From e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Norbert Preining Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2019 13:46:59 +0900 Subject: Initial commit --- .../comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6) | 1050 ++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 1050 insertions(+) create mode 100644 help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6) (limited to 'help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6)') diff --git a/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6) b/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6) new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e10e39ce48 --- /dev/null +++ b/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_General_Info_(3_6) @@ -0,0 +1,1050 @@ +Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.mathworks.com!zombie.ncsc.mil!newsgate.duke.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!paperboy.wellfleet.com!news3.near.net!amber.ora.com!not-for-mail +From: norm@ora.com (Norman Walsh) +Newsgroups: comp.fonts,comp.answers,news.answers +Subject: comp.fonts FAQ: General Info (3/6) +Supersedes: +Followup-To: poster +Date: 14 Aug 1996 10:34:20 -0400 +Organization: O'Reilly and Associates, Inc. +Lines: 1027 +Sender: norm@ruby.ora.com +Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu +Distribution: world +Expires: 27 Sep 1996 14:34:08 GMT +Message-ID: +References: +Reply-To: norm@ora.com (Norman Walsh) +NNTP-Posting-Host: ruby.ora.com +Summary: This posting answers frequently asked questions about fonts. + It addresses both general font questions and questions that + are specific to a particular platform. +X-Web-Homepage: http://www.ora.com/homepages/comp.fonts/ +Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.fonts:48300 comp.answers:20514 news.answers:79235 + +Archive-name: fonts-faq/part3 +Version: 2.1.5 + +Subject: 1.18. Bibliography + + Editors note: the following books have been suggested by readers of + comp.fonts. They are listed in no particular order. I have lost the + citations for some of the submissions. If you wrote a review that + appears below and you aren't credited, please let norm know. + + I have decided that this is the best section for pointers to other font + resources (specs and other documents, for example). These appear after + the traditional bibliographic entries. As usual I will happily accept + entries for this section. As of 9/92, the only files listed are the + TrueType font information files available from Microsoft. + + Bill Ricker contributed the following general notes: + + The Watson-Guptill, Godine, and Dover publishers all have many + typography titles. Godine and Dover tend to be excellent; W-G tends + toward 'how-to' books which are good for basics and juried Annuals of + job work. + + Hermann Zapf and his Design Philosophy, Society of Typographic Arts, + Chicago, 1987. + + On Stone -- The Art and Use of Typography on the Personal Computer, + Sumner Stone, Bedford Arts, 1991. + + Of the Just Shaping of Letters, Albrecht Durer, isbn 0-486-21306-4. + + First published in 1525 as part of his theoretical treatise on applied + geometry, "The Art of Measurment". + + Champ Flevry, Geofroy Troy. + + First published in 1529 Troy attempts, in this book, to design an ideal + Roman alphabet upon geometrical and aesthetic principles. + + The Alphabet & Elements of Lettering, Frederic W. Goudy, isbn + 0-486-20792-7. Revised 1942 edition. + + This very interesting book looks at the history of letter shapes as + well font design. + + The Mac is Not a Typewriter, Robin Williams, Peachpit Press. + + A good, clear explanation of what typography is, and how to get it from + your computer. Mac-specific, but full of excellent general advice. I + think there's also a PC version. Available at most computer bookstores + + Rhyme and Reason: A Typographic Novel, Erik Spiekermann, H. Berthold AG, + ISBN 3-9800722-5-8. + + Printing Types (2 vols), Daniel Berkely Updike, Dover Press. + + Affordable edition of the most readable history of type, lots of + illustrations. + + Notes: Both the Dover and Harvard U. P. editions were 2 volumes. The + Dover editions were paperback and the Harvard hardback. It appears + that the Dover edition is out of print. Collectible HUP editions are + not cheap although later HUP editions may be had. Most libraries have + later HUP and Dover editions. If someone knows of a source, please + pass it along. + + The Art of Hand Lettering, Helm Wotzkow, Dover Press, reprint from 1952. + + Looking Good In Print, Roger C. Parker, Ventana Press, ISBN: + 0-940087-32-4. + + Well, as a beginner's book, [it] isn't bad. I can't say that I agree + with the author's tastes all the time, but he at least gives some good + examples. Also there are some nice _Publish_-style makeovers. Don + Hosek + + Book Design: A Practical Introduction, Douglas Martin, Van Nostrand + Reinhold, New York: 1989. 