What is the name of the default font

[ChristianH]

I like the default font of a text inserted. But I have no idea what name it is. If I open the "Text and Font" property editor the font family is "sans-serif" which is not really helpfull if I want to search for such a font within Word or any other program 

So any idea how to determine the "real" font-family name?

Thank you.

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

Uummm.....  I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

In Inkscape, the default font is any font you choose.  It sounds like the default-default font (on a brand new installation) is sans serif.  But you can choose any font you want as your default.  Just type some text.  Than browse through the list (in the Text and Font dialog).  Choose which font you want, choose which size you want, and click "Set as default" button.

Then, the next time you start typing with the Text tool, it will be typing in your default font.

[Lazur]

The default sans-serif is specific to your operating system. It varies in between -linux uses liberation serif as far as I know, not sure about win.
As of win's display font is segoe, before that it was arial. Sorry I'm not a font wiz here, just writing from my memory without testing.

Edit: win 10 uses dejavu sans on my machine.

[Moini]

I think there's a font identifying website somewhere - you upload a screenshot, and it tells you what font it can be. Perhaps google for it.

[Lazur]

Just came across this:

On my Windows 7 computer, the defaults in Inkscape are are:

Sans-Serif: Verdana
Serif: New Times Roman
Monospace: Courier New

Here's how I found out the default fonts:
1. Create an Inkscape file that uses the default fonts
2. Save the file as a PDF
3. Open the PDF in Adobe
4. Go to File > Properties
5. Click on the "Fonts" tab and look at the fonts used in the document.

[brynn]

I didn't think that generic "sans serif" had any real meaning.  I thought it was....I want to say "family" but I don't think that's the word I'm looking for.  But I didn't think it was actually a font.  However, it seems that I can indeed type with it....

If I type with it (on Windows 7), and compare to the same size (and line spacing) as Verdana, they are very close, but not identical.

Placing one on top of the other, it appears perhaps the only difference is kerning.  However, notice the capital Q, J, and I are quite different.

The red is "sans serif", the black is Verdana.

Edit
I'm not sure about that technique of using Adobe Reader to determine what type of font is being used.  Maybe Adobe Reader has just chosen Verdana because it's the closest?  Which option did the user choose when they saved as PDF?

[brynn]

Here is it with zoom.

[Moini]

Well, yes, these are different fonts....

[brynn]

Yes, that was my point.  I don't think Verdana is the font which Inkscape identifies as "sans serif".

It seems very strange to me that Inkscape provides this more or less generic font.  There's no such font installed on Windows for me, called sans serif.  "sans serif" is a description or category of fonts (without serif), not the name of an actual font.

[Lazur]

Ok so it's not verdana. It still varies with operating system and as you pointed out even confuses pdf viewers. That alone confirms using the "default font" -font familyspecified only as sans serif- is not just bad because you don't know the exact font, but also because the pdf viewer takes only a closest guess.

With a bit of further searching a css sans-serif font family pointer gives different results with different browsers on the same system as well -so not saving as pdf wouldn't get closer to a solution either.
From this chart it seems arial is used most likely on windows.
It was the default system font before vista so it might as well be segoe ui?
(Again, haven't checked.)

[brynn]

What is the Preferences window at the link you gave showing the system defaults?  I'd look it up, but it's not clear which Preference window it is.  Searching for it....

Edit
By the look of that Preferences window, it's options for a browser....

[Lazur]

Seems like a win xp screenshot. Probably outdated on win 7.

[brynn]

I've found font settings under Internet Options, but nothing for all of Windows system....yet....

Ooohh, just thought of something....

Edit
I found the place where I can change the font, like for the title bar or message boxes, or menu bar, or different things like that.  It offers me all my installed fonts.  But I don't know if those would be considered default fonts, because I could theoretically set different fonts for different features.

This place is only available if you choose a particular display theme, and is NOT available for the aero themes (which came on the scene in Windows 7, I think).

