Posted by otobrglez 1 day ago
Also there are so many fonts in the repository. How do I decide which to install?
My questions show ignorance, but I want to understand.
The M is 1/2 of an M wide?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em_(typography)
it seems the width of an M should be exactly equal to the x-height in points (IIUC).
But let's look at the font used here on HN. Sure, it's monospace, but it's not particularly thin. Mx ... the x-height is pretty close the em-width. So that quote should probably read "for our idea of typical serif fonts".
The part you'd all be interested is the table at the bottom: ideal font size to get the most out of your favorite code font, but also ordered by font size (for maximum code density on screen while still being readable).
Even though vector fonts are, well, vectors and not bitmaps, they often are fuzzy or misshapen at some sizes. The only way to objectively judge a font is to view it at it's best. Some fonts are objectively bad.
Iosevka is my daily driver, but not the most dense font on the list.