Typophile

Fontographer Kerning Problem

TypeSETit

Hi all...

I'm beta testing a font using InDESIGN. After doing some kerning and generating the OpenType font, when I look at it in InDesign test, there's no change in the kerning I just performed. If I generate a PostScript version of the font, then open THAT in FontLab and re-generate the OpenType font, it seems to work (the kerning appears as I have edited it).

Is there a reason Fontographer's opentype generated font doesn't access the kerning?

I use LinoType Explorer to load fonts. Could it be reading an older version of the font?

Is there something I'm doing wrong?

Thanks,

Rob

blank

I use LinoType Explorer to load fonts. Could it be reading an older version of the font?

Probably. Don’t install unfinished fonts. Just stick them in the Adobe fonts folder.

Stephen Rapp

Did you clean caches? Under tools menu you can clean the manage folder which gets rid of the cache in Explorer; and also clean application caches which will clean out any Adobe cache of it.

TypeSETit

Stephen,

Thanks for the quick response...

If I generate the font in FontLab and open it in LinoType Explorer, the kerning shows up. Also, to clean the cache, it says I will need to restart. Not sure I want to do that each time I make a change in the kerning.

Rob

Bert Vanderveen

You can circumvent the problem of caching by giving each new version of your typeface a different name (eg apply a version number). This has been suggested before by designers somewhere on this site (meaning it’s not my wonderful personal insight…)

Stephen Rapp

I have an older version of Linotype explorer, but mine just asks for a password before cleaning the application caches. Restarting will clean Adobe caches, but I think the point of doing it with Explorer is so you don't have to restart. Mine has always updated properly just through Explorer. First I delete the font from the list in Explorer then clean both caches and then load the updated version.

twardoch

You can put the font files directly into /Applications/Adobe InDesign CS5/Fonts (replace CS5 with your actual version number). Font files placed there are instantly picked up by InDesign. InDesign does not "lock" them so you can overwrite them directly from Fontographer or FontLab Studio, switch to InDesign and you should instantly see the changes.

Do you have an external features definition file associated with your .fog document?

TypeSETit

Do you have an external features definition file associated with your .fog document?

I'm afraid this will show my ignorance... I don't really know what an external definition file is.
Stephen, you suggested renaming the font. Does renaming a font automatically change the PostScript and Bitmap ID numbers for the font?

Naming fonts has been an issue for me since the latest Fontographer version was released. I have had to go into Fontographer 4 to look at the ID numbers of fonts to make sure I don't get any conflicts.

THIS BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER QUESTION... I'll create a new thread for it.

Thanks guys!

Rob

Nick Curtis

I don't really know what an external definition file is.

Just enough info to get you started...

http://www.typophile.com/node/78644

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