206pp. + + Along with Jan White's book (see below), this provides a fairly + complete guide to book design. Martin's book is somewhat more + conservative in outlook and also reflects his UK background. Don Hosek + + + Digital Typography: An Introduction to Type and Composition for Computer + System Design, Richard Rubinstein, Addison-Wesley, Reading, + Massachusetts: 1988. 340pp. + + An interesting, technological approach to typography which is worth + reading although not necessarily always worth believing. A not + insubstantial portion of the text is dedicated to representing type on + a CRT display and Rubinstein devotes some time to expressing + characteristics of typography numerically. Don Hosek + + + Graphic Design for the Electronic Age, Jan V. White, Watson-Guptill + Publications, New York: 1988. 212pp. + + A good handbook for document design. In a well-organized approach, + White covers the principles for laying out most of the typographics + features of a technical document. White is a bit overeager to embrace + sans-serif types and in places his layout ideas seem a bit garish, but + it's still a quite worthwhile book. Don Hosek + + + Xerox Publishing Standards: A Manual of Style and Design, Watson-Guptill + Publications, New York: 1988. 400pp. + + Overall, a disappointing book. It is divided into four sections of + widely varying intent: "Publishing Process," "Document Organization," + "Writing and Style" and "Visual Design." None of them is really + adequate for the task and all are highly centered on the Xerox method + for publishing. As a guide to Xerox' process, it succeeds, but as a + manual for general use, it falls far short. In print. Don Hosek + + + Methods of Book Design (3rd edition), Hugh Williamson, Yale University + Press, New Haven: 1983. 408pp. + + It is a bit out-of-date as regards technology, but on issues relating + purely to design it is comprehensive and definitive. Well, I suppose + it could be argued that printing technology influences design - e.g. + some types look fine in metal but lousy in digital imagesetting - and + therefore a book that is out-of-date in technology can't really be + "definitive" in matters of design either. In any event, _Methods_ is + more than adequate for a beginner's needs. My paper-bound copy (ISBN + 0-300-03035-5) was \$13.95; cheap at twice the price! Cameron Smith + + + The Thames & Hudson Manual of typography, Rauri McLean, Thames & Hudson + + An excellent book if you start getting more interested in type. Look + for Rauri McLean's other books after this one... Liam R.E. Quin + + + Typography and Why it matters, Fernand Baudin. + + There is no better introduction than [it]. It's not a primer on + subjects such as "what does Avant Garde look like," or "This is a good + font for books." It is a good primer on the things you need to know + before the rest should be considered. He's a lovely writer, to boot. + + [My copy is at work, so I may have munged the title-look up Baudin in + "Books in Print" and improvise :-)] + + Ari Davidow + + Better Type, Betty Binns + + It's definitely not a lightweight beginner's introduction, but I've + found [it] to be indispensable. It's a large-format hardcover, but you + can find it remaindered for cheap if you look around. The book goes + into great detail about how factors like line spacing, line length, + point size, and design of typeface (evenness of stroke weight, + x-height, etc.) affect readability. When you've gotten the basics out + of the way and want to learn more about the fine nuances of type color, + this book is an absolute must. David Mandl + + Printing Types: An Introduction..., S. Lawson, (revised) 1990 + + I'd also recommend Alexander S. Lawson's books especially /Printing + Types: An Intro.../ (revised), 1990, which includes electronic types + now. Bill Ricker + + Tally of Types, Stanley Morrison, Cambridge University Press. + + A keepsake for CUP on the Monotype fonts he'd acquired for them when he + was Type Advisor to both Brit.Monotype & CUP (Cambridge University + Press, Cambs.UK), which discusses his hindsight on some of the great + revival fonts and some of the better new fonts. Bill Ricker + + + Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press, 1982; + ISBN 0-226-10390-0. + + The chapter on Design and Typography is most directly relevant, but + there are a lot of hints scattered all through the Chicago Manual on + making your words more readable and your pages more attractive. Stan + Brown + + X Window System Administrator's Guide (O'Reilly X Window System Guides, + volume 8), O'Reilly + + It gives advice about setting up fonts, etc. Liam Quin + + How Bodoni intended his types to look Bodoni, Giambattista. Fregi e + Majuscole Incise e Fuse de ... Bodoni, Harvard University Library + (repr). + + Inexpensive collectible, reproduced as a keepsake by the Houghton + Library at Harvard. [wdr] + + The Elements of Typographic Style, Robert Bringhurst, Hartley & Marks + 0-88179-033-8 pbk \$15, Z246.B74 1992 0-88179-110-5 cloth, \$25. + + A typography for desktop publishers who want to absorb some