http://typophile.com/forum/366

Oh wow...thanks a bunch Aziz. :)

I had a look around on that sub-forum, and still couldn't find a definitive answer to my question.

Also, one of the guys that I am working with on this project is quite adamant that, at the very least, there is a default chinese or japanese web-safe font. But I'm having no luck in trying to find it.

Again, any advice on this matter is deeply appreciated.

Further to my question, should I be looking to a Unicode font to be the elixir to my multi-lingual web typography quandry?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode_typeface

As, I understand it, Unicode fonts account for many different languages by having a tremendously larger set of glyphs than a standard, language-specific, font.

Please, not all at once!

Have I infringed upon the unspoken rules of typographical forum etiquette by having the audacity to utter the 'A' word whilst in the company of your good selves?

Or was it my wanton usage of an emoticon and elipsis in my second post?

If you’re looking for “standardised web fonts“, you will be bound by what the users have installed on their computers. So, depending on the expected OS share, you will want to look for the bundled system fonts for each script and/or for the various surveys on installed fonts.

Your question assumes a level of sophistication in multi-script type design that remains elusive. People have enough trouble making fonts that are both authentic and harmonious in a script like Armenian; having standard fonts in the Arabic, Hindi and Chinese (not Mandarin) scripts that are truly compatible with even hallmark Latin fonts is still a dream.

So: just be happy there's anything at all in those scripts available by default. :-/

hhp

It is possible that trawling through http://www.wazu.jp/ would answer some of your questions.