Where did that font come from?

Sometimes I'll look at a font and wonder where it came from- Did a piece of software install it? Did someone send it to me?

Here is a list of fonts installed with Microsoft Office. And another good page on MS's website about fonts included with other products and typography in general.

Adobe has an extensive type library. Many of the best original font desings are theirs, but you can find knock-offs. The other great source is Monotype Corp. Sure there are lots of free fonts out there, but you get what you pay for.

Years ago I helped design a font for a user interface. It's a fun but tedious process. You have to hand-tweak every letter and make sure that all possible combinations of text look natural. Here's a company, Ascender Corporation who has done similar work.