style. + Informed by the historical european tradition and the desktop + advertising, tempered by oriental yin-yang and examples. A page-turner + with repeat-read depth. + + The only book I've seen that discusses page proportions that admits + there are more than three ways that describes how to find one that + feels good for your page. [wdr] + + Hermann Zapf on the cover-blurb: "All desktop typographers should study + this book. ... I wish to see this book become the Typographers' Bible." + + Printing It, Clifford Burke, Ballantine, 0-345-02694-2. + + Manual for the hobby letterpress printer. [wdr] + + Twentieth Century Type Designers, Sebastian Carter, Taplinger, 1987. + + Discusses the talented adaptators of old faces to machine caster and + film/laser, as well as the designers of new works. Indexed? [wdr] + + Design with Type, Carl Dair, University of Toronto Press, 0-8020-1426-7. + + In print again (or still?); the ISBN above may be stale. + + A great introduction to the issues of practicality and taste that + confront the users of type. A prized possession. I only regret that the + book does not include among the excerpts from his Westvaco pamphlets + the Seven Don'ts of Typography. [wdr] + + Typography 6: The Annual of the Type Directors Club, Susan Davis, ed., + Watson-Guptill, 0-8230-5540-x. + + Specimens of Type Faces in the U.S. G.P.O., John J. Deviny, director., + US G.P.O. + + Practice of Typography: Plain Printing Types, Theodore Low De Vinne, + Century Co./DeVinne Press. + + One of the earlier critical studies, in four volumes of which this is + my personal favorite, and still a classic reference. If one wants to + understand 18th and 19th century typography in context, this writer + lived the transition from eclectic to standard sizes, and comments + with taste. [wdr] + + An Essay on Typography, Eric Gill, Godine, 0-87923-762-7. + + The Alphabet and Elements of Lettering, Frederic W. Goudy, Dorset Press + (Marboro Books), 0-88029-330-6 + + Lovely. A wonderful way to learn Goudy's taste. + + Stanley Morison Displayed, Herbert Jones, Frederick Muller Ltd / W, + 0-584-10352-2. + + Lovely. A wonderful way to learn Morrison's taste. + + Printing Types: An Introduction..., Alexander S. Lawson et. al., Beacon + 1971,?Godine? 1990; (2nd Ed includes electronic types now) + + "Good introduction to comparisons of typefaces, with a detailed history + and a key family or face of each general category. Denounces rigid + indexes of type faces." [wdr] + + Anatomy of a Typeface, Alexander Lawson, Godine, 0-87923-333-8, + Z250.L34 1990 + + Deep description of the authors' favorite exemplar and its influences + and relatives in each type category. It follows, without explicating, + the category system developed in the prior book. [wdr] + + Types of Typefacs and how to recognize them, J. Ben Lieberman, + Sterling, 1968 + + "This isn't very good really, but it does give lots of examples of the + main categories." [Liam] [Old bibliographies praised this one, but I + haven't seen it so I can't comment.- wdr] + + Tally of Types (& other titles), Stanley Morrison, Cambridge U. Press. + + A keepsake for CUP on the Monotype fonts he'd acquired for them when he + was Type Advisor to both Brit. Monotype & CUP (Cambridge University + Press, Cambs.UK), which discusses his hindsight on some of the great + revival fonts and some of the better new fonts. [wdr] + + Rookledge's International Type Finder 2nd, Perfect, Christopher and + Gordon Rookledge, Ed Moyer Bell Ltd / Rizzoli, 1-55921-052-4, + Z250.P42 [1st Ed was NY: Beil 1983] + + "Lg. trade pb. Indexed by stylistic & characteristic features. Shows + A-Z, a-z, 0-9 in primary figures, whether lining or ranging. + Particularly distinctive sorts are marked for ease of comparison. + Separate tables collect the distinctive characters for assistance in + identifying a sample." [wdr] + + English Printers' Ornaments, Henry R. Plomer, Burt Franklin + + Paragraphs on Printing, Bruce Rogers, [Rudge] Dover, 0-486-23817-2 + + Digital Typography: An Introduction to Type and Composition for + Computer System Design, Richard Rubinstein, Addison-Wesley, Reading, + Massachusetts: 1988. 340pp. + + For people who are disappointed with how the type looks on the laser, + this book explains the subleties of that medium and of the screen that + others miss. This is a study of the Human Factors of computer + typographic systems. [wdr] + + The Case for Legibility, John Ryder, The Bodley Head, 0-370-30158-7, + Z250.A4 + + The Solotype Catalog of 4,147 Display typefaces, Dan X. Solo, Dover, + 0-486-27169-2, Z250.5.D57S654 19 + + "Working catalog of a specialty Graphics Arts shop. They use + proprietary optical special effects techniques to get Desktop + Publishing effects, and more, without the laser-printer grain. Great + listing of 19th Century Decorated Types - probably the largest + collection in the world. Prices to order headlines from them are NOT + cheap however. Their services are for professional or serious hobby + use