What to Do About Text
When you are designing a FileMaker solution for mobile devices, you move into a world that you cannot control as tightly as you can with desktop-based systems. If you use web publishing, you are at the mercy of the specific browser and operating system installation when it comes to available fonts. For iPhone and iPad, you are still at the mercy of the devices, but you have a bit more control in that you know the available fonts.
On the web, designers have gotten used to using fonts that they know will be available in all environments. This provides predictable stability and, in some cases, a bit of boredom when it comes to typography design. Although the collections of fonts on iPhone and iPad are likely to change over time, the current rosters of fonts on those devices are included later in this section. You can safely use those in your FileMaker layouts for FileMaker Go; layouts presented on those devices through Safari and Bento often work properly with those fonts. So, go ahead and design the interface you want with a bit more visual excitement than Helvetica.
These are the fonts available for iPhone and iPod touch:
- Arial
- Arial Rounded MT Bold
- Courier
- Courier New
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- Helvetica Neue
- Times New Roman
- Trebuchet MS
- Verdana
- Cochin
These are the fonts for iPad:
- Arial
- Arial Rounded MT Bold
- Courier
- Courier New
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- Helvetica Neue
- Times New Roman
- Trebuchet MS
- Verdana
- Academy Engraved LET
- Baskerville
- Chalkduster
- Optima
- Palatino
- Gill Sans
- Futura
- Cochin
- Snell RoundHand
- Didot