Hi,

I am nearing the end of a project I'm doing using Opentype features in an experimental way. I call it experimental because my usage isn't particularly informed and there's probably a much easier way to be doing this. That's where I'd like your help.

I have set myself up to translate (I use translate very loosely) "txtspeak" into normal english (hereby called 'txt' and 'text'). I have beginners knowledge of coding Opentype features and my idiocy will probably make a lot the experts squeal, but I don't mind that. Current ignorance has proven to be experimental bliss, but I'm more than willing to dive into deeper grounds to rectify problems I think I will ultimately come across.

Ok, so I was using class based kerning and on the metrics window, everything seems to be working fine... kerning values look like they should. "Class kerning with exceptions" is enabled in the Metrics window.

However, when I open up the preview window, I see that kerning is all messed up and not working like it should (seems like class kerning is being ignored).

I tried exporting the font and I still get that.

Anyone here knows what is happening?
I spent about 10 hours kerning pairs and to know that my kerning is now not working is stressing me out big time :(

Thanks!

Is there anything odd in the calt list of Vista/Windows 7's font "Segoe Script"? I was alerted today by an InDesign user that contextual alternates do work for Latin script, but don't appear to get activated for Cyrillic text.

I examined the OTF tables, and, sure enough, the calt tables for Latin are only defined in the Latin Script part, and the Cyrillic Script section has its own calt list. Nothing out of the ordinary, I presume.

Theoretically, the used program ought to recognize a series of Cyrillic characters and automatically switch over to the Cyrillic section -- right? I think that was the entire purpose of the Scripts sections. Could it be an error in InDesign CS4? Or am I misinterpreting the use of the Script tags and how they would work in practice?

Nobody else seems to have posted this, so I will: The current CSS3 Fonts Module provides a syntax to use CSS to declare use of a few dozen OpenType properties. If I have the list correct, they are:

1. afrc
2. calt, clig
3. calt, clig
4. cswh
5. dlig
6. dlig
7. frac
8. fwid
9. hist
10. hlig
11. hlig
12. hojo
13. jp04
14. jp78
15. jp83
16. jp90
17. liga

Hi

Anybody know a way of programming a font so that it remembers you've typed a letter, and the next time you type that letter an alternate glyph is used? This would be useful in distressed fonts. Ligature substitution is ok for double letters but if I type a word like 'dada' say, and I want to make sure the distressed look isn't repeated, it doesn't help.

I have a feeling it should be simple enough to do this - somehow get typing a letter to flick a switch and then if the same letter is typed while that switch is on, substitute an alternate glyph then reset the switch.

Any ideas?

Cheers

OpenType is indisputably the font format of the present. It is cross-platform, and it is a free and open standard. It opened possibilities for smooth handling of advanced typography and better support for complex scripts.

But limitations remain. They may not be obvious if you only ever design or use Latin text faces. But when you think about what the best solutions are for complex scripts such as Arabic, you realize that there are fundamental strictures of OpenType that make things less efficient than they could be. For example, do we really have to design innumerable glyphs for ligatures, conjuncts, and contextual variants when these are all combinations of simple building blocks? Here is a previous thread on the subject:

Trying to control quotation marks when typesetting in inDesign:

I am trying to see if I can make quotation marks change automatically for different languages. For example if I select (in InDesign) the Language drop-down menu in the character palette > my English style quotes would transform into French guillemet quotes.

I see that just by having the standard repertoire of quotes does not mean easy implementation.

Otherwise how do French or German typographers call for a specific style of quotation mark?
- Do the desired marks have to be the default in the font file?

Any help to solve this mystery appreciated.

Michael Hernan

Just a heads up, I'm running a font contest over at my blog. This weekend I'll be giving away 5 complete sets of my Jeanne Moderno fonts.

To enter, go here: http://mehallo.com/blog/archives/10803

And just do what it says.

Contest ends 11 p.m. (pacific time) Saturday, January 16, 2010.

Also posted, the best of my blog from the past year.

(is it me or is this whole 2010 date thing seem so sci fi?)

Hi there,

has anybody got an idea how I can embed a font with OpenType Contextual Alternates in flash? Is there a possibility to implement OpenType in Flash or do I have to do it with Actionscript? And can I somehow use these Contextual Alternates in Flash?
I am trying to do something like this in flash:

http://www.underware.nl/site2/index.php?id1=liza&id2=test

Thanks a lot!

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SUDTIPOS ::: 01.2010 ::: NEW FONT RELEASE

Welcome back and happy new year. We are proud to announce the release of Business Penmanship and some amazing collateral material.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
AN ILLUSTRATED PDF SPECIMEN
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The long waited Specimen PDF is finally online. It is a beautiful collaboration with

ReadyType.com distributes ReadyType™ brand fonts which are developed in–house and distributed exclussively by ReadyType.com

A type design company offering OpenType fonts.
http://www.fontsite.com

Indices : Technical Info : Feature Tags : sups

'sups' is an OpenType feature tag with the friendly name "Contextual Swash". Click here to read the spec from the Microsoft Layout Tag Registry.

Discussion:
OpenType Superiors Feature: Why Do Letters and Numbers Have Different Baselines?

Indices : Technical Info : cswh

'cswh' is an OpenType feature tag with the friendly name "Contextual Swash". Click here to read the spec from the Microsoft Layout Tag Registry.

Discussion:
Contextual Swashes for Beginnings
OpenType Scripts, Swash

Indices : Technical Info : Feature Tags : calt

'calt' is an OpenType feature tag with the friendly name "Contextual Alternates". Click here to read the spec from the Microsoft Layout Tag Registry.

Discussion:
OpenType Contextual Glyph Replacement
Contextual Swashes for Beginnings
Substitute the First Letter of a Word Using OpenType?

Indices : "How To" Section : Programming OpenType Features

Preface
OpenType is a powerful new font format that gives users a much broader range of typographic and linguistic control than has previously been available with a single digital font. More and more type foundries offer OpenType (OT) fonts these days and one can expect the average user to become more aware of the benefits of OT fonts as more applications take advantage of their capabilites in the future.

Getting Started

Indices : Terminology : Case

In current practice, usage of the term case most likely refers to the use of uppercase (capital) or lowercase letters. See some examples below. In letterpress practice, case refers to the physical box (case), usually wooden, that a given set of letters is stored. Capital letters were stored in the upper (top) case and lowercase letters were stored in the lower (bottom) case.

Examples:

ALL CAPS -- All letters are capitalized.

Title Case -- The first letter of each word is capitalized.

Sentence case -- where the first character is capital and the remaining words are lowercase.