only. Solo's previous Dover books show some number of complete + alphabets of a general peculiar style; this one shows small fragments + of his entire usable collection, important as an index. (According to + private correspondence, they have more faces that have not yet been + restored to usable condition.) Not well indexed, but indexed." [wdr] + + Stop Stealing Sheep & find out how type works, Erik Spiekermann & E.M. + Ginger., Adobe Press, 1993 + + Introductory, motivational. If you wonder why there are so many type + faces in the world, this is the book for you! [Liam] [The title refers + to the old joke: "A man who would letterspace lowercase would also + steal sheep." [wdr]] + + The Art & Craft of Handmade Paper, Vance Studley, Dover, 0-486-26421-1, + TS1109.S83 1990 + + Letters of Credit, Walter Tracey, Godine Press + + "I can't recommend this too highly. It's not as introductory as the + Sheep Book, but conveys a feeling of love and respect for the letter + forms, and covers a lot of ground very, very well." [Liam] + + Printing Types: Their History, Forms & Use, Daniel Berkely Updike, + Harvard University Press, reprint by Dover. + + The standard reference. Tour-de-force history of type and type-styles. + A trifle conservative in its biases, but typography is conservative for + good reason: readability. Check the addenda for his final words on + newer faces. [wdr] + + 1. I believe the Dover edition to be 3 vols Pbk; both the collectable + and later Harvard U.P. editions were two vols hbk. + + 2. I am informed by my bookseller & Books In Print that the Dover + edition is out of print. *sigh* If a source be known, let me know. + Collectible HUP eds are not cheap, although later HUP eds may be had. + Most libararies have later HUP or Dover eds. [wdr] + + Modern Encyclopedia of Typefaces, 1960-90, Lawrence W. Wallis, Van + Nostrand Reinhold, 0-442-30809-4, Z250.W238 1990 + + "Gives examples of most typefaces, almost all digital, designed & + distributed in the last 30 years. Cross indexed by foundry and + designer, and sources and looks-likes. Some historical bits. Shows + full a-z,A-Z,0-9, a few points (punctuation); and 0-9 again if both + lining and oldstyle supplied. Only complaint is that it omits small + caps even from what few fonts have 'em and the accented characters, of + which most have some but too few. List \$25." [wdr] + + About Alphabets: Some Marginal Notes on Type Design, Hermann Zapf, MIT + Press, 0-262-74003-6 + + Hermann Zapf & His Design Philosophy, Hermann Zapf, Society of + Typographic Arts, Chicago + + "Anything about, by, or vaguely connected with Hermann Zapf is probably + worth reading several times :-)" [Liam] + + Manuale Typographicum, Hermann Zapf, MIT Press, 0-262-74004-4 + + There are two books of this title (portrait and landscape); this is + the only mass-market edition of either. Both are Zapf's selections of + interesting typographical quotations in his inimitable display + typography. [wdr] + + Microsoft Windows 3.1 Programmer's Reference, Microsoft Press. + + Documents the Panose system of typeface classification. Probably + contains a general discussion of TrueType under MS Windows 3.1. + + Introduction to Typography, 3rd ed, Faber, London, 1962. + + A very good introduction for any beginner. Also discusses things like + illustrations and cover design, although not in great detail. + + Simon was a purist, as the editor of the 3rd edition remarks. He did + not mention phototypesetting in his original edition, but some + observations on its uses and abuses have since been added. Anders + Thulin + + Eve Damaziere contributes: + + Twentieth Century Type, Lewis Blackwell, Calmann & King, London (GB), + 1992. Chez Flammarion (1993 - 256 p.) pour l'edition francaise (french + edition). + + It's a very intelligent account of the history of type in our century, + and its links to art, technics and politics (history). Lots of + pictures, too. At the end of it, a "description and classification of + types", from the 15th century up to now : the author follows the + classification of Maximilien Vox (1952), a french graphist. + + [ed: additional bibliographic information appears in the file + "Additional-bibliography" on + http://www.ora.com/homepages/comp.fonts/FAQ.html. I have not yet had + time to integrate this bibliographic information into the FAQ] + +Subject: 1.19. Font Encoding Standards + + What is a character set? + ======================== + + A character set is a collection of symbols in a specific order. Some + common character sets are ASCII and ISO Latin 1. + + What is an encoding vector? + =========================== + + The term "encoding vector" is most frequently heard in the context of + PostScript fonts. An encoding vector embodies a particular character + set, it is simply the list of all the characters in the character set + in the order in which they occur. + + Most font technologies limit a particular encoding to 256 characters; + an Adobe Type 1 font, for example, may contain an