEAP? I'm often on the buying end of software, just like you. Now I'm selling ... so rather than ask $10 or even $5 for each font that's already been created, I'm asking less than a dollar! I'm not getting rich, but maybe I'll get compensated for the weeks I've put in creating the fonts. I don't have a giant investment to recover. I've been in marketing long enough to know that the traditional wisdom is to charge whatever the market will bear. Well, I don't have to answer to anyone except my own conscience this time. And it says to charge a reasonable amount and then be happy that people are finding value in my efforts and putting the results to good use. (Sorry if that sounds sappy, but it's nice to be honest.) IF THEY'RE THAT CHEAP, ARE THEY ANY GOOD? Yes. Take a close look at the free fonts you've installed. Print a "type showing" or something else using them. If you're happy with these, you'll be happy with the others. Thousands of users are currently using my fonts. They include CompuServe and America OnLine downloaders of the free fonts (like you have right now) plus purchasers of the complete font packages. These fonts were carefully crafted, character by character, in CorelDraw! and Fontographer. All fonts include kerning pairs and hinting. Many of the shareware fonts out of this package have been included with a half-dozen books over the past year. The subject of the books ranged from font-problem-solving to WordPerfect to Word for Windows and even Windows itself. The fonts included were selected from the shareware group of my fonts. But the main 35HEADS package of 30+ additional fonts was only available to readers by ordering, just like you can do now. 25FONTS was favorably reviewed in WindowsUser magazine last year receiving 3