Print Font Samples: Catalogs, Characters and Size Proofs

Apple’s Font Book viewing and printing guide documents selecting one or more fonts and choosing File > Print. Its Catalog report gives sample lines, Repertoire shows the available glyphs, and Waterfall compares multiple sizes. Show Family includes styles in a Catalog; Show Font Details adds information to a Waterfall. These are different reports for different questions, rather than three equivalent ways to print the same alphabet.

For a family comparison, print a complete heading, a paragraph and a line containing names, numbers and punctuation. Keep the wording and intended size consistent between candidates. Label the exact style rather than writing only a broad family name. For a size study, keep the family fixed and compare the smallest supporting line alongside the main heading. Review the actual print at its intended scale before deciding that thin details or small enclosed spaces will remain clear.

Use a character report when checking whether an accented letter or symbol exists, and a sentence proof when judging how the selected characters work together. Neither sheet alone establishes every application feature or printing condition. Inter and Source Serif 4 are real independent families for an original comparison. The homepage tool for copyable styled wording changes Unicode characters; it does not print installed-font catalogs or transfer a font into a document. For organizing the selected resources on a Mac, see the Font Book management guide.