arbitrary number of + characters, but no single encoding vector can contain more than 256. + + Some common encodings are: + + * Adobe Standard Encoding - the default encoding of many PS Type1 + fonts + + * Apple Standard Encoding - the default encoding on a Mac + + * US ASCII - seven bit ASCII + + * ISO Latin-1 - an eight bit multi-national character + set encoding + + * Cork Encoding - the TeX community's eight bit standard + + * FC - an eight bit encoding for African + languages + + * TeX text - the TeX community's seven bit defacto + standard (CMR) + + Where can I get them? + ===================== + + You can get tables showing the layout of many standard character sets + from the Kermit distribution (via anonymous ftp from + watsun.cc.columbia.edu in /kermit/charsets. + +Subject: 1.20. PostScript + + What About PostScript UNIQUEIDs? + ================================ + + This section was constructed from a posting by Johannes Schmidt-Fischer + in Jun 1993. + + All PostScript Type 1 fonts should contain a UniqueId. This is a + number which should be, as the name suggests, unique (at least among + the fonts that you download to the printer at any given time). + + There are many PostScript fonts on the 'Net which have identical + UniqeIds. If two of these fonts are downloaded to the same printer at + the same time, attempts to use either font may cause the wrong + characters to be printed. + + In a nutshell, the reason that the wrong characters may be printed is + that the printer may be storing the rendered glyphs in its font cache, + addressed by UniqueID. So, if two fonts, /Foo and /Bar, both have + UniqueID=5 and /Foo's 10pt "A" is currently in the cache, a request for + /Bar's 10pt "A" will cause the wrong character to be printed. Rather + than rendering /Bar's "A" from its (correct and unambiguous) outline, + the printer will note that the cache contains a 10pt "A" for font 5 and + will copy it from the cache (resulting in /Foo's "A" printing for /Bar). + + Adobe's "Red Book" contains a detailed discussion of this topic. + + Can a Type 1 Font Be Shaded? + ============================ + + David Lemon contributes: + + There are three ways to get grey into a font. The first is to make a + series of Type 1 fonts, each of which will be used for a single shade + of grey (or other color). The user then sets copies of the characters + on top of each other, selecting each and setting it to the shade + desired. It's a bit inconvenient (and won't work in a word processor) + but it gets full resolution, good hinting and gives the user lots of + control. This is the approach Adobe has used in its "chromatic" fonts + (as in Adobe Wood Type 3 and Copal) and is viable for both Type 1 and + TrueType formats. + + As an alternative, the designer can approximate shades of grey in the + characters by using many little dots (a sort of halftone effect) or + lines (as in cross-hatching). This leads to pretty complex characters, + which may choke some rasterizers, and won't hint well. As with the + first method, this is viable (more or less) for both Type 1 and + TrueType. + + The third method is more direct but limited. In this approach, the + designer/producer creates the shades of grey in a font-editing program. + The limitation is that such a font must be written in Type 3, which is + a generalized PostScript format (Type 1 and TrueType recognize only + solid shapes). Such a font won't be supported by ATM, so your screen + display will suffer and you'll be restricted to PostScript printers. On + the plus side, your greys will be rendered at the full resolution of + the printer you use. + +Subject: 1.21. TrueType + + George Moore announces the following information regarding TrueType + fonts: + + "I am pleased to announce that there is now one central location for all + official Microsoft TrueType information available on the Internet. The + 9 files listed below are available for anonymous ftp access on + ftp.microsoft.com in the /developr/drg/TrueType-Info directory. The + most important of those files is the TrueType Font Files + Specifications, a 400 page book which describes in excruciating detail + how to build a TrueType font. Other information is also available in + the same directory and other files will be added from time to time. + + For those people who do not have ftp access to the Internet can find the + same information available for downloading on Compuserve in the + Microsoft developer relations forum (GO MSDR) in the TrueType library. + + Please be aware that the TrueType specifications is a copyrighted work + of Microsoft and Apple and can not be resold for profit. + + TrueType developer information files on ftp.microsoft.com: + + 1. ttspec1.zip, ttspec2.zip, and ttspec3.zip + + The TrueType Specification: + + These three compressed files contain the "TrueType Font Files + Specifications", a 400 page book complete with illustrations which + details how to construct a TrueType font from scratch (or build + a tool to do so), the TrueType