<p>
- The style of handwriting currently taught in New Zealand is specified in
- <em>Teaching Handwriting</em>, a Ministry of Education publication, which was developed
- in response to teachers’ requests for guidance on the style of handwriting that
- should be taught in primary school. Teachers and schools usually create their
- own resources for handwriting instruction based on the style advocated in this
- document. It was first released in 1985 and again in digital format in 2008.
- Even though <em>Teaching Handwriting</em> outlines a progressive handwriting system that
- advances from simplified print script to cursive writing, sometimes teachers
- will not teach the latter if it is not practical given their students' learning
- levels and other curriculum needs.
-</p>
-<p>
- Playwrite New Zealand is a variable font with a weight range from Thin (100) to
- Regular (400), and supports over 150 Latin-based languages.
- It has a single-weight sibling with Guides,
- <a href="https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playwrite+NZ+Guides">Playwrite NZ Guides</a>,
- designed to harmonize seamlessly with this main font while providing a
- visual aid for primary school children.
+ The style of handwriting currently taught in New Zealand is specified in <em>Teaching Handwriting</em>, a Ministry of Education publication, which was originally developed in response to teachers’ requests for guidance on the style of handwriting that should be taught in primary school. Teachers and schools usually create their own resources for handwriting instruction based on the style advocated in this document. It was first released in 1985 and its latest iteration was released in 2025. <em>Teaching Handwriting</em> outlines a progressive handwriting education system that advances from simplified print script to semi-joined cursive writing.
</p>
+<p>
+ Playwrite New Zealand was updated in 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Education of New Zealand. It is a variable font with a weight range from Thin (100) to Regular (400), and supports over 150 Latin-based languages. It has a single-weight sibling with Guides, <a href="https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playwrite+NZ+Guides">Playwrite NZ Guides</a>, designed to harmonize seamlessly with this main font while providing a visual aid for primary school children. The alphabet for earlier education stages is called <a href="https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playwrite+NZ+Basic">Playwrite NZ Basic</a>.
+</p>
+
<p>
To contribute, see
<a href="https://github.com/TypeTogether/Playwrite/">
github.com/TypeTogether/Playwrite</a>.
</p>
-<hr/>
-<img src="Playwrite-New-Zealand-1.png"/>
+<hr />
+<img src="Playwrite-NZ_1.png" />
+
<h4>Playwrite New Zealand characteristics</h4>
+
<p>
- This modern cursive style is extremely fast and slanted, featuring simplified
- print-style uppercase letters. Notable are the open 'G' without a crossbar, a
- serifed 'I', and a 'Y' with a slanted stem. The lowercase letters are
- semi-connected, exhibiting a very fast and angular construction typical of
- modern cursive styles based on italic forms. The letter 'f' has a straight
- descender, and 'q' is distinguished by a short exit stroke that serves as a
- finial, enhancing the dynamic and streamlined appearance of the script.
+ This modern cursive style is extremely fast and slanted, featuring simplified print-style uppercase letters. Notable are the open 'G' without a crossbar, a serifed 'I', and a 'Y' with a slanted stem. The lowercase letters are semi-connected, exhibiting a very fast and angular construction typical of modern cursive styles based on italic forms. The letter 'f' does not have a descender, and 'q' is distinguished by a short exit stroke that serves as a finial, enhancing the dynamic and streamlined appearance of the script.
</p>
-<img src="Playwrite-New-Zealand-3.png"/>
+<img src="Playwrite-NZ_3.png" />
<h4>Family name in font menus</h4>
<p>
Playwrite New-Zealand appears in font menus with a two-letter country code
The download .zip file includes the variable font and standard static ttf fonts
for each style.
</p>
-<img src="Playwrite-New-Zealand-2.png"/>
+<img src="Playwrite-NZ_2.png" />
+
<h3>Playwrite fonts for schools</h3>
<p>
The Playwrite school fonts are based on the findings of Primarium, a
<a href="https://primarium.info/countries/new-zealand/">
primarium.info/countries/new-zealand</a>.
</p>
-<hr/>
+<hr />
+
<h4>How to install the fonts?</h4>
+
<p>
-<strong>Windows:</strong> Download the font file to your computer. Navigate to
+ <strong>Windows:</strong> Download the font file to your computer. Navigate to
where you saved the font file and double-click it to open. Click the "Install"
button at the top of the font preview window. The font is now installed and
ready to be used across your apps.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>macOS:</strong> After downloading the font file to your Mac,
- right-click it in Finder and select "Open With" > "Font Book". Then, click
+ <strong>macOS:</strong> After downloading the font file to your Mac,
+ right-click it in Finder and select "Open With" > "Font Book". Then, click
"Install Font" in the font preview window that pops up. The font is now
installed and ready to be used across your apps.
</p>
+
<h4>How to use the fonts in apps?</h4>
+
<p>
The Playwrite font family uses complex OpenType features to generate connected
writing. Some common applications require these features to be manually
will automatically generate low-quality styles.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>Google Docs and Slides:</strong> From the font selector drop-down, go to "More Fonts"
+ <strong>Google Docs and Slides:</strong> From the font selector drop-down, go to "More Fonts"
and search for the desired font name, in this case, "Playwrite NZ", and click OK.
If some text is already selected, the font choice will apply.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>Microsoft Word:</strong> Go to Format in the Menu bar, select Font, and
+ <strong>Microsoft Word:</strong> Go to Format in the Menu bar, select Font, and
then the Advanced tab. Activate "Contextual Alternates" and "Kerning for fonts
below" to apply these settings to all text sizes.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>LibreOffice:</strong> In macOS, to select the different styles, go to
+ <strong>LibreOffice:</strong> In macOS, to select the different styles, go to
Format in the Menu bar, select Character, and use the Typeface menu.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>Adobe InDesign:</strong> Open the Paragraph Panel and select Adobe
+ <strong>Adobe InDesign:</strong> Open the Paragraph Panel and select Adobe
"World-Ready Paragraph Composer" from the contextual menu.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>Adobe Illustrator:</strong> Navigate to Preferences > Type, check the
+ <strong>Adobe Illustrator:</strong> Navigate to Preferences > Type, check the
"Show Indic Options" box, and close preferences. Then open the Paragraph Panel
and select "Middle Eastern Composer" from the contextual menu.
</p>
<p>
-<strong>Adobe Photoshop:</strong> Access the Paragraph Panel, then choose
+ <strong>Adobe Photoshop:</strong> Access the Paragraph Panel, then choose
"World-Ready Layout" from the contextual menu.
</p>
<p>
projects / thirdparty / google / fonts.git / commitdiff
