Font

This C# type represents a typeface. We create an instance of the Font type with its constructor. The System.Drawing namespace is required.

We use the reference returned by the Font constructor to specify typefaces in Windows Forms programs. We can use Font anywhere we have System.Drawing.

Constructor

This example is a Windows Forms program and its uses the simplest Font constructor. We use the Font constructor in Form1_Load.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Font font = new Font("Times New Roman", 12.0f);

            // Set Font property and then add a new Label.
            this.Font = font;
            this.Controls.Add(new Label() { Text = "Dot Net Perls" });
            this.Size = new Size(300, 200);
        }
    }
}

FontStyle, FontFamily

FontFamily describes a specific family of fonts, such as the "Times New Roman" family. No style, size, or other information is part of the FontFamily.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            FontFamily family = new FontFamily("Times New Roman");

            Font font = new Font(family, 16.0f,
                FontStyle.Bold | FontStyle.Italic | FontStyle.Underline);

            // Set Font property.
            this.Font = font;
            this.Controls.Add(new Label() { Text = "Dot Net Perls", Width = 250 });
            this.Size = new Size(300, 200);
        }
    }
}

Font exists

Here we develop code that chooses the best font for a program. Windows Forms will not create a font that does not exist—we can test for this condition.

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        SetFontFinal();
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void SetFontFinal()
    {
        string fontName = "Cambria";
        Font testFont = new Font(fontName, 16.0f, FontStyle.Regular,
                                 GraphicsUnit.Pixel);

        if (testFont.Name == fontName)
        {
            // The font exists, so use it.
            this.Font = testFont;
        }
        else
        {
            // The font we tested doesn't exist, so fallback to Times.
            this.Font = new Font("Times New Roman", 16.0f,
                                 FontStyle.Regular, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
        }
    }
}

Bold, italic, underline

The Font type also provides the properties Bold, Italic, and Underline. These properties are read-only. You can access them to determine the styles set on the Font.

Font.Style

The Style property will tell you what styles are set on the Font instance, but you cannot mutate them. Instead, you can create a new Font with the constructor.

FontFamily

FontFamily represents families of fonts separately from their styles. Suppose you use the font "Times New Roman" in several different sizes and styles in your program.

The Font type is useful in graphical programs. It cannot represent colors of fonts, but it does store information about styles, sizes and typefaces.