Still looking for system default....

[brynn]

Found a button to Restore Default Font Settings.  Doesn't look like it's going to tell me what the font is, if I click it.

Even though Windows 10 is supposed to be the first step towards taking Windows to the cloud, I think in some ways, Windows 7 was where some things started.  I'm wondering if this info is just hidden for Windows 7 and on?

[flamingolady]

I'm on Win 7.  The weird thing is, there IS a font called Sans Serif, when you look at the font list it's there, but when you go to find it in the Windows\font dir, it's not listed. I even used Commander file mgr just to ensure there's no 'sans serif' hidden font, it's not there, so I think Sans Serif is a hidden system file in one of those hidden places that windows can't see and it will not let you delete (I know this because I tried to delete some of these fonts).  In my recent font dealings (and having crashed the Word font), and also in deleting some fonts, I've seen there are several system fonts which can't be deleted by any means that I can tell. 
I don't see any places to chg the default at all. All I know is that I have to set the font in each and every new Inkscape file.

[Moini]

Sans serif is just the alias that is used to identify the fallback font for those cases when people ask for a font without those little serif hooks. It's probably possible to change it, and to have all programs that use that alias switch to the changed font.

[flamingolady]

Actually it IS a font, a system font.  here's a link to the explanation.  Looks like it was the old Helv (helvetica I think), now it's a TTF (True Type font), and the kerning and some of the glyphs are a little different.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Sans_Serif

[brynn]

No, Microsoft San Serif is a different font.  It's the one I use for my default font in Inkscape.  Both Microsoft Sans Serif and "sans serif" are in the text menu.  MS Sans Serif is even more different from "san serif" than Verdana.

I'm stymied on finding some kind of system default font for windows.  Probably would have to ask a developer.

Sans serif is just the alias that is used to identify the fallback font for those cases when people ask for a font without those little serif hooks.

I'm not sure what you mean.  There are all kinds of sans serif fonts (tons) which can be recommended.  I can actually type with this Inkscape "sans serif". 

I think the op has a point.  If you can type with "sans serif" it ought to have a name.  Either Inkscape uses only installed fonts, or it needs to have a name for this "sans serif" font.

For the record, there's also a generic "serif" font which also doesn't appear as something installed in Windows.

I guess it's hard to see, but I put the 3 fonts on top of each other, in different colors.

[Lazur]

Ok, checked.
DejaVu Sans is the sans serif in inkscape on this win 10 I'm using.

[brynn]

Where did you find it?

[Lazur]

Inside inkscape. Typed it and was matching. For reference, went online and looked up dejavusans to confirm dejavusans isn't displayed with a fallback to the win default sans-serif font. And it is matching without doubt.
The "," character alone can confirm the match, and by your previous image it looks dejavusans is the default font on your machine as well.

[brynn]

Oh, I thought you found it in Windows.

But I still don't understand.  Why provide Dejavu Sans under the name "sans serif" when Dejavu Sans is already available under "Dejavu Sans"?  Most of the time, what developers do has some purpose behind it.  But I don't get what benefit this ("sans-serif" font) provides.

Or, why that's what's showing when you first enable the Text tool.  Wouldn't it make more sense to show your chosen default font?  I mean, of all the reasons one might be using the Text tool - what's the likelihood you want to use the Windows default font.  I mean, as hard as it is to find, how does anyone know what the Windows default font is in the first place?

[Lazur]

As far as I understand it's similar to the "unspecied fill".
"You did not specify a font but you'd still type your text first? There you go, only sans-serif font family is specified; let your operating system or browser or pdf viewer select a fallback font".

Unspecied fill gets rendered as if it was specified full black. Similarly unspecified font is rendered with another font.

[brynn]

Hhm, I haven't heard of unspecified fill.  Unless you mean Unset?  But Unset has only a couple of uncommon specific uses.

[Lazur]

Yes, unset. It is quite common with groups though.