programming language, and the + complete format of each sub-table contained in the .TTF file. + These documents are stored in Word for Windows 2.0 format and + require Windows 3.1 for printing. See the "readme.doc" (in + ttspec1.zip) for printing instructions. Requires 2.5MB of disk + space after uncompression. + + This manual is a superset of the similar specifications from Apple + and has added information specific to Windows that is not + present in the Apple version. + + 2. ttfdump.zip + + An MS-DOS executable which will dump the contents of a TrueType + font out in a human-readable fashion. It allows you to dump the + entire font, or just specific sub-tables. This tool, combined + with the specifications above, allows very effective debugging + or exploration of any TrueType font. For example, to dump the + contents of the 'cmap' (character code to glyph index mapping) + table, enter: + + ttfdump fontname.ttf -tcmap -nx + + Entering "ttfdump" with no options will give you a help message. + + 3. ttfname.zip + + Example C source code on how to parse the contents of a TrueType + font. Although this particular example will open up the file + and locate the font name contained within the 'name' table, it + could be readily adapted to parse any other structure in the + file. This compressed zip file also contains many useful + include files which have pre-defined structures set up for the + internal tables of a TrueType font file. This code may be + useful for developers who wish to parse the TrueType data stream + returned by the GetFontData() API in Windows 3.1. + + 4. tt-win.zip + + A 31 page Word for Windows 2.0 document which is targeted for the + Windows developer who is interested in learning about some of the + capabilities TrueType adds to Windows 3.1. Contains many + illustrations. + + 5. embeddin.zip + + A text file which describes all of the information necessary for a + Windows developer to add TrueType font embedding capabilities to + their application. Font embedding allows the application to + bundle the TrueType fonts that were used in that document and + transport it to another platform where the document can be + viewed or printed correctly. + + 6. tt-talk.zip + + The TrueType Technical Talks 1 and 2. These text files describe + some of the things that are happening with TrueType behind the + scenes in Windows 3.1. The first document walks the reader + through all of the steps that occur from when the user first + presses the key on the keyboard until that character appears on + the screen (scaling, hinting, drop out control, caching and + blitting). The second talk describes one of the unique features + of TrueType called non-linear scaling which allows the font + vendor to overcome some of the physical limitations of low + resolution output devices. + + 7. lucida.zip + + This text file contains useful typographic information on the 22 + Lucida fonts which are contained in the Microsoft TrueType Font + Pack for Windows. It gives pointers on line-layout, mixing and + matching fonts in the family and a little history on each + typeface. This information was written by the font's designers, + Chuck Bigelow & Kris Holmes." + +Subject: 1.22. Unicode + + [ed: This is a summary of the Unicode info I've gleaned from the net + recently, the whole Unicode issue needs to be addressed better by the + FAQ...someday... someday...I'll get to reorganize the whole thing] + + What Is Unicode? + ================ + + Charles A. Bigelow notes: + + The authors of the Unicode standard emphasize the fact that Unicode is a + character encoding, not a glyph encoding. This might seem like a + metaphysical distinction, in which characters have some "semantic" + content (that is, they signify something to literates) and and glyphs + are particular instantiations or renderings of characters--Plato talked + about this kind of stuff--but in practice it means that most ligatures + are not represented in Unicode, nor swash variants, nor figure variants + (except for superior and inferior, which are semantically distinct from + baseline figures), and so on. + + For further information, consult The Unicode Standard: Worldwide + Character Encoding Version 1.0, Vol. 1 (alphabets & symbols) and Vol 2. + (Chinese, Japanese, Korean characters), by The Unicode Consortium, + Addison Wesley Publishing Co, 1991, ISBN 0-201-56788-1, 0-201-60845-6. + + What is the Unicode Consortium? + =============================== + + The Unicode Consortium is an international body responsible for + maintaining the Unicode standard. Their email address is + + + To obtain more information on Unicode or to order their printed material + and/or diskettes contact: + + Steven A. Greenfield + + Unicode Office Manager + + 1965 Charleston Road + + Mountain View, CA 94043 + + Tel. 415-966-4189 + + Fax. 415-966-1637 + + Unicode Editing + =============== + + James Matthew Farrow contributes: + + I use `sam' for all by text editing. It is X editor based on an editor + for the blit called