Tuesday Morning Computer Fonts Question (Weird!)

Me | 6/24/2025 | Paul R.

[Paul R.]

To forestall many repeats of the same questions:

This is in Windows 10 Pro, Build 19045. (The computer is not used for web browsing except known safe sites like FR.)

The Libre Office Version is 7.4.7.2(x64).

I wanted to use Bahnschrift SemiBold Condensed in some Libre Office Spreadsheet columns, as in Word 2000, where I've used it extensively, it looks great in tables and such where I need to pack in a lot of info. Here it "should" give me more characters in a row of spreadsheet info. / data - and this spreadsheet is already pushing a legal size landscape page. But, as noted, in Libre Office the font does not look very much "condensed" (and it doesn't print preview or print that way either.)

Yes, now I'm looking at other fonts: So far, Arial Narrow (Bold) looks next best (and works as expected in Libre Office). I'm just intrigued and a bit mystified & annoyed as to what's going on with Bahnschrift SemiBold Condensed in Libre Office.

Yes, I'm running Word 2000 and LibreOffice on the same computer. The font info. should be coming from the Windows installation / system in both instances, right? FWIW, the same thing is happening on my wife's computer.

Libre Office is the spreadsheet program both my wife and I are familiar with. (And, she's better at making spreadsheets than I am.)

Word 2000 does almost everything I need to create most non-spreadsheet documents. I occasionally use Libre Office Writer for text docs, but, most I can create faster in Word 2000, perhaps because I've used it for so long! So, don't go off subject and try to talk me out of it! :-)

Thanks in advance!

[ComputerGuy]

How much did you pay for Libre Office?

[Robert DeLong]

I suggest that you ask the Libre Office Spreadsheet creators that question.

[Red Badger]

Not all fonts are supported on every platform Sometimes they just use the next best available........

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

It takes code to render fonts and spacing. The difference is probably having 30 or 40 developers ironing out the details over months, and 2 guys doing it in their basement overnight with a case of Red Bull.

[Steven Scharf]

Since I use Libre Office exclusivly, I cannot replicate your issue.

It does appear to shorten up the text. But I avoid using potetial non compatible fonts.

[Dr. Sivana]

From Brave Search:

LibreOffice font styles (bold, semibold, condensed, etc)
🌐
superuser.com
› questions › 1627384 › libreoffice-font-styles-bold-semibold-condensed-etc
This is a known problem: LibO gets confused when a font offers many weights or shapes. Try to remove the ones you don’t need and see if the needed one show up.

BTW, WHY do you want to use a variable spaced typeface in a spreadsheet? If you are lining up numbers, MONOspaced typefaces are MUCH better. Microsoft is notoriously skimpy on monospaced typefaces included, and they do NOT have to all look like Courier.

I use Letter Goth 12, but there is also Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, and Microsoft Aptos Mono, and many others.

[T.B. Yoits]

You may need to change the Character Spacing from Normal to Condensed.

[minnesota_bound]

I use the Quicksand Medium font for my desktop icon and Word 2021 Notepad text and XYplorer font - XYplorer file manager is the best https://www.xyplorer.com

I have found that when I do a underline _______ it will show as a dash -——— in Notepad and Word 2021. When I switch to another font the issue goes away.

Google fonts has many free ones that look like the font you want.
https://fonts.google.com/?lang=en_Latn

Microsoft explanation of the font. It comes with Windows 10 & 11 so your version of Word 2000 may be the issue.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/bahnschrift

Adobe bahnschrift:
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/bahnschrift

I googled this: Why are the same fonts different looking in microsoft word vs Libreoffice?

Read the AI results: The same fonts can appear different in Microsoft Word and LibreOffice due to differences in their font rendering engines, how they handle font licensing, and the default fonts used by each application. Additionally, formatting issues and the way each program handles line breaks and spaces can also contribute to visual differences.

Do you have the latest version of Libreoffice?

You can buy Office 2021 Pro from Walmart for just $18.99 <— I bought the version for about $35 with tax, less the 2 years ago. One time cost.
https://tinyurl.com/4b28s6xd

For $20 bucks you get a much newer version or the latest for double the price.

Office 2024 Professional Plus Lifetime for One Windows Device (Up to 84% Off) $31.99 <— Groupon site - Digital download delivered via email. https://tinyurl.com/5n88dyby
I just bought it. You get an email from Groupon with the verification code. Then you will get another with the product key and link to download. I will store a copy to my external drives and a usb flashdrive.

