Microsoft is betting big on screen typography with its new ClearType Font Collection, a suite of six typefaces designed specifically for LCD displays. The fonts, optimized for Microsoft's ClearType subpixel rendering technology, will ship with the upcoming Longhorn operating system in late 2006. ClearType uses RGB subpixel rendering to achieve sharper text on LCD screens by taking advantage of the individual color stripes in each pixel.

This marks a significant shift from traditional print-focused fonts to screen-first typography. The collection includes Calibri, Cambria, Candara, Consolas, Constantia, and Corbel - all featuring humanist italics, large character sets including Greek and Cyrillic, and a uniform lack of near-horizontal strokes that cause rendering problems. The fonts share a slightly condensed width and high x-height (except for Constantia), making them well-suited for on-screen reading.

The technology behind ClearType has evolved since its 2000 debut, with the Longhorn version adding y-direction antialiasing and 1/6 pixel spacing accuracy. While Microsoft's dominant market position ensures these fonts will appear on countless screens in the coming years, designers note they're optimized for display rather than print. John Hudson's Constantia stands out as the only typeface designed to work equally well in both mediums, drawing inspiration from Perpetua while maintaining excellent screen readability.