jim. Papers describing sam as well as a + distribution of sam itself are available for ftp from research.att.com. + The sam there is a Unix port of the Plan 9 version. Plan 9 is a full + unicode operating system, even around before NT! The libraries sam is + built upon therefore support 16 bit wide characters. The graphics + library, supplied with it at present does not. However they may be + planning to distribute a new version which does soon. The library just + plugs in replacing the library that comes with sam. No modification is + necessary. Character are stored using the utf-2 encoding. + + All of the files I had before I started working with sam were 7 bit + ascii so no conversion was needed. Now I have ditched xterm in favour + of 9term: a terminal emulator in the style of 81/2 (the Plan 9 + interface). This lets me type Unicode characters on the command line, + as part of filenames, in mail, wherever and most Unix utilities cope + without modification. This is about to be released. I'm looking for + beta testers. ;-) + + Is a special keyboard required? + ------------------------------- + + No. ASCII Characters are typed as normal. Common characters above + 0x7f are typed using two letter abbreviations. The table is similar to + the troff special character codes, e.g, Alt-12 gives you a 1/2, Alt-'e + gives you e acute, Alt-bu a bullet and so on. This table is hardwired + into the library at present but is trivial to change. Other codes are + accessed by typing their hex value, for instance the smiley is + Alt-X263a (0x263a being a smiley character in the Unicode character + set). + + Is roman-to-Unicode conversion available? + ----------------------------------------- + + All normal 7 bit ascii characters are encoded as themselves so no + translation is needed. There are conversion routines in the library + (runetochar and chartorune) which will do the conversion and it should + be pretty simple to convert files already in another format. You would + have to write something to do the transliteration yourself. A small + patch to the system would let you enter different language `modes' for + text entry. + + Are there PostScript or TrueType fonts available? + ================================================= + + Apparently there is a version of the Lucida fonts by Bigelow and Holmes + which support Unicode. This is the information I have on them. + + [ed: quoting another source] + + [Windows NT] will ship with a Unicode TrueType font containing + approximately 1,500 characters. The font is called "Lucida Sans + Unicode" and was specifically designed by Bigelow and Holmes for + Microsoft to contain the following Unicode sets: + + ASCII + Latin 1 + European Latin + Extended Latin + Standard Phonetic + Modifier Letters + Generic Diacritical + Greek + Cyrillic + Extended Cyrillic + Hebrew + Currency Symbols + Letterlike Symbols + Arrows + Mathematical Operators + Super & Subscript + Form & Chart Components + Blocks + Geometric Shapes + Miscellaneous Technical + Miscellaneous Dingbats + + The bitmap fonts which comes with the utf version of the libXg graphics + library (the library upon which sam is built) support a sparse subset + of the full character set. That is, only a few of them have glyphs at + present. A font editor such as xfedor would let you add more. The list + of those currently available is pretty much as the above list. + + I use 9term and sam as a matter of course now and have for several + months. I enjoy the convenience of putting special characters and + accented characters in my mail as well as being able to do some + phonetic work all in the one terminal/editor suite. + +Subject: 1.23. Can I Print Checks with the MICR Font? + + This comes up all the time: standard ordinary laser toner is magnetic + and will be read by the banks. The gotcha is that standard laser toner + rubs off in the *very* high-speed sorting equipment that are used, and + this makes read rates drop low and the banks will hate you. + + I researched check printers for a customer, and was surprised to find + this. The Troy(tm) printers he bought are basically stock Ricoh + engines that have slightly tighter paper handling (for registration), + plus they add a proprietary Teflon-type powder coating on the output + path to coat the checks. + + I saw some examples of checks printed with and without this special + coating after running through something like 40 passes through check + processing equipment, and the one without the coating was a mess. These + require special handling that the banks do *not* like. Apparently, + they go after companies that issue these kinds of checks with special + processing fees. + +Subject: 1.24. Rules of Thumb + + It is difficult to set out guidelines for font usage, because almost + any rule can be brilliantly broken under the right circumstances. + + * General guidelines: + + * Never lose track of the kind of work you're doing. An effect + that would ruin a newsletter might be just the thing for a + record cover. Know