Pro isn’t proprietary

This question came up when Adobe released their first OpenType Pro fonts. From...

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/news.aspx?NID=1474

>But what exactly makes an OpenType font a Pro font?
>An Adobe OpenType font only gets the Pro designation if it has a minimum base character set and a reasonable number of OpenType features. The minimal Pro character set includes ISO-Adobe and Adobe CE character sets, plus the euro, litre, foursuperior and estimated symbols.

> Can I call the OpenType fonts I make Pro fonts?
> According to the OpenType list postings Adobe is not claiming any trademark on the Pro designation with reference to OpenType fonts. Although anyone is free to use the word, it would reduce end-user confusion if the type community remains consistent in their use of the term.

But Adobe could always change their mind. So you might want to reconfirm with Tom.

Si

I would hope the type community could devise a standard for the sake of the type consumer. It may even be better to have a system like Adrian Frutiger came up with for Univers where two numbers told the tale quite easily. There could be 2 letters instead or 3 if need be but something is needed to let the consumer know what they are getting.

ChrisL

I think it makes sense for vendors with large legacy libraries (eg Linotype, Adobe and Monotype) to standardize the naming of OpenType edition fonts. Here the “Pro” vs “Std” designation seems to work fine. Where things break down is the specialist fonts, that include just one or two carefully selected OpenType features. An example might be Ed Interlock.

I am thinking more along the lines of language support. Something like XL for Latin Extended, XLC for Latin Extended plus Cyrillic, that sort of thing, as opposed to the multi lig replacement feature stuff in Ed Interlock.

ChrisL

XL for Latin Extended, XLC for Latin Extended plus Cyrillic

I don’t like this, because:

1. In the 21st Century, every OT font should have full CE support. Yet you still need to communicate this users through some sort of extension. I like “Pro” because, if nothing else, at least you know that they remembered to put CE in. Maybe CE isn’t such a big deal in North America, but over here, you can’t sell fonts without it. It is the bear minium, and even it doesn’t cover all your working bases… right now, the EU has 25 member countries, and two writing systems. In a few years, it will certainly have three (Cyrillic), or even four (Arabic?).

2. and because…

>XLC…

And then a CE + Greek font would be XLG? What happens when you put in Greek and Cyrillic? XLCG? Then Hebrew and Arabic? Helvetica World would need an XLCGHA extension. Or maybe XLCGHAV, since Vietnamese accents are in there, too.

> or even four (Arabic?).

Cool, which country were you thinking of? How about Hebrew? Israel is already part of Europe.*

Cheers, Si

*as it’s part of the Eurovision song contest (edit - and UEFA)

Well, I don’t think either Israel or the EU wants a merger with the other party.

I don’t know if an Arabic-speaking country will be considered eligible for EU membership anytime before 2020 or 2030, but if one would be, it would probably be one of the North African ones. But by that time Europe will have such a large Arabic-speaking minority that Arabic will have to be added into the pile of quasi-official languages. I bet that there are already more Arabic-speakers living in the EU than say, Czech-speakers.

I don’t think that there are any Cyrillic-using countries in the EU yet, but Bulgaria or Serbia will probably join before 2015 or 2020. And there is always Ukraine… some of the western half of Ukraine was part of “Europe”* until 1917/18.

*As a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

>But by that time Europe will have such a large Arabic-speaking minority that Arabic will have to be added into the pile of quasi-official languages.

I hadn’t thought of that. Another scenario (unlikely but possible) might be a future Turkish regime making Arabic an official script alongside Latin.

Sorry to have veered off-topic, but I suppose this helps explain Linotype’s investment in new Arabic types and the hiring of the super talented Nadine Chahine, and sponsorship of the Dubai conference? The future is Arabic!