I received the link and product code about 5 minutes later. They have a video there telling you how to install.
Uninstall the old version of Office before installing the new version. Run as administrator.

[2nd amendment mama]

Placemarker

[Paul R.]

Thanks for the reply!

To answer your question, much of the information is text, and I'm trying to cram a lot of it in. The "Description" column in particular eats up a lot of column width, and I'm trying to keep the rows one line tall. Some items have subtle differences, and two word descriptions don't cut it.

OTOH, you are correct about the lining up of numbers, such as monetary values. Monospacing applies to my location coding as well, as it follows a set format of 7 characters. I ended up using both std. zeros and dotted zeros there in different positions in the code, so I was using Source Code Pro for the location codes, but have switched to DejaVu Sans Mono. (It's not a compact / narrow font, but, the column is only 7 characters wide, anyway.

Only 2 columns are numerical ($$) fields, so, at least for now those are getting Arial Narrow (Bold).

There is also a column titled "Mod?". That refers to alterations, usually by yours truly. I threw in the towel there: The fields get either a "N" for "None", or a "Y####" as an alphanumeric code ("Yes" and numbers) to look up elsewhere, or maybe later on in an extension of the spreadsheet. (Basically another spreadsheet at the end of the spreadsheet, but, I may decide that's too cumbersome.)

I'll look up those fonts you mentioned, as I don't "know" them, except Courier, of course. I might like one of them! I'd look at any other "narrow" monospaced font with excellent legibility, too. (My eyes aren't quite what they once were, even with my new glasses.)

Thanks again!

[Paul R.]

These fonts are supported on Libre Office, just not accurately, evidently. (Per other posts here.)

[Paul R.]

The issue might be compared between Notepad or Wordpad in Win 10*, and Libre Office. I’ll give it a look this evening if I don’t run out of gas! (I’m not on that computer, now.)

*Wordpad is gone from Win 11 (although it can be reinstalled) and Notepad is “simplified”, although it may be the older version can also be copied to a Win 11 machine.(?)

[Paul R.]

Thanks for all the info. The rendering in Libre is surely the issue...

I’d prefer to avoid the time involved to go back to spreadsheet stuff with MS Office. And Wifey’s time too. One more learning curve too many, tho’ I realize many similarities exist between the two spreadsheet programs, MS and Libre.

I still use Word 2000 for much the same reason: It works for me for what I use it for, and I don’t have to figure out the new version. If I was doing greatly fancier stuff, it might be different, but, there Libre pretty much covers it for me. Except this time - hahaha, but, it looks like other fonts will work out ok in LibreCalc.

Thanks again!

[Paul R.]

Yeah, I think you are right. But, I’m finding suggestions for better working (in Libre) narrow / condensed fonts, Arial Narrow Bold being one such, and more are being suggested here. :-)

Thanks!

[Paul R.]

Ah, that’s an option in LibreCalc, I take it. I’ll take a look this evening. (I’m not on that computer, now.)

Thx!

[dagunk]

Slightly off-topic, but how long do you expect your output to be usable? When I retired I had 35+year-old-files that were still the same as the day I wrote them. I stuck with simple ASCII text files. Yeah it ain’t pretty but it is durable, and with attention to formatting can look reasonable.

Those who used word processors or spreadsheets would find their files unusable after the next 2 or 3 “latest greatest upgrades”. I was there for 39 years so a few upgrades were done and a LOT of information/data was lost. Upgrades included a switch from a VAX cluster to all microsoft stuff. What a goat-rope that was....

Wandering off-track some more, Libreoffice is better at opening older microsoft word files than word is. That extends the file life an unknown amount.

Good luck with your font problem. Some of the entries I see display a LOT more knowledge on the problem than I have.

[Real Cynic No More]

have you tried changing the character size in the spreadsheet, or for characters in the tables?

[AppyPappy]

Because you sin.

[Dr. Sivana]

Well, if you want a narrow font for text, either Arial Narrow or Narrow Helvetica are common “go to” choices. They used to be included in Windows, but sometimes is not installed by default. It starts being hard to read below 9 pt size, though. I find Letter Goth 12 (which has to be hunted down and downloaded) is not “beautiful, but is quite readable.