when you can safely sacrifice legibility + for artistic effect. + + * Keep in mind the final reproduction process you'll be using. + Some effects (like reversed type, white on black) can be hard + to read off an ordinary 300-dpi laser, but will work if + finals are done on a high-resolution printer, such as a + Linotronic. Will the pages be photocopied? Offset? Onto rough + paper, shiny paper? All these factors can and should + influence your choice of fonts and how you use them. + + * Running some comparative tests is a good idea. Better to blow + off a few sheets of laser paper now than to see a problem + after thousands of copies are made. + + * No one can teach you font aesthetics; it must be learned by + example. Look at beautiful magazines, posters, books with + wide eyes, so that you can see how it's done. Examine ugly + printed matter critically and consider why it's hard to read. + + * Good rules of thumb: + + * If you need a condensed font, find one that was designed that + way, rather than scaling an existing font down to a + percentage. Any scaling distorts a font's design; excessive + scaling interferes with legibility - this goes for widening + as well as narrowing. Extended faces do exist, although they + aren't as common as condensed ones. + + * Many people feel that bold or italic type, or type in ALL + CAPS, is more legible: "This is the most important part of + the newsletter, let's put it in bold." In fact, legibility + studies show that such type is actually harder to read in + bulk. Keep the text in a normal style and weight, and find + another way to emphasize it - box it, illustrate it, run it + in color, position it focally. + + * Too much reverse type - white on black - is hard on the eyes. + It can be a nice effect if used sparingly. Don't reverse a + serif font, though - its details will tend to fill in. Stick + to reversing bold sans-serifs, and remember to space them out + a bit more than usual. + + * It is always safest to use a plain serif font for large + amounts of text. Because Times is widely used, it doesn't + mean it should be avoided. Fonts like Palatino, Times, + Century Old Style are deservedly popular because people can + read a lot of text set in such faces without strain. + + Don't expect anyone to read extensive text set in a condensed + font. + + * As point size gets bigger, track tighter, and (if the + software allows) reduce the spacebands as well. A spaceband + in a headline size (anything over 14 point) should be about + as wide as a letter "i". + + * If you only have a few large headlines, hand-kerning the + type, pair by pair, can make the end result much more + pleasing. Besides, working with fonts this closely makes + them familiar. + + * Column width and justification are major elements in design. + The narrower the column, the smaller the type can be; wide + rows of small type are very hard to read. Often it's a better + idea to set narrow columns flush left rather than justified, + otherwise large gaps can fall where hyphenation isn't + possible. + + * Use curly quotes. + + * Don't put two spaces at the end of a line (. ) instead of (. + ) when using a proportionally spaced font. + + This is Info file compfont.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the + input file FAQ.texinfo. + +Subject: 1.25. Acknowledgements + + The moderators would like to express their gratitude to the whole + community for providing insightful answers to innumerable questions. In + particular, the following people (listed alphabetically) have + contributed directly to this FAQ (apologies, in advance, if anyone has + been forgotten): + + Masumi Abe + + Glenn Adams + + Daniel Amor + + Borris Balzer + + Charles A. Bigelow + + David J. Birnbaum + + Tim Bradshaw + + Morgan S. Brilliant + + Arlen Britton + + Stan Brown + + Scott Brumage + + Lee Cambell + + Terry Carroll + + Gerd Castan + + Ari Davidow + + Eve Damaziere (c/o Stephane Bortzmeyer) + + Lawrence D'Oliveiro + + Pat Farrell + + James Matthew Farrow + + Stephen Friedl + + Peter J. Gentry + + Yossi Gil + + Timothy Golobic + + Kesh Govinder + + Piercarlo Antonio Grandi + + Robert Green + + Rick Heli + + Jeremy Henderson + + Henry ??? + + Gary + + Berthold K.P. Horn + + Peter Honig + + Don Hosek + + Bharathi Jagadeesh + + Chang Jin-woong + + Darrell Leland + + David Lemon + + Jon + + ??? + + ??? + + Otto Makela + + David Mandl + + Kate McDonnell + + George Moore + + Robert Morris + + Stephen Moye + + Erlend Nagel + + Terry O'Donnell + + Rick Pali + + Sean Palmer + + Jon Pastor + + PenDragon + + Stephen Peters + + Bill Phillips + + Thomas W. Phinney <75671.2441@compuserve.com> + + Jim Reese + + Bill Ricker + + Liam Quin + + Henry Schneiker + + Tom Scott + + Bill Shirley + + Cameron Smith + + Daniel S. Smith + + Frank F. Smith + + Werenfried Spit + + Anthony Starks + + Ike Stoddard + + Danny Thomas + + Anders Thulin + + Ian Tresman <72240.3447@compuserve.com> + + Bill Troop + + Erik-Jan Vens + + Amanda Walker + + Jason Lee Weiler + -- cgit v1.2.3